Avoiding a Masculine Look: Nonsurgical Treatments That Can Make You Look Masculine
Non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments can be a great way to maintain or enhance youthful features without going under the knife, but if done incorrectly, they can sometimes make the face appear more masculine—even in women. Understanding the difference between feminine and masculine facial characteristics and how certain treatments impact these features is key to getting the desired results.
Masculine vs. Feminine Facial Features
When we think about masculine facial features, we typically focus on more angular bone structure, a stronger jawline, a wider forehead, and smaller eyes with thicker, flatter brows. In contrast, feminine faces tend to have softer, more rounded contours, higher eyebrows, and larger, more open eyes. Aging can blur these distinctions, as both men and women lose volume in the face, leading to sagging skin, deeper lines, and sometimes a heavier, harsher look.
How Neuromodulators Can Create a Masculine Appearance
Neuromodulators like Botox and Dysport are fantastic for smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles when used correctly. However, the wrong placement or overly aggressive application can sometimes lead to unwanted changes in appearance—particularly in how the eyes and brows are framed. For example, injecting too much Dysport into the glabella (the area between the eyebrows) can cause the medial brow to droop.
In my experience, Dysport tends to spread through the muscle and can migrate from the corrugator muscle to the frontalis. This can result in a brow droop, which narrows the eye area and creates a more furrowed, harsh look. When the brow falls, it gives the eyes a smaller, more closed-off appearance, which can make the face look more masculine—a far cry from the intended youthful refresh!
For women in particular, the brows naturally sit higher, creating an open, lifted eye. Dropping the brow through improper neuromodulator placement can dramatically change the facial balance, making the face seem more severe and masculine. That’s why it’s crucial to have a careful, targeted approach to neuromodulator injections, ensuring that the brows maintain a soft arch instead of becoming flat and low.
Fillers Along the Jawline and Mandibular Angle
Fillers can be another culprit when it comes to unintentionally masculinizing the face. Adding volume along the jawline or mandibular angle can help define a jawline and improve facial symmetry, but overdoing it can widen the jaw and make the face look too angular.
For women, a slightly tapered or softer jawline is often preferred, while a square or wider jaw is typically associated with a masculine appearance. If too much filler is used, or if it’s placed too far laterally, it can broaden the lower half of the face and give it that square, masculine look that many women want to avoid.
The Risk of Looking Overfilled: Masculine or Overly Feminine?
It’s important to consider that going too far with any surgical or non-surgical treatmentcan paradoxically make the face look more masculine, rather than enhancing femininity. When the face appears overdone or overfilled, it can create a sense of artificiality that leads people to question whether someone might be transgender and attempting to look overly feminine.
This is particularly true for taller women or those with naturally more angular, masculine features. The contrast between the over-enhanced, exaggerated areas (such as the lips, cheeks, or jawline) and the rest of the face can create an unsettling, unnatural appearance. Instead of softening the face and feminizing it, the exaggerated features can unintentionally draw attention to underlying masculine traits.
This is why a subtle and balanced approach is key—enhancing your features without going overboard helps maintain a more natural, harmonious look.
For this reason, as a facial feminization surgeon, I caution patients transitioning from male to female to focus on looking natural in order to look more feminine overall. Jools Lebron understood this when she started the latest TikTok trend of being demure, modest, and mindful of not looking too overdone.
Avoiding a Masculine Outcome
The key to avoiding these outcomes is choosing an experienced injector who understands the nuances of facial anatomy and the differences between male and female features. With neuromodulators like Dysport, precise injections are crucial to avoid spreading into unintended areas and causing brow droop. Similarly, with fillers, less is often more. It’s important to create definition without adding too much width, particularly when treating the jawline or mandibular angle.
If your goal is to maintain a feminine appearance, a more conservative approach that respects natural facial contours is ideal. Sometimes, combining treatments like Morpheus8, which tightens the skin and enhances collagen production, can provide a lifted, rejuvenated appearance without the need for aggressive fillers or neuromodulators.
Final Thoughts
While non-surgical facial rejuvenation treatments can work wonders, they can also backfire if not done carefully. Drooping brows and a widened jawline can take you in the opposite direction of your aesthetic goals, making your face appear more masculine instead of refreshed and youthful.
Whether you’re using Dysport to smooth wrinkles or fillers to define your jawline, always work with a skilled injector who understands how to keep your results natural and aligned with your desired look. With the right approach, these treatments can help enhance your natural beauty without the risk of creating unwanted masculine features.
