An uneven face can be corrected readily these days using either anti-wrinkle injections, hyaluronic acid dermal fillers, or usually both in combination. It depends on the nature and degree of the asymmetry but the following can be treated:

• Overbites
• Uneven nose
• Uneven eyebrows (at rest and when active)
• Gummy smiles
• Uneven tear troughs (under eyes – different hollowing)
• Droopy face on one side
• Deflated face on one side
• Uneven cheeks
• Uneven lips
• Imbalanced faces
• Uneven jawlines
• Enlarged jaw muscles

Uneven face treatments are a daily occurrence at Amara. In 2015 a blog post on the uneven face and selfies we did proved to be the most commented-on blog in our catalogue. It’s been a while since then so we thought we’d revisit the topic, especially because a lot has changed in the aesthetics world since then. So much has improved that facial asymmetry need not be a worry for people who are concerned about it. Today we’ll cover:

• The reasons for uneven faces
• What ‘even faces’ look like and why we find them attractive
• The treatments available to restore balance and symmetry to the face

What is facial asymmetry?

Facial asymmetry is the fancy term used to describe an uneven face. By uneven, we mean that there is a noticeable difference between the anatomy on one side of your face and the other. Perfect balance and symmetry are actually quite rare. Most people have some degree of facial symmetry. If the unevenness is very obvious, then it can become a concern for some people.

What causes an uneven face?

If you’re a follower of the aesthetics industry, you’ll have noticed that for most concerns, there are genetic and lifestyle factors. Facial asymmetry is no different. Here we’ll quickly run through the main causes of uneven faces.

The genetics of an uneven face

It could just be the way you’re programmed. There is nothing more powerful than genetics so it could just be that your appearance is related to the natural code that designed the rest of your body. We are all different in this regard. Genetics can also affect the way your muscles move which can accentuate mild asymmetries, especially as we get older. Your muscles move fairly consistently and in the same kind of pattern – so even if your face is quite symmetrical if your muscle movements are asymmetrical, the effects of these repeated movements will cause unevenness to form at rest over time.

Smoking and Sun Damage can contribute to an uneven face

These two lifestyle factors appear frequently in aesthetics lists everywhere. They are two of the biggest lifestyle influences that have an effect on our appearance. You might have seen this picture of a trucker before. He drove trucks for years and so one side of his face was exposed to direct sunlight, unprotected. The effects it had on his face are not just limited to damage to the skin superficially. If you pay a little more attention you will see that pretty much everything on the right side of the picture is lower than its equivalent anatomy on the left of the picture. So while the starkest damage is to the quality of the skin itself, you can see how there’s something happening underneath the surface too that’s causing everything to droop that little bit lower – this creates an uneven look. Smoking is an example of where a repeated movement can cause asymmetry. The constant drawing and puffing on a cigarette (not to mention the effects of the smoke on your skin and lips) are rarely done evenly. This has the effect of strengthening some of the muscles around the mouth which cause unevenness and wrinkles. On top of this, the skin quality becomes poorer and less voluminous so asymmetry becomes pronounced.

Natural sleeping habits and the uneven face

Is nothing sacred? Even sleeping is bad for you! Well, not quite. But, the fact is most of us have a favourite side we like to sleep on and will tend to favour it unconsciously during the night. The net result of this is we spend longer lying and putting pressure on one side of our face than the other. This pressure counts over time and it can push, drop or deflate certain parts of the face while also contributing to the formation of wrinkles on one side of the face more quickly and obviously than the other.

Gravity and the natural ageing process

This is something we can’t avoid. Gravity is constantly pulling at every part of us. As we age the fat pads of our faces deflate and get pulled south – unless this happens at the same rate, some unevenness will occur. Moreover, our skin loses its natural structure and elasticity as we age so the skin’s ability to compensate for this deflation is reduced. The overall effect can be a face that develops an imbalance and unevenness.

Injury and the uneven face

Things happen. Cuts, bad bumps and all manner of accidents can damage the tissues of our face. Scaring in and around the lip area often leads to an uneven appearance. These things can’t be avoided.

Medical reasons for an uneven face

Bells palsy, facial spasms, bruxism, blepharospasm – each of these cause either overactivity of some of your face, or lack of ability to move some part of your face. The overall effect of each of them is a face that might become more uneven over time.

Why do we find symmetrical faces more attractive?

What does a symmetrical face look like? If you google this you won’t have to scan far to come across Angelina Jolie, whose face is famous for its symmetry. It’s almost perfectly even. If you look at this image of her face with a matrix placed over it you’ll notice how all the shapes consist of straight lines, nice angles and geometric shapes. Notice how well they are mirrored by their reflected opposites on the other side of the face. This is excellent symmetry and her face appears incredibly even. Many beauty studies have revealed that we are drawn to more symmetrical faces. The same applies to both sexes regardless of the sex you’re naturally attracted to. However, it’s important to note that exactly symmetrical faces look odd and are often said to have an ‘alien appearance’. So, as we mentioned in another blog, what we actually find most attractive is near-symmetry. This should be the aim of correcting facial asymmetry and unevenness – we should attempt to get close to perfect symmetry but not exact symmetry. It’s also important to note that you should be assessed from multiple angles if you’re looking to treat an uneven face. Corrections from one angle may look good at that angle, but from side on or an oblique view, they might actually make the uneven appearance worse. This is most common in lip filler treatments with less experienced practitioners only looking at lips in one dimension.

What are the treatments for an uneven face?

Thankfully, the industry has come a long way since our last blog in 2015. The sophistication involved in correcting concerns like uneven faces has dramatically improved your treatment options. The focus for aestheticians is currently moving toward understanding how faces appear at rest AND in animation. This links anti-wrinkle injections like never before in a two-pronged approach and allows for more accurate corrections of uneven faces. Here is how we correct facial asymmetries at Amara:

• First and foremost a discussion about the nature of the concern is had with the patient.
• First of all, a proper 3-dimensional assessment is required to determine if the asymmetry is a result of muscle movement or if it’s static and other anatomy is involved. Sometimes it’s both or one accentuates the other.
• Photos should be taken and assessed with the patient with key markers shown to the patient. These will be the points that our doctors will treat to compensate for or correct the asymmetry.
• Our doctors will then explain why they’re choosing to treat which area with either anti-wrinkle injections or dermal fillers. They should also explain where they’re putting the product. A heavy filler will be placed on the bone in preference to a lighter one because that’s where the support to correct unevenness is required.
• The treatment will proceed with the volumes used at each point representative of the correction required.
• Depending on your skin condition, the doctor may also suggest some high-quality medical-grade skin creams. These will improve the overall quality of the skin, tightening it and adding to the corrective power of anti-wrinkle injections and hyaluronic acid dermal fillers.

It all sounds so simple when you put it like this, doesn’t it? The critical point of note here is that there are loads of options so an uneven face needn’t be a cause for anxiety anymore. If an uneven, unbalanced and asymmetrical appearance is of concern to you, why not book an obligation-free consultation with one of our doctors?