The Perfect Face, part 3

In pursuit of the perfect face, we have discussed symmetry and facial proportions using the Golden Ratio. In part 3, we will depart from more scientific analysis and discuss what patients really want.

When patients come to see me in consultation about specific areas of the face, most often they want to see an improvement of the face they were born with.  However, I also see many patients who bring in photos of celebrities.  These celebrities have a specific part of their face that is desirable.  Beautiful eyes, noses, or cheeks.

“I’d love my nose to look more like hers.”

While I don’t think we should strive to carbon-copy a celebrity nose on a patient’s face, it is very valuable to know what my patient likes and what type of result she is looking for.  If I know that you really like Emma Stone’s nose, I can better create a rhinoplasty plan that will be tailored to what you want the end result to be.

This brings up the burning question, “which celebrity facial features are the most requested by patients?” 

Two plastic surgeons in Los Angeles, Richard W. Fleming and Toby G. Mayer, looked at their data for that exact question.   

Here are the results:

Most requested nose – Natalie Portman

Most requested eyes – Anne Hathaway

Most requested cheeks – January Jones

Most requested jawline –  Halle Berry

Most requested lips – Scarlett Johansson

Would you have picked any of these celebrities yourself?  Do you even like the specific feature that they are known for?  Obviously, many choices exist as examples for what you may like, and none would necessarily be considered “perfect.”

Even though we aren’t pointing out perfection, in a way, this question makes a lot more sense compared to the question in our last part about which celebrity face is the most mathematically “perfect.”  Faces aren’t purely quantitative.  We know a beautiful face when we see one, even if we can’t always describe it well.  Celebrities are the most obvious choice when it comes to finding good examples.  Even so, no unanimous “perfect face” winner exists.

If you think about each of the celebrities listed, they have distinct features and do not closely resemble each other. Compared to the computerized “perfect” face as discussed last time, these celebrity faces are actually real humans—better proportioned and more beautiful.  Each woman’s favorite facial feature works well on her individual face.  Natalie’s nose may not be technically perfect, but it is one of the most desired. 

In addition, consider what you think will work best on your individual face. If Scarlett’s lips are truly not the best type for you, that is something we can discuss during a consultation.  Most often, we can find the enhancements that both fit your facial type and give you what you are looking for.

Doesn’t that make it “perfect” for us humans?

To complicate things, remember that your facial shape, skin type, eye color, and ethnicity (among dozens of other factors) play a big role in what facial features work best for you.  In addition, your cultural background is a large influence in what you consider beautiful on the face.

In part 4, we will be discussing just that.   How does the “perfect face” differ between cultures?

Here’s to the beautiful human face,

-Dr. Yamamoto