Facial symmetry is commonly associated with beauty and youth, and why we make these associations has been debated for centuries.
Part of the reason for the latter, and an impetus for some people to try treatments such as facial symmetry fillers is that people believe that faces become less symmetrical as they get older.
According to research published in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, this is indeed the case, as a study of 191 faces that ranged from four months old to 88 years old showed a correlation between facial symmetry and age.
There are various theories as to why this is, with the primary reason being that the forces that act on our faces do not work with the same intensity on each side, which over the years can add up considerably.
Add to this is the fact that our body does not grow symmetrically either, with different bones and muscles developing at different rates, and these combined factors can explain why our faces become less symmetrical over time.
The primary use of the research is in the plastic surgery world, to help guide aesthetic decisions for surgeons and help create a more data-driven, qualitative approach to aesthetic surgery.
Rather than have aesthetic outcomes be completely left to a surgeon, a data-driven approach predominantly focussing on facial symmetry could help determine when the end goal of an aesthetic treatment has been reached.
This could apply to non-surgical treatments such as fillers as well and provides aesthetic experts with another tool to determine the right course of treatment for each patient.
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