Anatomical Layers Of The Face – What Surgeons Work With
Introduction Dr Michael Kernohan is a Specialist Plastic & Reconstructive Surgeon in Sydney. Facelift planning involves more than the…
Our brains feel rewarded when we look at someone who has a balanced face. But what is it that makes a face appear harmonious?
Different facial cosmetic features can contribute to a balanced appearance when they come together. Big, alert eyes, a small, proportional nose, defined cheeks, a well-defined jawline, and full lips usually grab people’s attention.
Dr Michael Kernohan offers his patients a full spectrum of surgical and non-surgical facial cosmetic procedures to help achieve their desired results.
Wide eyes, full cheeks, and a defined nose are all typical features of a balanced face. However, facial balance is more than the sum of these parts. It’s about how all your facial features come together. How your eyes, nose, mouth, cheeks, and jaw look relative to each other. It’s all about proportions and symmetry.
Many plastic surgeons refer to this facial balance ratio as the “golden ratio.” The golden ratio is, of course, just a figure of speech. An experienced facial plastic surgeon can adapt this golden ratio of facial balance to fit individual patient needs.
When you first look at a person’s face you might find it aesthetically pleasing without knowing what it is exactly about it that’s so appealing. There’s something about their face that looks balanced and harmonious.
At a closer look, you’ll notice there are specific facial features that contribute to this balance.
A wrinkle-free forehead is one of the features that make the face look composed. When the forehead is smooth, your face seems calm and peaceful which most people find appealing.
You can carry a lot of your worry and stress on your forehead and it shows up as forehead wrinkles. A wrinkled forehead makes it look like you’re stressed out or living an unhealthy lifestyle even if you’re not. This can make your face look tired, angry, or less appealing to others.
Also, a lot of your facial expressions (surprise, concern, shock) show on your forehead. Wrinkles on the forehead become even deeper when you make a facial expression and they can make your expressions come across as exaggerated and unnatural.
Dr Kernohan offers his patients surgical and non-surgical solutions to alleviate the lines on the forehead including:
Your eyes can be the first thing people notice in your face. Symmetric and alert eyes are an important cosmetic feature of a balanced face.
And when you’re having a conversation or giving a presentation, making eye contact is very important to hold someone’s attention. Having alert and wide-looking eyes makes you look more engaging and energetic which makes your entire face look more charismatic.
As you age, your eyebrows and eyelids start to drop which can affect their appearance in the following ways:
That’s why eyelid surgery, or blepharoplasty, is very popular. By removing excess skin, muscle, and fat around your eyes, a blepharoplasty gives you wider, bigger, and brighter eyes. Consequently, your face looks well-rested, and more energetic.
Your nose is the centre of attention on your face. A symmetric and proportional nose brings your other facial features into balance. A straight and refined nose can also balance out the rest of your face while you’re smiling.
On the other hand, your face can negatively impact the face if your nose is perceived as too big, too small, too wide, or asymmetric since:
Nose reshaping surgery, known as Rhinoplasty, can alter the nose’s appearance and bring out the balance in your face. There are different types of nose surgery:
Dr Kernohan has extensive experience in performing nose surgeries and tailors each procedure to the patient’s specific needs and desires.
When people think you look aesthetically pleasing, they’ll often tell you that you’re looking cheerful. Having defined cheeks creates a lively and high-spirited face and can be considered an important cosmetic feature.
Your cheeks play a central role in how your face looks to others.
As you get older, your face skin loses its elasticity and starts to descend and wrinkle. The signs of facial ageing can be especially visible in your cheeks. Heavy and ptotic cheeks can add years to your face and lead to a tired appearance.
Fortunately, there are several ways to alter the appearance of the cheeks and increase their volume;
In contrast, if the cheeks are too full, Buccal fat pad removal surgery can remove some of the fat to reduce volume.
Your jaw outlines and contours your whole face. A well-defined jawline gives your face a strong and prominent look – one of the top sought after features of facial balance.
Excess, loose jaw skin fade out the appealing angle created between the neck and the chin making the face look weak or underdefined.
The jaw shouldn’t be too wide or too narrow. A wide jaw can make the face look too big or too round. While a narrow jaw can make the face look too slim or too small.
Dr Kernohan can alter the appearance of jaw and give the face a stronger outline using:
A defined chin is considered an important characteristic of a harmonious, balanced face.
A weak receding chin that projects backward towards the neck disrupts the contour of the face and its aesthetic balance. If the chin is too angular, the face can appear too long and too narrow from the bottom. And if the chin is too round, your face may look too short and too wide from the bottom.
Depending on your standards, you may or may not find cleft chin a characteristic of a balanced face. Either way, if the chin dimple is too deep in the middle, the chin could look like it is split in two. This can disturb your facial proportions, especially in the lower part.
Over the years, Dr Kernohan has worked on several chin augmentation techniques to reshape the chin while achieving aesthetically and functionally appealing results. Chin surgery, also known as genioplasty or mentoplasty, is done to:
Dr Kernohan also offers cleft chin surgery to make, remove, or lessen a chin dimple.
A lot of people don’t notice how important ears are in creating an aesthetically balanced face. They play a key role in defining the face’s limits and proportions.
Overly large ears or ears that stick out can distract from other facial features. Ear surgery (otoplasty) can address these issues by reshaping the ears to better fit the overall facial proportions.
In doing so, Dr Kernohan balances the proportions of the ears with the rest of your facial features.
Disclaimer: All surgical or invasive procedures come with inherent risks, and results can vary widely between individuals due to factors like lifestyle, anatomy, overall health, weight, and nutrition. We encourage you to conduct thorough research and consider seeking a second opinion from a qualified healthcare provider.
Your lips get a lot of attention directed towards your face, especially when you’re talking.
The lips start slowly losing some of their volume with depletion of collagen and elastin or because of smoking and other lifestyle habits. Thin, flat lips can make you look older than you actually are and alter your facial balance.
If the upper lip is too thin, it can disappear completely when you smile. This will make your gums more obvious when you laugh. Moreover, lips that are too narrow or too small can also affect the appearance of the nose, causing it to look too big in comparison or even highlight a protruding chin.
Dr Kernohan offers various surgical and non-surgical procedures to increase lip volume. These procedures include:
Each of these options requires a professional consultation to determine the best approach for your specific goals and needs. Always seek advice from a qualified practitioner before undergoing any treatment.
The condition of your skin significantly impacts the overall appearance of your face. Clear, healthy skin without blemishes, wrinkles, or uneven pigmentation can help highlight your facial features.
Skin treatments like laser therapy, chemical peels, and skincare routines recommended by dermatologists can help maintain healthy skin.