The Relationship between Age and Facial Asymmetry

Abstract

Background: Facial symmetry is a fundamental goal of plastic surgery, yet some asymmetry is inherent in any face. Three-dimensional photogrammetry allows for rapid, reproducible, and quantitative facial measurements. With this tool, the authors investigated the relationship between age and facial symmetry. Methods: The authors imaged normal subjects using three-dimensional photogrammetry. Facial symmetry was calculated by identifying the plane of maximum symmetry and the root-mean-square deviation. Regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between age and symmetry. Subgroup analyses were performed among facial thirds. Results: The authors imaged 191 volunteers with an average age of 26.7 ± 22.2 years (range, 0.3 to 88 years). Root-mean-square deviation of facial symmetry clustered between 0.4 and 1.3 mm (mean, 0.8 ± 0.2 mm). The authors found a significant positive correlation between increasing age and asymmetry (p < 0.001; r = 0.66). The upper, middle, and lower facial third’s average root-mean-square deviations were 0.5 ± 0.2 mm (range, 0.2 to 1.2 mm), 0.6 ± 0.2 mm (range, 0.2 to 1.4 mm), and 0.6 ± 0.2 mm (range, 0.2 to 1.2 mm), respectively. Asymmetry also increased with age across all facial thirds (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Facial asymmetry increases with age in each facial third, with a greater asymmetry and increase in asymmetry in the lower two-thirds. Contributing factors may include asymmetric skeletal remodeling along with differential deflation and descent of the soft tissues. The observed correlation between increasing facial asymmetry and age may be a useful guide in plastic surgery to produce age-matched features.

Lateral and Frontal Cephalometric Measurements in a Cohort With Saethre-Chotzen Syndrome

“…The results obtained from the frontal cephalometry indicate exacerbation of the asymmetry with increasing age, since participants number 1 to 3 (age range, 7.0-10.1 years) seemed to exhibit milder deviations than the older individuals (age range, 13.2-19.0 years; Figure 5). This observation accords with the pattern previously described for facial asymmetries, which tend to increase with age (Linden et al, 2018). However, caution should be taken in drawing conclusions about longitudinal development from the presented results, since the material may be biased.…”

Biomarkers of fetal conditions: Finger ridge‐counts, facial fluctuating asymmetry, and digit ratio (2D:4D)—are they correlated in women?

“…However, the observer who performed the finger length measurements in this study (M. K.), reached an excellent level of measurement repeatability in another studied group from the same population (Klimek, Marcinkowska, & Jasienska, 2017). It is also worth mentioning that it was suggested that 2D:4D and FA may change with age (Farkas, Pessa, Hubbard, & Rohrich, 2013; Linden, He, Morrison, Sullivan, & Taylor, 2018), raising a question about their life‐long stability and thus credibility in reflecting the early‐life environment. However, in our study group, all 2D:4D and FA‐related markers were independent of participant's age (results not shown).…”

The Face of Early Cognitive Decline? Shape and Asymmetry Predict Choice Reaction Time Independent of Age, Diet or Exercise

“…There are instantly visible age-related changes to skin texture of the face caused by senescence, such as increased FA [110], loss of facial fat/muscle [53] and changes to bone density [54]. It seems that midface and orbital areas are inclined to substantial transformation with age-orbital apertures re-shape and pyriform aperture widens [54].…”