If you’re like me, you may be reading this less than a week away from your facial feminization surgery date thinking, “Oh shit, I’m actually not prepared at all.”
In a race against time I messaged every post op FFS girly asking what products I should be adding to my cart on Amazon.
Also quick side note, if you’ve been wanting to get your FFS covered by medicaid but don’t know where to start check out this article here!
Anyways, as I’m writing this I’m officially 5 and a half weeks post op. While parts of my FFS recovery were uncomfortable, these are the products I used that helped alleviate discomfort.
If you’ve been looking for everything you need for your FFS recovery, I can assure you it’s all in this post.
1.) A pillow for staying elevated
First and foremost it is essential for you to be sleeping in an elevated position during your FFS Recovery. The swelling is going to be intense for the first week and staying elevated helps with the swelling. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, trust.
Occasionally I would slip off the pillow while I was sleeping but every time I would wake up in the middle of the night swollen and uncomfortable as hell. So if you’re gonna get anything on this list, make sure it’s one of these pillows.
I had another post FFS girlfriend tell me that she used a pregnancy pillow and it was great for staying elevated. I honestly think I would’ve opted for this one but I had already bought my pillow so.
2.)Ice Packs
Girl trust me when I say you are going to want these exact ice packs, they were so great for icing my eyes and jaw and because it comes with six I was constantly rotating them out.
3.)Soylent
After your surgery you’re going to be on a soft liquid diet. I stocked up on soup, yogurt, and applesauce which weren’t very nutrient rich. Luckily somebody got me these Soylent shakes which helped replace meals.
Also the first week of recovery it was hard to eat soup and keep things in my mouth so a lot of the times I opted for no fuss and drank one of these instead. These were so helpful during my FFS recovery.
4.)A fluffy robe
My auntie bought me a robe after my surgery and I’m so happy she did. Honestly you feel so bleh after surgery and being comfy/cozy is essential.
Also you’re so low on energy at the beginning even picking out an outfit can seem laborious.
5.)Arnicare
My friend Vanessa who had just gotten her FFS done told me about these tablets that help with swelling. After your FFS you’re going to be swollen regardless but these tablets helped my swelling go down in a week and a half to two weeks!
6.) Turmeric Supplements
Something else that helped with the swelling were these turmeric supplements. They’re a natural anti inflammatory. Honestly anything that helps with swelling you’re gonna want to have on hand.
7.)Vaseline for Lips
If you opted for the fat transfer to the lips it is essential that you have this lip vaseline. You’re not gonna want the off brand (speaking from experience).
Also these tend to be available at drug stores as well, the cocoa butter one is my fave! Also I’ve gone through 4 of these in a month if that says anything.
8.) Deep Moisturizer for Face
Your lips aren’t the only parts of your face that are going to get dry. Because of all the swelling you’ll start to peel like crazy, especially around the nose and jaw.
I have two options linked below. One’s a little bougie and the other will do the job and is cost effective.
Personally I was gifted this jet lag mask from Summer Fridays and this moisturizing mask saved my life! It was deeply hydrating and I didn’t break out (which tends to happen when I use heavier moisturizers)
9.) Neck Pillow
Okay so lowkey I sleep with this pillow every night and I’m not sure it’s supposed to be used as a neck pillow but I do and its comfy af.
I will say though that I would have been miserable sleeping upright without this. It doesn’t hurt to have the extra support, especially if you’re sleeping on the wedge pillow.
11.)Baby Soap
When you’re finally able to wash your hair again you’re going to want to have a gentle shampoo for your hair, especially when you’re washing the incision area. Your doctor will tell you to use baby soap.
12.)Detangler
When you’re finally able to wash the incision sight I’m telling you you are going to need a detangling spray because the area is going to be matted with blood and goo (gross I know but it’s true).
Also pro tip, brush your hair everyday so you can avoid as much breakage as possible beforehand.
13.) Audio Books
Day one and day two post op, having an audio book to listen to was a lifesaver. Granted I was listening to Harry Potter which I know is like super problematic because J.K. Rowling hates trans women… but like I will say it was really nice to listen to when I was zoinked on oxi.
14.) Ice Cream
After going through that surgery allow yourself to indulge in some ice cream. It’s the least you deserve after having the skeletal structure of your face shaved down <3
15.) Patience
The road to recovery with FFS is a long one so please be patient with yourself and don’t judge your results too early. Make sure you have a to-do list you can work on in the meantime.
If you’re anxious about surgery, checkout my recovery journey below. I take you through my first 5 weeks recovering from FFS. I also have a podcast episode talking about the experience with Dr. Bradleys and his team.
