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Link to Business Insider Article

I recently came across this online article on Business Insider, about what physical features make men attractive to women.  Below are the 5 features discussed in the article.

  1. Facial Symmetry–  which is an indicator of good genes and health.  This is a common feature of attractiveness in both sexes.
  2. Voice–  deeper voices were more attractive to women.  This clearly explains the fascination of many women and Barry White love songs.
  3. Jaws–  large, well defined jawlines were deemed to be a good indicator of reproductive health.  Certainly, a more prominent and well defined lower jaw has been pretty ubiquitous to Hollywood’s leading men over the years
  4. Eyes–  the outline of the colored portion of the eye is termed the limbal ring.  A prominent limbal ring, which is only visible in lighter eye colors, signals health and youth.  Advantage to the blue-eyed beaus.
  5. Height–  a recent study showed men with kids were, on average, one inch taller than men without kids.

None of this is very earth-shattering and follows most of our assumptions about male attractiveness.   Interestingly, there is only one feature that can be “easily” altered.   And, no, I’m not suggesting we all go and get colored contact lenses with prominent limbal rings.  Those look pretty fake once your within 3 feet of a person wearing them.  I’m referring to the jaw or jawline more specifically.  The good news is, there are several procedures that can increase the prominence of the lower jaw and render a more attractive appearance.  Consider these options before buying platform shoes or having leg lengthening surgery.

Neck Liposuction

As men (and women for that matter) age, especially with a little weight gain, the fat pockets underneath the chin and jaw may enlarge.  This hides the once prominent jawline that was so well defined in our youth or when we were more physically  fit.  Liposuction to the neck is one of the easiest cosmetic procedures to undergo and has a very high satisfaction rate with minimal downtime.

Chin Implants

For those who have a small retruded chin, placement of a anatomically contoured chin implant can make the world of difference.  Despite what you may have seen in the movies, most chin implants are very natural looking without any stigma of surgery.  There are even implants to improve the angle of the jaw.  These solid silicone implants are very safe and most types can be easily removed if the patient desires.

Jaw Surgery

Otherwise known as orthognathic surgery, which is primarily intended to improve the patient’s bite and function.  The “extra” benefit to this procedure is that in many situations we are moving the lower jaw forward, creating more prominence to the jawline and significantly improving the patient’s appearance.  This procedure is almost always combined with a period of braces applied by an orthodontist before and after the surgery and although this has a bit more recovery, the results are lifelong.

Facelift

This is the gold standard in facial rejuvenation.  With the passage of time, the soft tissues of the face and neck descend and literally hide the chin and jawline even if your bone structure is ideal.  If you are in your fifties or sixties, you most likely know what I am referring to.  A facelift or rhytidectomy, addresses the sagging tissues and restores a more youthful contour to the jawline.

Many times, some of the aforementioned procedures are combined to yield an even more significant result.  If you are interested in improving your jawline or any other aspect of your appearance, please contact our office by phone or email.  While we cannot make you a Hollywood’s A-lister, we can definitely improve your attractiveness.

-Landon McLain MD, DMD

Contemporary Rhytidectomy (Facelift Surgery)

Facial cosmetic surgery has become an increasingly promi­nent tenant of oral and maxillofacial surgery training and in practice. This is no doubt due to not only the increasing social acceptance and demand for rejuvenative procedures (both surgical and nonsurgical) but also with the contemporary oral and maxillofacial surgeon’s unique training and focus on esthetics. Esthetic demands are innate in dentistry and the precision, technical demands, and attention to detail involved in even the most basic dental procedures are the exact same qualities required to excel in the arena of facial cosmetic surgery. We all remember the painstaking time and effort required to shape, contour, and color even simple dental restorations in dental school. This is not dissimilar to the basic principles required in cosmetic facial surgery. Moreover, the additional hospital-based medical and surgical training impart a singular advantage to the oral and maxillofacial surgeon who desires to include cosmetic surgery as part of his/her daily practice. Few, if any, other surgical specialties involve such a variation of hard tissue and soft tissue management as oral and maxillofacial surgery. Typically, oral and maxillofacial surgery training is very trauma heavy, which requires complete anatomic and physiologic knowledge of the face and neck, as well as sound surgical principles and judgment. Other tradi­tional surgical procedures, such as orthognathic surgery, have an inherent esthetic component. Thus, the ever-increasing presence of facial cosmetic surgerytraining in residencies and beyond is quite logical. It is my opinion that facial esthetic procedures should be as common for the oral and maxillofa­cial surgeon as it is for the otolaryngologist, plastic surgeon, dermatologic surgeon, and ophthalmic surgeon.

Facelift Techniques

In the surgical arena, the rhytidectomy or “facelift” is the workhorse of facial rejuvenation and must be mastered to have a complete facial esthetic surgery practice. Truth be told, rhytidectomy techniques have evolved very little in the last few decades. It is the addition of complementary and more minimally invasive techniques that has truly advanced the procedure in recent years. Yet, the nomenclature sur­rounding these procedures can be quite confusing, even among surgeons. Perhaps the most precise terminology is to categorize the lift or rhytidectomy by location and degree. For example, the most common “facelift” performed would be correctly termed a lower face and neck lift. This is the procedure that is the focus of this text.

The goal of this issue is to offer the reader an introduction to the most common rhytidectomy techniques used today, as well as some of the most common complementary pro- cedures that should be an integral part of any lower facial rejuvenation plan. Although many of these techniques are congruent, the reader will notice some conflicting opinion among the articles. This is due to the fact that no two surgeons
are the same and different techniques perform differently in different hands. I thank all the authors (all accomplished and reputable surgeons with an exceptional dedication to facial cosmetic surgery) and it is my sincere hope that this text will contribute to the reader’s expanding knowledge and interest in the rhytidectomy as well as esthetic surgery as a whole.
Landon D. McLain, MD, DMD, FMCS
McLain Surgical Arts
2045 Cecil Ashburn Drive
Suite 101
Huntsville, AL 35802, USA

E-mail address: IdMcLain@yahoo.com