Symmetry is often associated with harmony hence it plays a major role in our perception of Beauty.
To a viewer, a symmetrical face seems to be more attractive than an asymmetrical one. In fact, studies have shown that the more symmetrical a face is, the more attractive it is, for both men and women.
Yet we all have an asymmetrical body and therefore an asymmetrical face. So, is symmetry that appealing?
I tried myself with a facial symmetry app where you can create a version of yourself that is symmetrical to your right or left side.
And here are the results :
In fact, compared to a 100% symmetrical face, you can see that a certain asymmetry is charming.
However, it is obvious that we do not wish to be too asymmetrical, which would make our faces look uneven, especially since the asymmetries become more pronounced as we age.
So how do we know which parts of our face are asymmetrical? And what are the causes?
And above all, how can this asymmetry be reduced?
We will see all of this together in this article.
The symmetry of our face
First of all, let's study the symmetry of our face up close!
For that we will divide our face as follows:
Vertically by a median line from the forehead to the chin
Horizontally
- by a line at the level of the eyebrows
- by a line at eye level
- by a line on the cheeks
- by a line at the level of the mouth
Diagonally
- by a line from the eyebrows to the chin
- by a line from the ears to the chin
Now that the basics are in place, it's up to you to determine the asymmetries in your face.
You have several ways to do it.
First you can look at yourself in a mirror and ask yourself the following questions:
- Which eyebrow is higher than the other, the left or the right? Which eyebrow moves more easily?
- Which side of my forehead is the most wrinkled?
- Are my eyes the same size? Which eye do I see most of my pupil?
- Which eye has a drooping eyelid?
- Which eye is the most wrinkled?
- Is my nose straight?
- Are the corners of my mouth level or do I have one side that sags more than the other?
Sometimes, some of our asymmetries are only visible when we speak or when our face is moving. In this case, practicing in front of your mirror will give you additional information!
You can also take a picture of yourself and draw the lines as shown above. You can do this very easily with the tools of your smartphone or computer.
I find this method very useful because it enables us to objectively and precisely see the asymmetries of our face.
So what is your finding?
Above all, don't judge yourself and don't be too hard on yourself!
Don't worry, it's extremely rare to find a face with perfect symmetry.
And our asymmetries make us unique!
Why are we asymmetric?
Asymmetries can be attributed to different factors.
- Biological and genetic factors. We are all born with certain physical asymmetries: perhaps not a straight pelvis, one leg a little shorter than the other, a deviated nasal septum, being right-handed or left-handed are just a few examples.
- Accidents or falls. In my case I was bitten by a dog on the right eye when I was 3 years old. I had to undergo a long surgery which left scars on my face. The accident itself, which was very stressful on my body, also left physical tensions that accentuated the asymmetry between my right side and my left side.
- Our body posture. How we hold ourselves in general, which is often linked to our birth asymmetries, possible physical pain or postural habits. For example, if we always sleep on the same side, the side of the face on the pillow will gradually sag: the eye will be drooping and be more wrinkled, as will the skin of the cheek. Our nose may also start to be twisted slightly on this side due to gravity. Remember that the tip of the nose is made of cartilage which is much more malleable than bones!
- Our lifestyle such as our sleeping position or which side we chew our food on. For instance, if we always sleep on the same side, our face will gradually sag and maybe even our nose will tilt slightly to that side.
- Our emotions and our personality. The right side of the brain, associated with emotional and creative expressiveness, controls the left side of the face. While the left side of the brain, which is the seat of rational and logical thinking, controls the right side of the face.
Our bodies are very sensitive, and of course our personality and our emotions contribute to our appearance and therefore can create asymmetries according to our own characteristics.
How to reduce asymmetry?
The first thing to do is to become aware of the factors that contribute to the asymmetry of your face.
Make an observation that is as objective as possible in order to be able to take corrective actions afterwards.
Between us, I will tell you that most of the factors are often habits that we have been doing unconsciously for years or even decades. So being aware is really essential to be able to change them.
Then, it is important to check your overall posture and how your body's position throughout your day.
I also encourage you to practice chest opening poses to gain more verticality and openness.
These first 2 steps are the basics for having a body as vertical as possible. Of course, here we do not take into account biological asymmetries or asymmetries due to accidents which can make certain postures no longer possible.
Do your best, with what is possible for your body.
Reduce asymmetry of the eyes an eyebrows.
Identify if you have any unconscious facial habits:
Do you raise one eyebrow higher than the other when you are surprised or interrogative?
Do you always hold your head a little tilted to one side?
Are you still using your phone on the same side?
Once your habits have been identified, it's up to you to change them step by step on a daily basis.
In addition, you should add the practice of Face Yoga poses which aim to strengthen the muscles around the eyes and to regain symmetry of the upper face (eyebrows, eyelids).
Reduce asymmetry of the mouth.
Identify which side you are chewing your food and consciously switch sides.
This will help reduce tension on the side you usually chew on and build muscle on the other side.
Look at yourself in a mirror when you speak or smile. Usually, we move one side of the mouth more than the other and we lift a corner of the mouth more also. Often it is the same as where we chew our food.
Try to correct these habits a little every day and practice Face Yoga poses to correct the asymmetry of the corners of the mouth.
Reduce asymmetry of the whole face
As explained above, first it is important to identify your postural habits and change them.
Another point to be aware of is your position when you sleep.
Do you sleep on one side of your face?
The best is to sleep on your back…. I know, I know, not that easy for some of us, me included !
For decades I slept for decades flat on my stomach, left side of my face on the pillow And as expected, it made my asymmetry worse ☹.
My advice: invest in an ergonomic pillow that will make you comfortable sleeping on your back.
It changed my nights !
If this isn't possible for you, try sleeping on the other side of your face to limit the negative effects on just one side of your face.
Here again, additional practice of Face Yoga poses to relax tensions and correct asymmetries will be necessary.
Changing your habits will stop asymmetries from from becoming more visible but it will still be necessary to practice adapted Face Yoga poses in order to correct them.
Do you want to have a more symmetrical and harmonious face?
Do not hesitate to visit my site to discover my personal coaching programs with which I help you to transform your face so that you can radiate your natural beauty!
And by the way, did you know that our cycle also influences the appearance and symmetry of our face?
To learn more, read my article here.
Bisous bisous
