[Eton TV] Why I Look Unattractive in Photos

Have you ever been surprised that your face looks different in a smartphone selfie

and in a photo taken by someone else?

Huh? Do I really look like this???🤪

Or have you ever wondered whether the left side of your face looks better

or the right side of your face looks better?

The reason we

are surprised by our own appearance in photos!

And I’d like to talk about the story of facial asymmetry hidden behind it.

We’ll look at why we perceive facial asymmetry, why the brain prefers symmetrical faces, which parts of the face make asymmetry stand out, and how plastic surgery can correct asymmetry.

Why does our brain prefer symmetry?

When I took an introductory psychology class in the past,

there was something I learned.

In fact, no one yet knows the exact reason.

But from an evolutionary psychology perspective,

a common explanation is that we came to prefer symmetry in order to leave healthy genes to future generations.

There are also research findings showing that when we see symmetrical forms from a young age,

reward mechanisms in the brain are activated,

which makes us feel good.

You could also think of it as an instinctive attraction

to find healthy genes.

What is certain is

that we may feel comfort or liking toward symmetrical faces or shapes.

Then what parts of the face do we look at

when we feel that something is asymmetrical?

In fact, you can feel asymmetry in every part of the face,

but when meeting a person in person,

the eyes and nose, which are visually the most noticeable,

are usually the first places where asymmetry stands out.

From a little farther away,

we also feel asymmetry in the overall shape of the face

or in the shape of the jaw.

The causes of asymmetry are varied.

First, the bone structure itself can differ.

Just as there are right-handed and left-handed people,

facial development also differs slightly between the left and right sides.

The muscles and skin over the bones can also differ,

and these differences can become more pronounced

with continued use.

Differences can also become more noticeable due to aging.

Such asymmetry

can be corrected through plastic surgery.

For example, in the case of the eyes,

if differences in the size or presence of double eyelids are adjusted

with double-eyelid surgery,

they can look much more symmetrical.

It is also good to balance differences in the strength used to open the eyes.

In the case of the nose,

a crooked nose can be corrected,

or a nose with different left-right volume can be adjusted.

Not only simple size adjustment,

but also the curvature of protruding or sunken areas

is made as similar as possible during surgery.

As for asymmetry,

in cases of severe malocclusion,

jaw surgery may be performed

to align the bite

while correcting bone asymmetry,

and

surgery may also be performed to adjust the position, volume, or length of the chin tip

to bring it as close to the center as possible.

It is natural

for us to perceive asymmetry.

A perfectly symmetrical face

almost does not exist.

So if your face in the mirror or

your face in photos looks a little asymmetrical,

don’t worry too much or get too stressed.

Plastic surgery can correct asymmetry

to create a more symmetrical face,

and above all,

we all have our own unique

beauty.

What matters most is

to look at your own face with a positive perspective

and love it.

If you’d like more details,

check out the YouTube channel <Eton TV>.

Thank you.