The Golden Ratio Debate
In my practice as a plastic surgeon, I am often asked the question by my patients: do you consider me beautiful? And I am certain many of you have had to answer this question at some point or the other. It shouldn’t be an easy question to answer and yet we tend to respond in a split second.
What is it that makes a person physically beautiful?
We all know physical beauty when we see it, but what are the instant cognitive processes that lead to these quick judgements on what is beautiful and what is not?
I’d like to share with you my thoughts and insights on the matter.
The question of what leads us to make these judgements has preoccupied the minds of many scientists, philosophers and mathematicians over centuries.
Aristotle said “The chief forms of beauty are order and symmetry and definiteness ” and claimed that science proved this wherever you looked. He defined beauty as “a sense of harmonious or aesthetically pleasing proportionality,” and during this booming era of Greek philosophy (c. 500 BC), multiple arithmetic principles such as 1:1 “unity” ratio, the axial facial division into thirds, and the Golden Ratio came to light.
The Golden Ratio, also known as phi or 1.618, is found by dividing a line such that the ratio of the short segment to the long segment is equivalent to the ratio of the long segment to the entire line (Figure 1).
figure 1.
Initially described as the Parthenon Phidias, it has been referred to as the Fibonacci ratio or the “divine proportion” and is found throughout nature, from the structure of DNA to the Milky Way, architecture and art, with probably the most famous pieces being the Vetruvian Man (Figure 2) and the Mona Lisa by Leonarda Da Vinci.
figure 2.
Some suggest that facial features that adhere to the Golden Ratio are physically more attractive. I don’t know if this is entirely true, but I do know how important balance is for facial appearance. Beauty in symmetry arises from balanced proportions rather than simply mirror images. Symmetry is considered to be a reflection of genetic superiority. Furthermore, there is a strong correlation between beauty and happiness: through increased economic advantages and earning potential, popularity and confidence, contributing to the notion that “beauty is power”.
The most alluring ratio seen throughout our world is The Golden Ratio.
Dr. Stephen R. Marquardt[1], an American plastic surgeon, performed cross-cultural surveys on beauty in modern and historical times. He found that beauty is related to the Golden Ratio and it is the same for both genders and for all races and cultures. This finding led him to develop the controversial Marquardt Mask, completely based on the Golden Ratio as a model applied to human faces to determine optimum beauty.
Dr. Mounir Bashour[2], an American ophthalmologist, conducted a study which supports Marquardt findings. Bashour applied the mask on 72 European Caucasian individuals and judged their appearance accordingly. He found that the mask model correlated strongly with attractiveness, however, contradictory to the previous studies, Holland’s study[3] found that Marquardt’s mask describes “facial proportions of masculinized white women as seen in fashion models,” and does not accurately reflect the“ideal” faces of all other women, especially non-Caucasians.
Irrespective of the common importance of balance and the Golden Ratio, individuals of different cultures have different perceptions of beauty. This observation is further complicated by the dynamic nature of the face and the swift ability of the human eye to detect irregularities and asymmetries in movement.
When I create a surgical plan for my patients, I always keep balance in mind and strive to ensure that each change I make improves the facial harmony, balance and flow. Flow indicates how one facial area flows into the next. This flow must be as natural and unobstructed as possible. When carrying out aesthetic procedures, I am also aware of the dangers of creating a statically beautiful face but one that is less so on movement.
The importance of facial movement has nurtured my keen interest in the development of 3D image captivation and led me to include videos of my facial surgery patients rather than just static photographs in my portfolio and attempting to quantify beauty in motion subjectively and objectively and not apply a one-mask-fits-all approach to them.
Bringing facial features into better balance can improve overall appearance. For example two surgeries I often use to enhance facial harmony are rhinoplasty (surgical and non-surgical) and facial implants (chin implants) and fillers. If your face is out of balance and you want to improve your Golden Ratio, these procedures will work well.
It is evident that the aesthetic characterisation of facial beauty cannot be reduced to merely an“ ideal” Golden Ratio. The Golden Ratio is simple and beguiling as a theory but it is ultimately incomplete. It does however offer a good explanation of upon what basis the quick judgements about beauty are being formed.
My job as a plastic and reconstructive surgeon is to first of all understand my patients’ needs and background. I take as much into account as possible and strive to make my patient look naturally rejuvenated and become a more aesthetically pleasing version of an already beautiful person.
So in my world of plastic surgery, it is never a case of a quick fix: I rather opt for a thorough understanding of the situation and my patient, promote efficient decision making regarding a treatment plan based on a comprehensive range of research and results.
Let’s all embrace our beauty and know we can differ.
Many greetings,
