Facial harmonization shifts focus to naturalness, but standardization is still a challenge

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The image of a celebrity deformed by plastic surgery or with exaggerated, almost cartoonish features, with protruding cheeks and a very prominent chin, has been losing ground. In dermatology offices and aesthetic clinics, the search for facial harmonization has been linked to requests for naturalness and “facial lightness”, which has been reflected in the social networks of artists and influencers.

The procedure is done in one session and its price can exceed R$ 30 thousand.

The most “perfect” results, however, can induce a standardization of beauty, provoking the feeling that the adherents of the methods are, in fact, more beautiful – but with traits so similar that they seem to be the fruit of an assembly line.

The association of the desire for naturalness with the quest to achieve standards of beauty makes standardization a challenge to be faced, according to experts. To achieve facial lightness, the procedure must, they say, enhance the patient’s natural features – something that depends on the choices, techniques and skill of the responsible professional.

The individualization of procedures, however, are growing trends in the aesthetic area and are being improved to avoid this effect.

Edileia Bagatin, 67, professor in the dermatology department at Unifesp (Federal University of São Paulo) and coordinator of the cosmetics department at the SBD (Brazilian Society of Dermatology), says that the word “harmonization” in itself is already problematic. .

“The term facial harmonization is not used by doctors, they created this name as a differential for what already exists”, points out Bagatin.

The professor says that there are still, even among surgeons and dermatologists, professionals who exaggerate the procedures, especially those involving botulinum toxin, which can paralyze the face too much, or biostimulators, causing excessive volume in the cheeks and chin. This, however, has changed.

“More natural is a trend, but it varies from professional to professional. Fortunately, many are choosing not to drastically change people’s physiognomy and to use a more individualized treatment, evaluating very well the shape of the skin, how much sagging there is” , says the dermatologist.

Bagatin says that the patient should always consult a specialist before any procedure, no matter how simple it may seem. Although, the person may consider something that is in fashion ideal, the skin may need another type of intervention.

“Sometimes the patient wants botulinum toxin and the doctor realizes that it would be better for him to start with a filling or even a laser procedure”, exemplifies the professor.

Dental surgeon Fábio Rafael, 30, felt uncomfortable with the shape of his face since he was a teenager. So, in 2020, he did full face filler (full face, in Portuguese) and, despite the significant change, tried to maintain an identity.

“I didn’t think I was pretty and I always wanted to change. The full face really transformed me, highlighting positive points that I already had in my face”, says Rafael.

The recovery, according to the surgeon, was smooth, without bruising or pain, just swelling. “I had already done a filling, but nothing in this dimension, I loved the result, I thought I was the most beautiful man in the world. It exceeded all my expectations and raised my self-esteem, my self-esteem”, he reports.

Model patient of dentist Nayane de Souza Pacheco, 36, Rafael got to know the professional’s work on Instagram. Pacheco is a reference in male facial harmonization and serves patients from all over the world, especially Americans.

In her routine, the dentist says that naturalness is an increasingly common request. “The techniques are evaluated and reevaluated daily, with the technological advance we have been able to improve, bringing increasingly natural results”, she says.

Pacheco argues that the professional’s role is to align the patient’s expectations with reality, as there are cases in which the change will be almost imperceptible and others in which corrections of small asymmetries can generate large changes.

A supporter of hyaluronic acid, she says that the tool is biocompatible because it is a substance already produced by the body, in addition to providing countless possibilities for transformation with minimal risk.

“The client can come during their lunch hour, perform the procedure and resume their work activities. And at any time you can extract the product if you have not been pleased with the effect”, he says.

Treatment is contraindicated for pregnant women, breastfeeding women, people with uncontrolled autoimmune diseases or a history of severe allergic reactions.

The SBD emphasizes that in case of invasive aesthetic interventions, the procedure should only be performed by plastic surgeons and dermatologists. The institution also advises not to be guided by images from social networks or make choices based on price, such as promotions and treatment packages.

“Look for the professional’s reference. The face has a very complex anatomy, very vascularized, very innervated, there is a need for in-depth knowledge of the face, its physiology. Without knowing it, the risk is very high”, says Bagatin.

The professor recommends searching the website of the institution and the CRM (Regional Council of Medicine) for the medical and specialty records of the professional, in this way it is possible to have more security in the intervention.

“We have seen complications, many serious ones, that harm people for the rest of their lives”, says the dermatologist.

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