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Feminization Surgery Gives Manly Women the Feminine Touch

Dr. Jeffrey Spiegel(BOSTON) -- Sarah, now 50, came out as transgender but was still "being clocked" as male.





What makes a person's face look feminine or masculine?


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A woman's eyes and mouth reflect more light than a man's, according to Spiegel, who did Sarah's surgery. Women's eyebrows are arched and reach a peak at the edge, and men's are slightly lower and straight across.







Growing awareness among transgender people that medical help is available, as well as more information online, has fueled Spiegel's business.





"If you see a woman who has a shaved head like Sinead O'Connor or a woman undergoing chemotherapy, you don't look and say, 'There's a man,' but, 'There's a bald woman,'" he said.


Biology plays a role in why men's and women's faces differ.

"It's true, women can be mistaken for men and there is an evolutionary explanation for why we look different," he said. "We are hard-wired to find a good fertile mate."

Eyebrows are the most important feature in determining what looks feminine or masculine and that's the reason why they stand out on an otherwise hairless face.

Men often have a classic, strong, wide "Dudley Do Right" or Arnold Schwarzenegger jaw, according to Spiegel. Women's are more tapered.

The hairline is also a giveaway. Men have a "widow's peak" that recedes on the sides. Women have a rounder hairline.


"Why are some women more attractive than others?" he asked. "A big part is as women age and lose their fertility, they lose their femininity."



Spiegel gets letters and accolades from patients who say they feel they have been "reborn."


The patient was so happy with the results that she reunited with her ex-wife, who later told Spiegel, "Now I am with the person I love. The miserable, depressive alcoholic stage was over. I figured out what mattered."

"I like that I get to help people," he said. "And it's gratifying to be able to solve a problem that is so fundamental."

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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