Cheng Chang Chang

  • Quantitative and Objective Measurements of Facial Aging Process with Anatomical Landmarks,Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology

    Objective: A reliable and readily available way to quantify slight changes in facial characteristics is coveted and sought after in the recent decade. The facial aging process is associated with the attenuation of retaining ligaments and the laxity of soft tissue.

    Methods and Materials: To quantify facial rejuvenation on the basis of aging, we provide four angular and six linear measurements between static and mobile points to assess subtle changes before and after rejuvenation procedures.

    Results: We denote E as the eyebrow (Eh, Ep, and Et mark the head, peak, and tail of eyebrow, respectively), Pu as the center of pupil, Cl as the lateral canthus, Oc as the oral commissure, and Na as the lateral margin of the nasal ala. The vertices of both the Eyebrow Peak and Eyebrow Tail angles lie at the static point Eh, measured against a horizontal line parallel to the ground. The Eyebrow Peak and Eyebrow Tail angles are then measured between the horizontal line and lines extending from Eh to the mobile points Ep and Et, respectively.

    Supposedly, the Eyebrow Peak and Eyebrow Tail angles will decrease with age due to eyebrow ptosis. The Pupil-­Eyebrow Peak angle would increase with advancing age due to eyebrow ptosis, while it would decrease if the eyebrow position is restored after rejuvenation procedures. The Canthus-­Oral-­Nasal angle may increase if the oral commissure is lifted after rejuvenation procedures.

    The size of the palpebral fissure can be determined by measuring the vertical distance between the superior and inferior borders of palpebral fissure when the eyes are at rest (Vertical Palpebral Fissure length). Vertical Palpebral Fissure length and Eyebrow-­Orbital length should increase, whereas Orbital-­Upper Eyelid length should decrease if the soft tissue between the eyebrow and supraorbital region has been lifted upwards after rejuvenation procedures .

    In terms of the lower face, the distances between the bilateral tragi (point Tr, left and right) passing through the oral commissure (point Oc Tragus-­Oral length) and the mental protuberance (point Mp, Lower Facial Contouring length) are measured. Both the Tragus-Oral length and Lower Facial Contouring length should decrease if the sagging lower face is successfully restored by rejuvenation Procedures.

    Conclusion: Based on the static anatomic landmarks and mobile points associated with aging, angular and linear measurements are designed to quantitatively assess the characteristics of the upper, middle, and lower face. The clinical case is presented in the online Supplementary Material. Further clinical studies are required to validate the practical application.

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