Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42384998›Full record

ArticleSao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina2026

Non-surgical facial harmonization for gender affirmation and psychosocial well-being in transmasculine persons: an exploratory mixed-methods study.

Liliane Lins-Kusterer, Victor Augusto Bastos E Silva, João Gabriel Macedo Briglia, José Valber Lima Meneses, Larissa do Nascimento Sampaio Celestino, Iza Maura Alves Travenzoli, Rodrigo Fernandes Weyll Pimentel

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Liliane Lins-KustererMaxillofacial Surgeon, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva e Social (DMPS), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3736-0002
Victor Augusto Bastos E SilvaUndergraduate student. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMBUFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-4682-6235
João Gabriel Macedo BrigliaUndergraduate student. Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMBUFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0007-2816-4313
José Valber Lima MenesesDepartamento de Cirurgia, Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5538-7108
Larissa do Nascimento Sampaio CelestinoHospital Dentistry Resident, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos (HUPES), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-8787-1972
Iza Maura Alves TravenzoliHospital Dentistry Resident, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgard Santos (HUPES), Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8687-4985
Rodrigo Fernandes Weyll PimentelDepartamento de Saúde da Família, Faculdade de Medicina da Bahia, Universidade Federal da Bahia (FMB-UFBA), Salvador (BA), Brazil.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0101-0190

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFacial appearance plays a central role in gender recognition and identity congruence, particularly among transmasculine individuals. Although the demand for gender-affirming care has increased, evidence regarding the psychosocial implications of nonsurgical facial masculinization using hyaluronic acid remains limited, especially within public health systems.

objectivesTo describe the subjective and psychosocial experiences related to nonsurgical facial harmonization with hyaluronic acid among transmasculine individuals receiving care in public health settings. DESIGN AND

settingA mixed-methods exploratory study with a qualitative core component was conducted in a public, gender-affirming outpatient clinic in Salvador.

methodsSix transmasculine patients participated in semi-structured interviews. The FACE-Q Satisfaction with Facial Appearance Overall Scale (SFAOS) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) were administered before and 30 days after the procedure as complementary quantitative measures. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis based on Bardin's framework, with sampling guided by theoretical saturation.

resultsParticipants reported perceived reductions in facial dysphoria, improvements in self-perception, and greater social confidence after the procedure. Complementary quantitative measures indicated consistent short-term increases in facial satisfaction scores and a trend toward reduced anxiety.

conclusionsIn this exploratory study, nonsurgical facial harmonization with hyaluronic acid was associated with short-term improvements in self-perceived facial satisfaction and psychosocial comfort among transmasculine participants. Given the small sample size and short follow-up period, these findings should be interpreted as preliminary. Larger studies with longer follow-up periods and comparative designs are warranted to evaluate the durability and generalizability of our findings.

Indexed as

Dermal FillersFaceGender DysphoriaHyaluronic AcidTransgender PersonsAdultBody SatisfactionFemaleGender-Nonconforming PersonsHumansMaleMiddle AgedPatient SatisfactionPsychological Well-BeingQualitative ResearchSelf ConceptDermal FillersHyaluronic Acid

Identifiers

PMID42384998
PMCPMC13317023

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.