Cosmetic surgery study raises eyebrows

Some facial surgeries make you look younger and others make you look more attractive

October 17, 2013

Operations that change the size and shape of your nose, chin, cheeks and jawline can increase your attractiveness, according to Southwest Florida board certified cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Robert Brueck MD F.A.C.S.

A recent study of plastic surgery patients and their results raised a lot of eyebrows due to some unexpected results. Pre-op and post-op photos of patients (37 women and 12 men) who had facial rejuvenation surgeries such as facelifts, brow lifts and eyelid cosmetic surgery were evaluated by independent reviewers. The study found that plastic surgery made people look about three years younger but did not have a significant effect on how "attractive" they appeared to be.

Michael Yaremchuk, M.D., Chief of Craniofacial Surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital, discussed the study results with colleagues from the American Society for Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) and put the study in context to explain the results. They turn out to less surprising when the facts are considered:

• The study, published in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, included only one plastic surgeon's surgeries, which may not reflect plastic surgery results in general.
• It doesn't include any pictures of the surgical results.
• Most patients in the study had eyelid surgery (upper and lower lid blepharoplasty and browlifts), which can make eyes look round and hollow from the removal of too much fat and skin, which can appear to be be aging. In addition, young women actually have low brows, which may elevate with age. So it's no surprise that this surgery did not make people look younger.

Even more significant, according to the Yaremchuk, brow lifts, eye lifts and face lifts are designed to bring ones appearance to where it was years before. If ones face was considered attractive before the "lift," it will, at best, return the face to that appearance. If the face was considered unattractive before, it will return to a younger version of that "unattractive" face.

Attractiveness for a face is a result of the balance of facial features (nose, chin, cheeks and jawline). Cosmetic surgeries that change the size and shape of these features can make ones face more attractive. The primary determinant of facial appearance is the facial skeleton. Procedures with the most significant impact on facial appearance are those that manipulate the skeleton: rhinoplasty (alters the nasal bones) and cheek bone, chin and jaw implants.

So, it makes perfect sense that face lifts, brow lifts and eyelid surgeries can help you appear younger, but you should not expect them to change your level of attractiveness. If you're happy with your underlying facial structure and want to look younger, a face lift can achieve that goal. It's true, however, that "younger" is often perceived as more "attractive".

Are these exercises a waste of time and effort

The next time you go to the gym, you may see some people working out their facial muscles

The Toronto Star, however, reports that there have been no scientific studies to back up the theory that facial muscle exercises translate to a more youthful appearance

Working out your arms, legs, back and torso makes sense, because when you don't use those muscles, you lose them. But facial muscles are different. You're likely using the muscles around your eyes, forehead and mouth throughout the day. So they run no risk of falling as a result of disuse.

The exercises aren't completely useless, however, according to Joanne Dorion, a physiotherapist at the Personal Best Independence and Wellness Center. She told the news source that while the exercises won't do much to reduce flabby or sagging skin on the face, they could "positively influence general appearance, however the changes to the muscle contours would be less obvious."

Some exercises for the neck may tone the skin under the chin. Dr. Catriona Steele of Toronto Rehab told the Star that an exercise which is basically a "chin sit up" could result in subtle improvements to the neck…if repeated three times a day.

If that doesn't appeal to you, there are other ways to help reduce sagging skin and wrinkles from aging. 

• Injectable cosmetics like Botox and fillers are some of the most popular forms of cosmetic surgery non surgical procedures, and they can help lessen the appearance of crow's feet and laugh lines.

• The American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) reports that facelifts are another way individuals can tighten the skin on the face and neck. According to 2011 Statistics on Cosmetic Surgery, facelifts were among the top five surgical procedures for men, with over 10,400 performed over the course of the year.

Dr. Brueck, who practices in Fort Myers FL, is a member of ASAPS.