FACE ANALYSIS

Face Analysis

Face Analysis and in particular aging face analysis can help demonstrate some of the areas which can be improved in aging face surgery.

With youth our faces will have the appearance of an inverted pyramid.  As we age, our faces tend to become more bottom heavy and appear shaped more like a pyramid or rectangle.  If you take a recognizable attractive face (not a patient of Dr. Shah's) and change its appearance via computer manipulation to demonstrate this, you can see that the face becomes less attractive as well as appearing aged.

Part of the reason this occurs is a combination of factors including descent of facial tissues as a result of loss of elasticity and gravity and volumetric loss.  Maintenance of youth will involve restoring the balance in the face by analyzying the root cause of the aging process for each individual patient.

As we age, portions of our face and neck have distinct anatomic names, helping patients communicate about what they would like changed.  There are many classification systems out there which help determine how severe the aging process is.

Figure Legend:  Dedo classification system of aging 

Finally there are several anatomic points which can help surgeon and patient communicate.