It’s being called an “About-Face” by the New York Times – the new beauty goal of chubby cheeks, reminiscent of a baby face. Round is definitely the new rage when it comes to the face. Gone are the days when thin and tight ruled as surgeons have revealed the qualities that pronounce youth is, well, a plump face. Plump is pretty – a throwback to youth and the puffy look of a baby.
Plump, Not Gaunt
It wasn’t that long ago when the world swooned over the gaunt facial features of super model Kate Moss and the hollow-cheek look of actress Courtney Cox. Those days are in the rear-view mirror.
The desire today is for a fuller look, the rounded, plump facial structure that resembles what is often called a baby face. “We are embracing individuals that are fuller,” says Dr. Lou Bucky, a board certified plastic surgeon in Philadelphia. Bucky says patients are seeking procedures that pack volume back into facial features, in part because the fashion world likes the look. “Our models are fuller, with fuller brows and fuller cheeks.” A round look is a youthful look, according to experts.
Youthful Appearance
A fuller look often is associated with a more youthful look. Aging will take a toll on facial volume, and other life decisions and changes can increase the toll. Some reports indicate that even dropping ten pounds can add up to four years on an older face. That statistic may be part of the reason why so many women and men are considering adding volume to what is perceived as a sunken face.
“Fuller is just brighter and reflects youth,” says Bucky. To achieve a more youthful face after it has aged, there are a variety of choices in filler products – with new, more specific products coming out regularly. The goal is a natural end result that doesn’t scream plastic surgery procedure. Dr. Bucky adds that this type of rejuvenation is very possible with today’s choices in non-surgical treatments.
Find A Balance
Adding volume in a harmonious way takes a skilled injector with an artist’s eye. It requires balance when using products that provide facial volume. Experts say full is OK, fuller is better but overfilled isn’t good. “I see people who have been over-volumized and they look like a cabbage patch doll that has been overstuffed,” says Dr. Clifford Clark, a board certified plastic surgeon in Florida.
He says too often women and men get bad advice and go over top with too much filler in the face.”Don’t go looking for too much volume. Look for an excellent aesthetic surgeon that can continue to tweak things with you to get the look you want.” Clark says the process should be about fine-tuning your look, not recreating it.
Full is in, and fortunately it comes at a time when minimally-invasive facial fillers are on a meteoric rise. Which the procedure may seem simple enough and perhaps “easy” being less expensive than surgery, would-be patients absolutely need to know it’s a procedure that still requires expertise and experience. Trust in a board certified plastic surgeon or dermatologist to inject volume to provide that round, youthful look.