Face Last Updated: November 10, 2010

The Geometry of Beauty

Is There an Ideal for Beauty?

This is a question that has been studied and researched for centuries. It was once thought that beauty ideals differed from culture to culture, but research shows that there seems to be a universally accepted ideal for pleasant proportions, and that facial attractiveness is a matter of proportion, balance and symmetry. Facial plastic surgeons learn about these proportions during their many years of training. Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon Dr. Buonassisi is expertly trained to make small, appropriate and safe changes to facial features in order to achieve a harmony.

The Principle of Proportion

Facial Plastic Surgeons are expertly trained to identify facial proportions that determine attractiveness. Harmony, in both art and architecture, has been based on the “Golden Proportion”, which has three aspects to it:

1. The Rule of Thirds: The face can be divided into equal thirds when horizontal lines are drawn through the forehead hairline, the brow, the base of the nose and the edge of the chin. Facial features should fall within these parameters.
2. The Rule of Fifths: A proportionate face may be divided vertically into fifths, each approximately the width of one eye. Facial features should fall within these parameters.
3. Bilateral Symmetry: An attractive face exhibits a high degree of similarity between one side of the face and the other.

Research shows that regardless of race, nationality, or age, our beliefs about what is attractive when it comes to facial features is surprisingly consistent. When facial features fall outside of what is described in the Golden Proportion, we can spot at-a-glance when someone’s facial features are not in balance.

Enhancing Your Unique Features

There is no formula for achieving an attractive balance of facial features. While the Golden Proportion is an interesting framework, it is mostly used as a guide. In your surgical consult, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Buonassisi will evaluate your face from the perspectives of proportion, balance and symmetry in order to recommend safe and appropriate facial changes. Dr. Buonassisi’s objectives are much like yours: to create natural looking results so that you don’t look like you have had cosmetic surgery. The goal of facial plastic surgery is only to enhance your unique features, not make drastic changes to the things that make you who are.

Proportion, Balance & Symmetry

In your surgical consult, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Buonassisi will be paying close attention to your facial features and how they fit together. Facial features should ideally not be too small or too large in comparison with others. When a feature is out of proportion, out of balance, or lacks symmetry, it becomes the focal feature of the face. Some of the most common requests that patients make involve changes to features that don’t suit, or don’t align with the rest of the face:

Proportion

• Rhinoplasty is commonly performed to address proportional when the patient finds that their nose is just too big for their face
• Double Eyelid Surgery is commonly performed when the patient feels that their eyes appear to be too small or puffy compared to their other facial features
• Rhinoplasty is also performed when one feature of the nose doesn’t fit with the other parts of the nose, for example when a relatively slim nose is characterized by a large hump or a bulbous tip
• Otoplasty is performed when the ears stick out and appear to be too large in comparison to the head

Balance

• Chin implants is common when the patient’s chin is too small compared to the rest of their face. Often, from the profile view, the chin appears to be too far set back, which gives the patient’s face an unbalanced appearance
• Cheek implants are often performed when a patient has inherited a weak bone structure which causes their cheeks to look flat compared to the rest of the face

Symmetry

• Rhinoplasty is commonly performed to correct a crooked nose, which gives the face an asymmetric appearance – when the nose is crooked, this feature becomes the focal feature of the face
• Masseter muscle reduction is often used to reduce the size of bi-lateral masseter hypertrophy (an enlarged jaw muscle on just one side of the face)

Ready to Discuss Your Needs With a Board Certified Facial Plastic Surgeon? Schedule a Consult

If you are ready to book a consult with Dr. Buonassisi, please Request a Consult. If you would like to learn more about what to expect during a surgical consult, please go here.

Not Sure You Are a Candidate? Use Our Virtual Consult Form

Not everybody is a candidate for cosmetic surgery. As a service to clients, we have launched a Virtual Consultation tool. Upload your photos, provide some information about what you would like to change, and a cosmetic surgeon will provide a complementary evaluation. Find out more about the Virtual Consultation here.