Facial Symmetry Surgery Dallas

What Is Facial Asymmetry? 

Facial asymmetry refers to when the two sides of the face appear different from each other. This can be due to any facial features being asymmetric including the cheeks, chin, eyes, brows, jaw, lips, or nose. The extent of this asymmetry can also drastically vary. It is common and not normally apparent for most people when there is asymmetry but some patients have visible asymmetry in their faces. This can lead to huge insecurity issues for patients and is why some desire to undergo surgery to permanently resolve the asymmetry. Commonly performed procedures to resolve facial asymmetry concerns include:

• Brow Lift 
• Otoplasty 
• Rhinoplasty
• Facelift
• Neck Lift
• Eyelid Surgery 

What Causes Facial Asymmetry?

Most often asymmetries of facial features are simply a result of someone’s genetic makeup and are not caused by anything but their DNA. However, there are other factors that can cause a patients facial asymmetry including:

• Aging– As we age, our face will naturally change as wrinkles, fine lines and excess skin begins to develop and increase across the face. For some patients, this process can occur at different speeds for different areas of the face or for different sides of the face. Most patients will choose to have dermal fillers inserted in varying quantities to balance out these asymmetries. However, other patients will desire a permanent and more significant solution so will choose for example, to undergo a facelift that removes signs of aging symmetrically across the face to ensure a balanced result.

• Dental work– Some patients require dental work that impacts their jawline. In these cases, the jawbones may need to be broken and reset. This can result in asymmetries of the jaw that patients desire to be corrected. Additionally, if a patient has jaw asymmetries this could cause certain medical problems if the issue is not resolved. 

• Injury– The most common injury to cause facial asymmetry is hitting the nose significantly causing it to break and bend to one side. These cases are normally treated with septoplasty and rhinoplasty procedures that will straighten the nose or alter the nasal tip to create a symmetrical appearance.
• Smoking– Smoking frequently over the years can result in premature aging of the skin. Sometimes, this can occur at different rates on both sides of the face meaning that one side of the face ages more quickly than the other. Typically this type of asymmetry will be treated with dermal fillers or procedures such as a brow lift or facelift depending on the area affected.

• Sun damage– Too much exposure to the sun and its UV rays can damage the skin as well as cause premature aging. This can cause the areas of the face which are damaged by the sun to droop more significantly than the area not impacted. Therefore, dermal fillers or a facelift or brow lift are also the most commonly performed procedures.

• Stroke– If a patient has had a stroke this can cause significant asymmetry across the entire or part of the face. The side of the face that was impacted by the stroke often droops and appears visibly different to the side that was not affected. In these cases, a mixture of procedures may be desired to address all areas of the face that were impacted.

Who Is An Ideal Candidate For Facial Symmetry Surgery?

Generally, good candidates for facial symmetry surgery are those who:

• Have concerns over facial asymmetry
• Desire a more balanced and symmetrical appearance
• Are physically healthy
• Do not smoke
• Are at least 18 years old as facial growth must be complete
• Have realistic expectations

Facial Symmetry Surgery 

For some patients, the degree of asymmetry is relatively small and only affects one facial feature. Often, injectable treatments will be a suitable solution for more minor aspects of the face such as small adjustments to the lips to make them symmetrical. However, to solve more significant asymmetries of a facial feature, surgery will be necessary to achieve the best results. In these cases, the asymmetry can be amended by undergoing one surgical procedure on the face. For example, there could be an asymmetry between the two sides of a patient’s nose and so undergoing a rhinoplasty procedure to make the nose more symmetrical would solve their concerns.

However, other patients have concerns over significant asymmetry of their face that extends across multiple facial features. In these cases, multiple surgical procedures may be necessary and will need to be performed in the right ratio to ensure a symmetrical and balanced result across their face. For example, a brow lift, rhinoplasty, and a facelift may be needed to fully resolve asymmetries between the two sides of the face. Additionally, dermal fillers can also be used to enhance these results such as lip fillers to also balance the lips.

Facial Asymmetry Correction Without Surgery 

Some patients who have concerns over asymmetry do not desire to undergo a surgical procedure and instead desire a Non-Surgical Treatment Option. This is possible by using injectables on one side of the face to ensure the asymmetry is resolved. Typically, dermal fillers are used but the quantity of filler used and the areas they will be inserted will be completely unique to each patient’s individual concerns and facial structure. During your consultation with Dr. Liland, he will perform an assessment of your facial features to discover the correct levels of dermal fillers that will be suitable for your needs. 

Although the results from fillers can be successful and increase a patient’s confidence, the results will not be permanent. According to Healthline, commonly used dermal fillers will only last for between six to twelve months but some fillers can last up to five years if specific fillers such as Bellafill are used. This means that multiple top-up treatments will need to be undertaken over a patient’s lifetime in order to maintain their results. Typically, each treatment will cost a patient hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on the specific filler used and the quantity inserted. This means that over a patient’s lifetime fillers can amount to a higher cost than undergoing a surgical procedure. This is why some patients choose to try this treatment option first but ultimately undergo surgery to create a permanent result.