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. 2020 Apr;13(4):23-34.
Epub 2020 Apr 1.

A New Simplified Visual Assessment Tool Describing Facial Morphotypes Observed and Desired in Asian Populations

Affiliations

A New Simplified Visual Assessment Tool Describing Facial Morphotypes Observed and Desired in Asian Populations

Niamh Corduff et al. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: A group of established aesthetic physicians sought to develop treatment guidelines for assessing Asian face morphologies that reflect accurate and current beauty standards across Asia. DESIGN: Physicians completed surveys, debated, and voted on their clinical strategies and developed an alternative simplified visual tool of assessment (SVAT) that discerns between country variations in genetic and ideal morphotypes. SETTING: Electronic and paper surveys were followed by consensus debates and voting. PARTICIPANTS: Established aesthetic physicians practicing regularly on Asian patients. MEAUSUREMENTS: A clinically applicable SVAT was developed, which considered facial index, mid-face projection, upper and lower face shape, submalar contour, nose length and dorsal height, eye shape and brow shape, proportion of lips-to-lower face and ratio of upper-to-lower lip, and chin shape. RESULTS: For facial shape change, physicians always assessed the horizontal thirds, facial symmetry, and lip-chin complex profile, and also analyzed overall face shapes and Ogee curves. Criteria for creating oval-shaped faces was also defined and included treating indications, such as loss of angularity and bilateral masseter muscle hypertrophy, narrow jawlines, and longer and wider foreheads. Critical differences and similarities in country-specific aesthetic preferences, treatment requests, and considerations or strategies were uncovered, including the inadequacy of assessing overall peripheral facial shapes. CONCLUSION: This consensus establishes the assessment and treatment criteria for achieving ideal shapes for Asian patients. Specific descriptors are affected by variations; therefore, we present the visual criteria for Asian facial morphotypes. We hope that physicians new to treating Asian patients can use this clinical information to improve their practice.

Keywords: Asian; Face shape; aesthetic medicine; anthropometric; treatment strategy.

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Conflict of interest statement

FUNDING:No funding was provided for this study. DISCLOSURES:Merz Asia Pacific, Pte. Ltd. sponsored the preparation of this manuscript and the article processing charge. Niamh Corduff is a consultant for Merz Asia Pacific and Australia. Adri Prasetyo is a consultant for Merz Asia Pacific. All other physicians report no relevant conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 1.
Physicians from Indonesia, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Philippines and Thailand were surveyed; the total percentage for each country might not be 100% due to combinations of face shapes
FIGURE 2.
FIGURE 2.
Simplified Visual Assessment Tool; definition of shapes and features
FIGURE 3.
FIGURE 3.
Facial index of female and male patients; the male and female patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent euryprosopic, mesoprosopic, leptoprosopic facial indices; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 4.
FIGURE 4.
Mid-face projection of female and male patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent projected, flat, and concave mid-face projections; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 5.
FIGURE 5.
Upper-face shape of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; X-axis: bars represent rounded hemidome, blunted hemidome, and faceted hemidome upper face shapes; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 6.
FIGURE 6.
Lower-face shape of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent square, broad-U, tapered-U, and V-shaped lower-face shapes; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 7.
FIGURE 7.
Submalar contour of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent full/convex, flat, and concave submalar contours; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 8.
FIGURE 8.
Nose length and dorsal height of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent short and long noses, low, mid and high dorsal heights; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 9.
FIGURE 9.
Eye shape, palpebral fissure width, and eye cant of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent upward, horizontal, and downward eye cant; and narrow and wide palpebral fissures; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 10.
FIGURE 10.
Pretarsal roll of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent no roll, some roll, and pronounced roll; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 11.
FIGURE 11.
Eyebrow shape of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: arched or flat brows; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 12.
FIGURE 12.
Proportion of lips to lower face (LP) and ratio of upper to lower lip (LR) of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent LP at one-third, one-sixth, and in-between; and LR at 1:1, 1:2, and in-between; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request
FIGURE 13.
FIGURE 13.
Chin of male and female patients; the female and male patients at presentation for each country are shown alongside their aesthetic treatment requests; y-axis: percentage of patients; x-axis: bars represent bigonial, square, curved and pointed chin shapes; lighter bars show percentages at presentation and darker bars show percentages of request

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