Expression plasty: a new approach to esthetic surgery

Training in esthetic surgery focuses on correcting crooked noses, wrinkled skin, bald scalps, and other unsightly facial structures. However, little importance is placed upon facial expressions--eg, "weak," "serious," "feminine," etc. Surgeons have discovered, through experience, that a recessed chin gives one a "dumb" expression, that a drooping nose denotes an "aging" expression, and that baggy eyelids confer a "tired" expression; yet few efforts have been made to study this area in more depth. This article explores the field of facial expression and its place in facial esthetic surgery.