Beverly Hills Expert in Facial Feminization, Breast Augmentation & Gender-Affirming Surgery
Dr. Johnson Lee, MD is a Johns Hopkins–trained, board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills specializing in gender-affirming surgery, with a particular focus on facial feminization, breast augmentation, and body feminization procedures, including rib remodeling for waist contour refinement. He has been performing gender-affirming surgery for nearly a decade and was introduced to the field through his involvement in the LGBTQ+ community. He helps transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse patients achieve harmony between their physical features and gender identity.
Known for his meticulous surgical technique and tailored treatment plans, Dr. Lee takes a collaborative, patient-centered approach to every consultation. His goal is to create refined, natural-looking results that harmonize facial and body features with each patient’s gender identity. Every aspect of care is grounded in respect, affirmation, and open communication, ensuring patients feel seen, supported, and confident throughout their surgical journey.
Education, Training and Research
Dr. Lee earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed an integrated Plastic Surgery residency at Albany Medical Center in New York, where he trained in high-volume reconstructive and aesthetic surgery. He later pursued advanced fellowship training in oculoplastic and aesthetic surgery under the direction of Dr. Mark Codner in Atlanta, with a special emphasis on eyelid and facial procedures.
In addition to his U.S.-based training, Dr. Lee’s education includes international clinical and research experience, with involvement at institutions such as Chang Gung Hospital in Taiwan, MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the Villa La Paz Foundation in Peru.
Dr. Lee is an active contributor to the field of plastic surgery through scientific publishing and educational content. His facial and eyelid expertise has been featured in instructional materials for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open, where he demonstrates advanced blepharoplasty techniques.
He is also engaged in ongoing professional collaboration through organizations and community partnerships, including involvement with WPATH and collaborations with Los Angeles-based transgender health and wellness organizations.
Dr. Lee performs surgeries in Beverly Hills and is affiliated with Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.
Feminizing Surgery Procedures
Dr. Lee offers a comprehensive range of feminizing procedures designed to soften facial features, enhance traditionally feminine proportions, and create harmony between facial structure and body contour. His practice is particularly known for refined facial feminization and advanced body contouring, with a focus on natural-looking, proportionate results.
Facial Feminization Surgery in Beverly Hills
Dr. Lee performs facial procedures that create a softer, more traditionally feminine appearance while preserving each patient’s unique features. Facial feminization is often most impactful when planned as a coordinated set of changes, with attention to proportion, symmetry, and overall facial harmony.
Dr. Lee’s facial feminization approach is primarily soft-tissue based, emphasizing contour refinement, balance, and subtle structural enhancement rather than bony reconstruction. For example, a brow lift can elevate and reshape the brow position to create a more open, refreshed, and feminine upper facial appearance. Similarly, a lip lift shortens the distance between the nose and upper lip, enhancing lip definition and contributing to a more youthful, proportionate lower-face contour. By thoughtfully addressing the upper, mid, and lower face together, Dr. Lee creates balanced, cohesive results that enhance overall facial harmony.
Hairline and Hair Restoration
Hairline shape and density play a significant role in facial feminization. Adjustments to the frontal hairline can soften overall facial structure and influence how the upper face is perceived.
Hair transplant involves strategic follicle placement to enhance density and refine hairline contour, including the temples, creating a more rounded and traditionally feminine frame. This procedure improves facial framing and may complement other facial feminization treatments.
Hairline advancement surgically lowers and reshapes the frontal hairline to reduce forehead height and soften temporal recession. By advancing the hair-bearing scalp forward, this procedure can significantly influence upper-face proportions and overall facial harmony. It may be performed alone or in combination with brow lift or other facial feminization procedures, and can also be complemented by hair transplantation for additional density refinement.
Breast Augmentation
Dr. Lee performs breast augmentation to enhance breast volume, projection, and symmetry. Surgical planning is individualized to achieve proportional, natural-looking results that align with each patient’s body frame and aesthetic goals.
Body Feminization Procedures
Dr. Lee offers advanced body contouring procedures designed to refine torso proportions and enhance waist-to-hip harmony. Body feminization is planned with careful attention to overall silhouette, ensuring that changes to the waist, hips, and torso work together in balance.
Buttock augmentation enhances hip and gluteal volume to create fuller curves and a more proportionate lower-body silhouette. This procedure may be used to increase projection, improve contour, and support a more traditionally feminine shape.
Body sculpting and contouring uses targeted liposuction and refinement of the waist, abdomen, and flanks to create smoother transitions and a narrower waistline. Strategic contouring helps define shape while maintaining natural-looking proportions.
For carefully selected candidates, rib remodeling (advanced waist contouring) may be performed to further refine waist contour and enhance overall proportional balance. By subtly adjusting the lower rib structure, this procedure can accentuate waist definition as part of a comprehensive body feminization plan. Rib remodeling is offered only following comprehensive consultation and individualized surgical planning to prioritize patient safety and natural-looking outcomes.
Masculinizing Surgery Procedures
Dr. Lee also offers masculinizing procedures for transmasculine and nonbinary patients seeking greater alignment between their physical features and gender identity.
Top Surgery
The double incision top surgery technique is commonly used for patients with moderate to larger chest volume. It involves removal of breast tissue, contouring of the chest, and repositioning or resizing of the nipples to create a flatter, more traditionally masculine chest appearance. For patients with smaller chest volume and good skin elasticity, the peri-areolar technique allows tissue removal through incisions around the areola. This approach may result in less visible scarring while achieving a flatter chest contour.
Body Masculinization
Through targeted liposuction and contour refinement, Dr. Lee reshapes areas such as the waist, flanks, and hips to reduce curves and create a straighter, more angular torso profile. Surgical plans are tailored to each patient’s anatomy and goals. Body masculinization can be done at the same time as top surgery.
Beard Transplant and Hair Restoration
Hair transplantation for transmasculine patients may address both facial hair development and scalp hair restoration. For some patients, this includes creating or enhancing beard and mustache growth when hormone therapy alone does not produce the desired density.
Equally important, hair transplantation can be used to treat or prevent male pattern hair loss, including recession at the temples or thinning at the crown. Because testosterone may lead to hair thinning or a receding hairline for certain individuals, many trans men pursue hair restoration to maintain a fuller, more traditionally masculine hairline while continuing hormone therapy. Strategic graft placement rebuilds density, restores hairline structure, and supports long-term masculine presentation. In California, gender-affirming hair restoration is increasingly recognized by insurance providers, and coverage may be available for qualified patients depending on their plan.
Consultations with Dr. Lee
Consultations are available both virtually and in-person. The consultation fee is $250 and surgery dates are typically available within 4–6 weeks after consultation.
Approximately 50–75% of Dr. Lee’s patients are transgender or nonbinary, and his practice is intentionally structured around gender-affirming care. Gender-affirming practices include:
- Intake forms that allow patients to self-identify name, pronouns, and gender identity
- Use of chosen name and pronouns in verbal and written communication
- A clearly posted nondiscrimination policy inclusive of gender identity and expression
- Staff training on transgender cultural competency
- Gender-neutral restroom access
Languages spoken at the practice: English and Spanish
Costs, Financing and Insurance
Most gender-affirming procedures fall in the $8,000–$25,000 range for cash-paying patients, depending on the surgical plan and whether procedures are combined. A consultation is required for an accurate price estimate. The practice accepts cash, credit, medical financing (including CareCredit) and insurance.
Insurance notes:
- Dr. Lee is in-network with Blue Shield of California
- The practice accepts Blue Cross Blue Shield plans
- The practice works with Aetna and other insurers
- BCBS Medicare plans may be accepted
- Medi-Cal may be accepted on a case-by-case basis
- Out-of-state Medicaid is not accepted
- The office has a dedicated insurance concierge to support authorizations and insurance coordination
Surgery Requirements
- Dr. Lee is a Member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and follows WPATH guidelines for surgery.
- Dr. Lee evaluates each patient individually. Pre-operative requirements are determined based on the patient’s medical history and physical examination, procedure plan, and medical needs.
