Toby Mayer, MD

Being a trans girl, it is quite difficult to find providers who care about who we are and treat us with respect, let alone as human beings. After visiting a couple providers, I came across Dr. Toby Mayer in LA and felt welcome immediately. He was very kind and caring from the very first consultation to my last visit just a couple days ago (just went to say hello btw). His passion, as well as his commitment and that of his staff, is worth noting. He was very thorough in his explanations of what the procedure entailed and the timelines regarding recovery time and when I could expect to see final results. He was also very approachable, joking to make me feel more relaxed since I was very nervous the first time I stepped into his office. I must also stress out how comfortable I felt with his assistant, Francis, who made me feel at ease and, just as Dr. Mayer, answered my every question. She was easy to establish rapport with.
The girls in his staff are also awesome, from the surgery coordinator, Keely, to the girls at the front desk, Nikki and Nicole, who were also very helpful throughout the whole process. Keely was always on top of everything! Also, they always called my medications on time and to my nearest pharmacy.

Overall, I feel nothing but gratitude toward all of them!! They changed my life and made it possible for me to love the skin I live in now!! Thank you Dr. Mayer!!!

I am very pleased that I decided to have my FFS procedures done with Dr. Mayer!

The Process:
First, I was using my insurance to cover FFS (at least in part), and the staff at Dr. Mayer's practice were super friendly, personable, and helpful along the way. Specifically, I worked closely with Keely to facilitate the necessary back and forth with my insurance company, and with her giuidance, the stress and confusion of that process was greatly reduced. Ask about Letters of Agreement (LOA) - I had originally thought Dr. Mayer was not an option for me because my insurance did not have him listed as an in network doctor, but his staff suggested an LOA, and turned out my insurance could work with his practice via that route.

During this time, I consulted with Dr. Mayer virtually and it was clear to me that his vision and style was aligned with my goals. Pre-FFS, I already generally 'liked' my face, and on good days I would feel confident and attractive. But then there were the bad days... when a glance in the mirror would trigger dysphoria-induced depression and cause me to become a fraction of my usual confident self. These days were getting more and more frequent the further along I was in my transition (4 years at the time of FFS).

Within a few months we had a set of procedures decided upon, and an agreement with insurance.

Surgery:
I did my surgery in two parts, due to my tissue expander hairline advancement procedure. In my own (non-medical) terms, the tissue expander balloon had to go in during the first surgery, then needed to be injected with saline over the course of a few months to stretch out my scalp skin in order to make room for Dr. Mayer to then remove the balloon and lower my hairline in the second surgery. I debated doing this because it sounded like such a hassle, and I don't think anyone would choose to do multiple rounds of surgery just because. But in the end, I am so glad I did! Which brings me to...

The results:
I am very happy with my results! After a few months, I have healed well and with a very natural look - people who do not know I had FFS would not guess I had any work done.

My rhinoplasty, brow reduction, chin and trachea shave, and hairline advancement all work together in a way that gives me a face I still recognize my face as my own, but no longer gives me dysphoria :) This wasn't some magic 'make me sexy' procedure - from a general standpoint, I thought I was 'good looking' before and I think I am 'good looking' now. It is hard to explain but while I still recognize my face as me, I no longer see the 'old me' that gave me bad dysphoria, and this means I am no longer experiencing the dysphoric, depressed days that used to turn me into a fraction of my confident self. That is why I had the procedure in the first place.

I recommend consulting with Dr. Mayer!

Picking a surgeon was a very stressful process for me and it took me almost a year of research before finally scheduling consultations. My consultation with Dr. Mayer left me feeling confident that he was the surgeon I wanted to go with and he put a ton of my anxiety to rest. During the consultation he explained his recommended procedures and the process behind each one, while also explaining the procedures he didn't recommend and why. He is incredibly knowledgeable and truly cares about you as a patient. The procedure itself was flawless and I had no complications and could not be happier with the results. He also has a great personality and was fun to talk too, which admittedly wasn't something I was expecting from a surgeon. Finally, the team he has surrounding him are all amazing and super nice making you confident you are in the best hands possible.

Toby is honestly amazing. There's a reason he has specialized in FFS for so long. I did a lot of research before meeting with Toby. His before and after photos from other patients stood out to me as some of the most beautiful and natural looking results out there. Upon meeting him I knew he was the right fit. He and his team were so wonderful to work with. Everyone in his office is extremely kind and compassionate, and their mission to help you feel more at home in your own body was apparent in every interaction I had with them. I am a handful of months post-op now, and I LOVE my results. I still look like me, but with wonderfully feminine features. I would recommend to anyone thinking about FFS to make an appointment with Toby! I can't say enough good things!

I knew I wanted facial feminization surgery for over 15 years and spent all 15 years finding the right doctor. Dr. Mayer's track record of safe, consistent, and phenomenal transformations speaks for itself - but his eye for harmony between facial features and body structure, groundbreaking contributions to the field of reconstructive surgery, and ability to adapt to patients lifestyles/goals set him apart from other practicioners. I am grateful every time I look in a mirror for his incredible work.

Toby Mayer is incredible at his craft. I chose this surgeon because at the end of the day, you only really get ONE shot at FFS, and Dr. Mayer’s results spoke for themselves. Also, I noticed that Dr. Mayer’s patients come out of surgery looking like a female relative, and at the end of the day, retaining my visual identity was important to me. I cannot be happier with my results! I look like the sister I never had. It’s incredible! It’s been six months and a I am constantly gendered correctly with minimal to no effort! Thank you for a new lease on life. I recommend Tony Mayer to anyone seeking FFS.

I had a great experience with Dr. Mayer for both VFS and FFS. Dr. Mayer did an excellent job with my face this helped me to navigate society easier being transgender and helped me feel much more comfy in my own skin. The best part is the results keep improving over time. Given that I had FFS relatively earlier in transition I am amazed by the progress I’ve had at this point!

VFS was amazing too I used to get misgendered constantly over the phone not so anymore!!!

I’ve also attached some before and after pics for reference :) before is on the left 1.5 years after is on the right.

Dr Toby Mayer
Without a doubt is one of the best surgeons if not the best in the world, his consultations are very detailed and compassionate. He answered all my questions and concerns. Run don't walk for the best results in FFS and VFS.
Updated on 13 Sep 2024:
It can be daunting and challenging to find the right surgeon when someone makes the decision to surgically change and alter their appearance. It can be a life changing transformation. It's a personal and private decision not to be taken lightly. Finding the correct surgeon for particular procedures requires research. After many months of researching, Dr Toby Mayer was by far the best choice. Without a doubt he has the most experience, credentials and expertise in the field of FFS and Vfs. He's performed thousands of procedures. Once you've met him, he will tell you he's a perfectionist. He stands by his work. He goes above and beyond. He corrected a previous procedures from another surgeon that were not up to his standards. Everyone in the office Nikki and Nicole and the surgical coordinator Keely and Francis the surgical assistant, are passionate about helping trans people accomplishing their goals and affirming their gender. Including Dr Mayer. They truly care about their patients and are very helpful throughout the process. Dr Mayer's practice is not profit driven like some surgeons are rumored to be. Although it's only been four months post-op Dr Mayer's surgical skills has changed my appearance dramatically, contouring and reshaping to achieve the right balance of Feminization. Compared to what I looked like before versus now, friends and family are overwhelmed and supportive about my new look. It's life changing to not be misgendered. When Dr Mayer says "Changing one life at a time" he stands by his word's. I'm so happy with the results thus far. They have said it could take up to a year to fully heal, based on the amount of procedures I had done. The future looks bright.

--'Procedures performed -?

Prstop from Facial Feminization surgery

Her procedures included: Forehead Lift,

Hairline Lowering, Supra Orbital Bone

Reduction and Contouring, Septorhinoplasty

(closed) with Cartilage Grafts, Soft Tissue

Malar Graft, Chin Reduction and Contour with

Pre-Jowl Implant with Soft Tissue, Soft

Tissue to Nasolabial Folds, Subnasal Lip Lift,

Fat Augmentation to Lips, Thyroid Cartilage

Shave and Voice Feminization, 180

Micrografts to the Fronto Temporal

Recessions, Revision Upper and Lower

Blepharoplasty, Deep Plane Facelift/Necklift,

2cc Voluma to Medial Cheeks and Deep

Nasolabial Creases, 1cc Juvederm Bilaterally

to the Perioral Rhytids, and

Cheeklift.



Updated on 22 Sep 2024:
Four and half months post-op, healing continues with positive results every month. Being gendered correctly is nice and validating. To any one wishing to have ffs, it can be life a changing transformation, being able to live life presenting as your true self is empowering and fulfilling.

Dr. Mayer results are natural. He is very realistic. He well-educated and is a true expert. He really cares about his patients. His staff are incredible and made me feel very comfortable. Great experience. I would highly recommend him to anyone.

I came to Dr. Mayer because I was blown away by the patient results that I saw posted online. He is an FFS surgeon that can mold existing facial features into a natural and beautifully feminine result. Most other FFS surgeons produce results that look less natural.

To start with, the staff is fantastic. Keely, his scheduler, is responsive and knowledgeable. The front office (hi, Nikki!) is always kind. His nurse, Francis, is professional and engaged.

We decided to spread out my FFS over two stages because my scalp was not elastic enough to support a single-stage hairline lowering procedure. The first stage was everything from my nose down to my chin, along with the insertion of a deflated scalp expander under my scalp. The second stage was everything above my nose, including hairline lowering.

In between the two stages, the scalp expander was slowly filled with saline, so that extra hair-bearing scalp was grown which would be brought forward in a flap procedure to create the new hairline in my second stage.

Be forewarned that the scalp expansion process is emotionally taxing. Twice a week, you have the locate the expander port under your scalp and have another person inject saline into the port. For the entire duration of the expansion process, you will carry a healthy dose of anxiety about the possibility of accidentally rupturing the scalp expander, losing the port under the expander itself, or delaying your surgery date due to the slow process of expansion. In total, the process took me five months to fill 300cc. You can imagine how it looks to have a saline balloon coming out of your head during that time, too.

That being said, it is absolutely worth it.

You just have to endure several months of discomfort, anxiety, and creative beanie wearing in exchange for a lifetime with the perfect feminine hairline that you’ve always wanted.

I could not be happier with my results. It has been seven months since my first stage and two months since my second stage. You cannot tell that any work has been done, and I look cute as a button. I do not get clocked anywhere that I go, and medical providers are surprised when I tell them that I’m trans.
More importantly than anything else, when I look in the mirror, I finally see the cute girl looking back at me that has been there all along.

Thank you, Dr. Mayer!