Independent of one another, photographers Julian Wolkenstein and Alex John Beck shot various subjects straight-on with neutral expressions. They then split the portraits of their subjects down the center to create two images. One image mirrored the left side and one the right side.
The result? Two wholly symmetrical yet completely distinct composite faces for one person. In some cases, the differences in facial images are significant. And the symmetry of each of the resulting faces can be off-putting.
This is because asymmetry is completely natural. And at the very base of it, this is precisely why facial symmetry is not the point in plastic surgery.
The Beauty of Imperfections
Patients often seek plastic surgery to “erase” facial asymmetries. This is an impossible task. Perfect symmetry is not real. It has not evolved to exist in the past five billion years and therefore will never be achieved through a two-hour surgical intervention.
Highly trained, board-certified plastic surgeons know this. So when patients come to them insisting that symmetry is the solution to all of the problems with their facial appearance, they have to educate these patients.
An experienced surgeon will demonstrate to the patient that perfect (and non-existent) symmetry is not synonymous with beauty. They may remind their patients that it’s the small imperfections such as a dimple, the scrunch of an eye, or the slight flip of a lip that can make a familiar face endearing. It’s what gives it personality.
This is not to say, of course, that imperfections that are causing physical or psychological distress should be ignored. These are valid reasons to seek plastic surgery. But it’s important that surgeons communicate that symmetry is not the solution. That there’s a much bigger picture.
Facial Symmetry Is Not the Point in Plastic Surgery
Symmetry is based on simple math. It asks if two sides are identical. End of story. Plastic surgery works from a larger scope. The most important achievement is coherence. Coherence is far more nuanced than symmetry and cannot be generated by a formula. It asks the surgeon to ensure that all of the facial features together seem to belong to the same person and that that person is still there after the surgery.
For example, a patient may come in with complaints of a strong nose. Yet, what the surgeon sees is how that nose balances their prominent cheekbones. Another patient may be upset by a heavier upper eyelid without understanding that this may give the eyes depth. Even a slightly crooked smile could be animating an otherwise serious face.
The surgical goal then is not achieving symmetry. It’s refining the relationship to the rest of the face without disturbing any productive tension. This requires that the surgeon understand which irregularities are distractions and which enhance the patient’s true essence. It’s knowing when a perfectly straight nose will appear awkward; when a precise eyelid procedure could lessen character; when a balanced smile detracts from the patient’s demeanor.
Beauty is not about symmetry. It does not, as many patients assume, require every facial feature to match its opposite. It only requires that features make sense together. As such, it is the coherence of anatomy, history, identity, and expression that can contain age, inheritance, strength, and most definitely, asymmetry.
Put Your Best Face Forward
Now that you understand that facial symmetry is not the point in plastic surgery, you may see your facial imperfections in a different light.
No matter what the case, if you are troubled by your facial appearance, it may be time to consult with an experienced plastic surgeon. Contact us today.
Our highly skilled surgeons have the expertise to view you through a lens of coherence that will optimize your facial attractiveness without eliminating the personality-defining imperfections that make you YOU.