Beauty in Balance & Why Looks Matter

In the great scheme of things, looks shouldn’t matter, but they do. “Rightly or wrongly, we infer a great deal from the way people look in almost every aspect of life, from sexual desirability to social status and even intelligence,” says Dr George Marcells. Perhaps this is why the history of plastic cosmetic surgery dates back to 600 B.C, and continues to bring patients to our practice in Bondi Junction.

The Golden Ratio: The Secret to a Face Beautiful

Determining whether someone’s face is beautiful is most assuredly a subjective judgment. High cheekbones, full lips, large eyes, and other features may be appealing to some, but not to others. When it comes to facial beauty, however, symmetry and balance are almost universally desirable, and scientific, too.

During the Renaissance in Europe, artists and architects developed an equation known as the Golden Ratio (1:1.62) to map out their masterpieces. Today, scientists have adopted this mathematical formula to explain why some people are considered more beautiful than others. Some guidelines that surgeons use to achieve facial balance and symmetry include:

• From the front, the nose should lie within parallel lines drawn from the inner corners of the eyes to the nostrils (rhinoplasty addresses this problem).
• From beneath, the base of the nose should appear triangular, and the nostrils should be symmetrical in shape and size (this may be corrected by rhinoplasty).
• A vertical line drawn from the edge of the lower lip should just touch the chin (chin augmentation and reduction mentoplasty can provide solutions).

It’s important to remember that balance and symmetry do not equal perfection. In fact, according to Vogue photographer Nigel Parry,

“Superficially, what makes a classic pretty face is generally something a little unusual – there shouldn’t be perfection on both sides. The symmetry should always be off.”

During his long career as a facial plastic surgeon, Dr Marcells has developed the experience and expertise to help his patients form the right balance of symmetry and imperfection.

Benefits of Beauty

Research on facial beauty has revealed that mothers pay more attention to good-looking babies, but it also shows that babies pay more attention to attractive adults who wander into their field of vision. This suggests that human beings are hard-wired to respond to how people look and are not, as some might believe, programmed by the media.

Good-looking people elicit a response in us, whether we want them to or not. Researchers at London’s University College found that human beauty stimulates a specific section of the brain, the same region activated in drug and gambling addicts when they’re about to indulge their habit. That stimulation leads to many benefits for beautiful people, including:

• Being paid more on the job
• Marrying more desirable spouses
• Likelier to get help from others when in need

Facial Plastic & Cosmetic Surgery in Bondi Junction

An expert in facial and cosmetic surgery, Dr George Marcells has helped hundreds of men and women achieve a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. If you would like to know about rhinoplasty, cosmetic injectables, and other procedures that can help put your face in balance, please use our online enquiry form or call us on 1300 555 095 to get answers.