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Nadine Mather and Chloë Loubser
Facial expressions - subconscious communication
Facial reconstruction has long been the preserve of the so-called Hollywood set, with the result that those who indulge in it are accused of being overly obsessed with their outward appearance. However, recent research reveals that outer beauty can be just as important as inner beauty, because our inner emotions are often revealed in our outward facial expressions - and humans, even at the highest professional echelons, respond to each other on an emotional basis.
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Doctors are pondering the wisdom of the age-old saying that beauty is just skin deep, says Dr Salome Gurgenidze, co-founder of Johannesburg-based aesthetic practice, Radiance for You, who is helping a wide range of patients correct so-called negative facial expressions in a bid to advance their professional lives.
"Humans are a social species, which means that our survival depends largely on positive interactions with our neighbours. As with other social animals, we have evolved distinct brain circuits dedicated to bonding, cooperation, and predicting the actions of others, much of which is based on our innate ability to recognise and interpret facial expressions," says Gurgenidze.
In the middle of the last century, a scientist called Paul Eckman conducted exhaustive cross-cultural research, identifying seven basic human emotions that are displayed through facial expression. Happiness, for example, is displayed through pushed up cheeks, movements from the muscle that orbits the eye, and the wrinkling of crow's feet; while sadness is betrayed by drooping upper eyelids, a slight pulling down of the lip corners and a loss of focus in the eyes.
"Some people are fortunate enough to always look happy and radiant, but the reality is that many people live with so-called negative emotions etched on their faces, irrespective of whether or not they are feeling the emotions behind the expressions. These people are too often pre-judged for an expression that is often beyond their control, and this can severely impact on their professional lives," says Gurgenidze.
According to her, the human brain functions at such an instinctual level when it comes to emotional responses, that most of our emotions are betrayed on our faces and through our body language before we are even able to process them. In addition, because we are a social species, those around us pick up on those emotional cues, albeit subconsciously, just as quickly.
Within her practice, she is finding that more individuals are recognising the importance of facial expressions in terms of how they communicate, and as a result, an increasing number are turning to facial reconstruction or rejuvenation to alter negative facial expressions.
"Imagine a politician who needs people to respond positively, but who looks perpetually angry due to a frown line or a young woman who is trying to climb the corporate ladder, but who looks always tired due to unfortunate facial structure that gives rise to tired circles under the eyes. We can help these people, via the use of very limited and minimally invasive practices, by combining treatments such as anti-wrinkle neurotoxins and facial fillers. The Juvéderm range of new-age facial fillers incorporates specific products, which have been developed for specific areas of the face for specific usage, allowing practitioners to achieve a more natural look without affecting the harmony of the facial features of their patients."
Using non-surgical treatments, an experienced aesthetic practitioner can relax your frown lines, refresh and rejuvenate your eye area. These seemingly small changes have the potential to alter the course of your professional life.
Light touch essential
Unfortunately, too many aesthetic practitioners do not place enough emphasis on the capacity to retain the ability to express natural emotion when it comes to working on their patients' faces.
It is for this reason that she emphasises the importance of a light touch:
"Many studies have proven that expressions that are frozen - smiles that don't reach your eyes, for example - are not recognised by our subconscious, and thus will not elicit the desired response."
It is crucial therefore that aesthetic practitioners not only understand the intricate musculature of the face, but also that they use products that have been specifically developed and thoroughly tested over time, in terms of not only their efficacy but also their long-term safety.
"The ultimate aim of any aesthetic practitioner is to help individual patients improve their facial features by achieving a positive, harmonious expression or eliminating a negative one, but without losing their individual charm. It is vital that we do not erase facial features or expressions, as this is the basis on which human interaction occurs," she concludes.
