"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."
It has long been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and thought that beauty varies by race, culture or era. The evidence, however, shows that our perception of physical beauty is hard wired into our brain and based on how closely one's features reflect phi in their proportions. Take another look at beauty through the eyes of medical science.
A template for human beauty is found in phi and the pentagon
The symbol phi has been used to refer to the number 1.618- the golden proportion first illustrated by Leonardo DaVinci. It is a number or ratio that is consistently found in nature, art. architecture and the human body. Also called the "Divine Proportion" when referring to human anatomy, it has applications when considering the aesthetic ideal of the face.
The number phi has been studied by Dr. Stephen Marquardt for years in his practice of oral and maxillofacial surgery. Dr. Marquardt performed cross-cultural surveys on beauty and found that all groups had the same perceptions of facial beauty. He also analyzed the human face from ancient times to the modern day. Through his research, he discovered that beauty is not only related to phi, but can be defined for both genders and for all races, cultures and eras with the beauty mask which he developed and patented. This mask uses the pentagon and decagon as its foundation, which embody phi in all their dimensions. For more information and other examples, see his site at Marquardt Beauty Analysis.
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| 1350 B.C. Egypt | 500 B.C. Greece | 164 A.D. Rome | 1794 A.D. |
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| Asian | Black | Caucasian |
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The Marquardt Beauty Mask |
Even with a perfectly proportioned face though, there are endless variations in coloring and the shapes of each facial feature (eyes, eyebrows, lips, nose, etc.) that give rise to the distinctive appearance of each race and provide for endless variations in beauty that are as unique as each individual.
The human face communicates an incredible array of emotions which are an integral element of one's total beauty. The human face conforms most closely to phi proportions when we smile. You'll be perceived as more beautiful with a warm smile than with a cold-hearted look of anger, arrogance or contempt.
Note: The Marquardt Beauty Mask illustrations above are copyright 2001 by Dr. Stephen Marquardt at Marquardt Beauty Analysis and are used by permission.
The ideal aesthetic of the face is related to phi
When considering aethetic improvements to the face, one must take into consideration several things: obviously the aesthetic goals of the individual, their age, skin and soft tissue characteristics and underlying bone structure all figure into the equation. The proportion phi=1.618 can also be used as a guideline when considering the aesthetic ideal.
Soft tissue augmentation and dermal fillers
For years, various demal fillers have been used in plastic surgery years to fill in lines, wrinkles and creases of the face to make cosmetic improvements and ameliorate signs of aging. In recent years, new products have come to market for volumizing and to augment areas of the face. Radiesse, an injectable gel of a material called hydroxyappetite is used in my practice primarily for augmentation of the cheeks. Artefill is a long-lasting injectable gel of poly methyl methacrylate that can also be used for facial soft tissue augmentation. More recently Sculptra Aesthetic has received FDA approval for cosmetic use. Formulated from poly-L-lactic acid, this filler product was originally approved for the treatment of HIV-associated facial wasting syndrome, seen in patients treated with anti-retroviral drugs. Sculptra effectively replaces lost facial volume in such patients and now the product is approved for treating facial volume loss associated with aging. The treatment is different than other fillers in that multiple treatments are performed and the results are gradual over time. Results can be impressive, with significant volume being replaced to restore the ideal proportions of the face consistent with the aesthetic ideal of youth.
