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Defining Beasuty in Today's Society
Dr Syed Haq, BSc MBBS PhD DIC MRCP(UK)
Physician and Consultant Aesthetic Specialist
www.aquitaineaesthetics.com
Defining beauty in today’s society……using mathematics!!
Many of us continue to ask the age-old question of how one defines beauty. This has been propagated even more so than in the past and can be attributed to pressure from today’s media and the changing opinion of society in general towards beauty as being less than a frivolous topic and far more closely aligned to health. To most individuals, a face is considered beautiful if there is youth, a fresh complexion, a beautiful smile and lips, facial symmetry, large ascending eyes and high cheek bones.
Specialists such as plastic surgeons, aesthetic specialists and cosmetic dentists may use mathematically derived measurements such as Phi (1.618) to determine facial imperfections including that of teeth. The golden ratio or section, also known as the divine proportion or Phi (Phi – f) is a mathematical constant equal to 1.6180339887 and has been described in mathematics and the arts for many centuries as being typically defined by the division of a line for example, such that the ratio of the longer to the shorter segment is 1.618:1. This ratio has been identified as an aesthetic ideal and is still observed today as a guiding principle.
The golden ratio has many applications and for that matter has continued to intrigue intellectuals for millennia. It has strongly been believed by the ancient Greeks, historians, artists, scientists and architects that phi has a role in every element that surrounds us, from music, art, wildlife, natural and man made structures to aesthetics. The use of the golden ratio as a tool in aesthetics probably dates back to 300 B.C. by Euclid of Alexandria and then later in 1509 where Luca Paciola published his findings entitled “De Divina Proportione”, in which the mathematics of the golden ratio or divine proportion was first truly explored and defined.
A longstanding question in aesthetics is "What is beauty?". Is beauty only in the eye of the beholder, or are there some absolute values? "I know not what beauty is, but I know that it touches many things", Dürer.
Understanding the golden ratio can at least in part help the aesthetic specialist in improving their ability to achieve better facial aesthetic outcomes when treating their patients. Phi can allow the specialist to focus their attention on relative proportionality.
Facial Dimesions. The Phi constant A. The picture demonstrates a computer developed “perfect” face and how the proportions of the head (height and width) conform to certain mathematical measurements that relate to the golden ratio (f).
Professional make-up artists understand this concept and as a result apply their technical skills to improve facial imperfections. For example, if the width of a person’s face is not in proportion to the length of the head, a skilled make-up artist invariably knows how to use colour and sculpting techniques to achieve balance to the face resulting in a more attractive and symmetrical face. In addition, hairdressers may achieve the same effects but by using an alternative approach that can achieve greater balance and proportionality.
In medicine, it has been well recognised that as part of their formal vocation, plastic surgeons are trained in aesthetics and are one group that understand how to assess the face correctly. The more experienced non-surgical aesthetic specialist also has developed this essential skill.
Facial Dimesions. B. External Dimensions. The picture demonstrates a “perfect” face and how various proportions taken from differing points of the head (level of the hairline), eye (lateral canthus), base of the nose, mid lip line and base of the chin can give rise to the concept of Phi.
Facial Dimesions. C. Internal Dimensions. The picture demonstrates a “perfect” face and how internal proportions taken from differing points of the head (level of the temple – supra-orbital ridge), outer eye (lateral canthus), widest part of the nose (base), and upper lip line (level of the philtrum), validating the concept of Phi.
Facial Dimesions. D. Equal proportions and Symmetry. The picture demonstrates a “perfect” face and how the face can be divided equally in to thirds from the hairline, temple, base of the nose and chin which can further validate the concept of Phi.
Understanding facial dimensions and how changing one or more areas of a face can affect the overall relative facial proportions is fundamental in understanding facial aesthetics. Using Phi can allow the specialist to be more in tune with their patient’s needs by defining landmarks and using them as potential guides when embarking on a management plan for their patient. Phi may also be used later on in the treatment process when additional refinement and facial balance is required.
There are no absolutes in life, and this is aptly described by Davis and Jahnke et al. 1991 in their publication entitled “Symmetry is a principal determinant of aesthetic preference.” The authors conclude that “perceptual organisational processes may also be more important in guiding aesthetic choice even more so than a unique mathematical proportion”.
Regardless of how beautiful a face is, as one ages, our facial dimensions and underlying structure becomes compromised which in turn makes the face appear different or even “less attractive”. A good clinician needs to be skilled in facial assessment to set realistic expectations for their patients. The specialist’s use of the correct balance between their own subjectivity and objectivity built up through training and experience will effectively define the outcome and therefore beauty.
Author
Dr Syed E. Haq
MBBS BSc PhD DIC MRCP(UK)
Physician and Aesthetic Specialist
Aquitaine Aesthetics
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