Finding Harmonious Balance and Symmetry with Cosmetic Surgery

Being born with a perfect body or facial symmetry is very rare - in fact it’s very unusual to have identical body halves. One of the hallmarks of striking beauty is the presence of symmetry.

Aphrodites Compredending the Wisdom of Phoebe - Compliments of Obiarts Inc.

For most people, the imbalance is virtually undetectable, but sometimes it may be a little more noticeable. One breast may be a cup size larger, the nose may be deviated and even an eyebrow may be higher than its counterpart. When the balance becomes more than just a minor issue, corrective surgery may be necessary to attain optimal symmetry.

Body Asymmetry

Breast Balance

One of the most common issues women report with their breasts are asymmetrical cup sizes. An extreme example is a rare situation that Dr. Lewis Obi encountered several years ago:

In most cases, a patient may have a breast that is a complete cup size larger than the other. Typically, to correct this imbalance, a plastic surgeon will use breast implants and/or other techniques. For patients with moderate asymmetries who do not wish to receive implants, there are other viable options including Adivive fat transfer and SlimLipo Laser tightening/reduction. With the Adivive procedure, fat is harvested from an area of undesirable fat. The fat is then processed by the totally enclosed Adivive system with centrifuges and filters to develop a purer and more viable fat graft. This purer form of fat is then added to the breasts to restore breast symmetry and performed without incisions nor sutures. The opposite breast may then be reduced and or tightened with the SlimLipo Laser platform...again non-surgically.

Post-lumpectomy patient received Adivive in the left breast and
SlimLipo to tighten/reduce the right breast (non surgical)

Glute Balance

Similar to the breasts, the glutes may be asymmetrical also. Although it may not be visible to the casual eye, someone with a more critical eye may notice the dissimilarities. Again, the combination of Adivive fat grafting to one side with the possibility of SlimLipo tightening are non surgical tools to enhance the buttocks.

Stomach, Waist and Hips

As we age, fat may deposit in lower areas of the body and become increasingly difficult to burn with diet and exercise alone. It may be necessary to remove fat via SlimLipo laser lipolysis in order to balance out the waist, stomach and thighs. Most commonly, women opt to receive laser liposuction and breast implants at the same time in order to not appear too top or bottom heavy after they’ve healed. 

Facial Asymmetry

Uneven Eyebrows

Whether it’s a nerve or muscle malfunction, uneven eyebrows are common among men and women alike. In the past, plastic surgeons have performed brow lifts if the asymmetry is way off but most recently, it’s been discovered that Botox can aide in the correction of the raised brow. Dr. Lewis Obi has a proprietary brow lift procedure he’s been performing for over 30 years called the LJO Brow Lift that also can assist in the correction of the raised or droopy brow to create a more symmetrical appearance.

Cheeks and Lips

The facial skeleton and the overlying soft tissues of the face are uneven in 99% of people but usually not noticed except by close observation. However when the patient becomes aware of the asymmetry, they often consult with a plastic surgeon. Minor asymmetries are generally not treated but with the advent of non invasive treatments such as fillers, Botox, Adivive, etc. then more of these patients are helped. 

Nose and Chin Balance

The ideal profile balance for the face would be a less prominent nose and a more prominent chin. Whether the imbalance occurred from birth or trauma, it can be corrected – surgically and non surgically. Chin implants can be placed for deficient chins, while removal of cartilage from the nose may be necessary to minimize the appearance of the nose. For non surgical options, the use of fillers – such as Radiesse and Coapetite – may be used to correct profile disproportion. View our past blog about nose and chin augmentation.

An experienced plastic surgeon with an eye for balance, will recommend proportionately optimal solutions when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Sometimes bigger isn’t better and smaller isn’t the solution. Your plastic surgeon should be sure to examine your entire body and medical history to attain the proper solution to your needs.

Dr. Lewis Obi is a nationally recognized plastic surgeon in Jacksonville, Florida with over 30 years of experience. He is an international lecturer and pioneer plastic surgeon in the area of lasers, adult-derived stem cell fat grafting and traditional plastic surgery techniques.