Beauty Is in the Brain of the Beholder

Ideals of facial beauty are not determined by culture alone, but also rely on universal standards that have been hard-wired, or imprinted, in our brains. Even babies can spot pretty face right from birth.

Live Science, 6 July 2011 - Whether you're admiring a painting or enjoying a song, all the works of art you favor lead to activity in the same region of the brain, a new study shows. The findings go some way to support the view that beauty is in the perception of the beholder rather than in the object.

Researchers asked 21 volunteers from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds to rate a series of paintings or pieces of music as beautiful, indifferent or ugly. Participants then looked at the pictures or listened to the music while lying in a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner, which measures brain activity.


That the same area of the brain was activated for both visual and auditory beauty implies that beauty exists as an abstract concept within the brain, researchers from the University College London's Wellcome Laboratory of Neurobiology say.

The finding showed that the medial orbitofrontal cortex, which is part of the brain's pleasure and reward center, was more active in participants when they listened to music or viewed a picture that they had rated as beautiful. However, no particular region of the brain correlated generally with artwork rated as ugly.

Activity in another region, the caudate nucleus, located near the center of the brain, increased in proportion to the relative visual beauty of a painting. The region has been previously reported to correlate with romantic love, suggesting a neural association for the relationship between beauty and love.


The findings were published today (July 6) in the journal PLoS One.

Remi Melina, Live Science Staff Writer 

Why Do Men Find Women with Larger Eyes Attractive?

Zidbits, Science, June 2, 2011 - According to studies done, research has shown that men generally find larger eyes on women more attractive. This has lead to a growing trend (especially in Asia) for many women to use cosmetics and contact lenses with larger limbal rings to give the illusion of larger eyes. Some have even done this permanently through cosmetic surgery.

But why do men find larger eyes attractive?

There seems to be two separate reasons why larger eyes on a female are more attractive. The first is that larger eyes (along with fuller lips, bigger breasts and smaller chins) is a sign of higher levels of estrogen. Women that have higher levels of estrogen will be more successful and have an easier time conceiving than women with lower levels. This means that women with larger eyes will be seen as a better ‘mate’.

The second reason is that large eyes are a neotenous feature.

A neotenous feature is a characteristic of youth shared by babies and children that humans evolved to retain so they could attract quality mates with “protective and nurturing impulses” which would be more likely to help raise their offspring and raise reproductive success. Since human eyes do not grow in size during development as much as the rest of the body, the size of the eye relative to the face decreases as we grow. This means that babies have relatively large eyes compared to older children and adults. As a consequence, people who have large eyes are often perceived to be younger than they really are. Since perceived youth of a mate is also a sign of fertility, men tend to prefer women with neotenous features, like large eyes.

However, this isn’t saying that men want to mate with babies and small children – that would be incredibly maladaptive because they are not fecund. So, then, why do males usually prefer women who, in essence, look like babies?

It’s thanks to something that happens in evolution called Fisherian runaway selection. Fisherian selection suggests that, when one sex prefers mates with certain genetic traits, then, through the process of sexual selection, the other sex will come to possess the trait in increasingly exaggerated forms. 

The process is called “runaway” because over time, it would cause the development of greater preference and more pronounced traits, until the costs of producing the trait balance the reproductive benefit of possessing it. The peacock’s tail is an example of this. Its tail requires a great deal of energy to grow and maintain, it reduces the bird’s agility, and increases the animal’s visibility to predators. Yet it has evolved which indicates that peacocks with longer tails have some advantage.

This same process occurs with men’s preference for women with neotenous features.

GUIDELINE ON AESTHETIC MEDICAL PRACTICE II

Prerequisites of the Practitioner practising Aesthetic Medicine

The registered medical practitioner practising aesthetic medicine:

1. May be a general (family) practitioner or a specialist in any recognized field;
2. Must possess experience through recognized practical training courses conducted by bona fide professional bodies specialising in aesthetic medicine;
3. Shall provide documentary evidence that he has undergone such training and practical/written examination in a bona fide professional body. The Ministry of Health reserves the right to examine documents so produced and either permit or reject the application by a registered medical practitioner to be registered in the Aesthetic Medicine Practitioners Register.
4. Must exercise strict patient selection criteria, must communicate to the potential client/patient the risks involved, the possible outcome, obtain valid consent for the aesthetic procedure planned, and generally observe all aspects of the Code of Professional Conduct of the Malaysian Medical Council;
5. Must place client/patient safety as the primary concern and should provide aesthetic medicine services in an approved healthcare facility as required by the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 and Regulations 2006.
6. Is subject to all relevant parts of the Medical Act 1971, the Regulations 1974, the Code of Professional Conduct and Guidelines of the Malaysian Medical Council.

GUIDELINE ON AESTHETIC MEDICAL PRACTICE - Malaysian Medical Council

History and Background

Aesthetic medicine was introduced as a scientific movement by JJ Lengrand, a
Parisian Endocrinologist in France in 1973. It originates from the belief that the
well-being of an individual is about being satisfied with one’s health, job and the
environment he or she lives in. The goal is the creation of a harmonious physical
and psychological balance as desired by clients, by administering medical
treatment which is both preventive and corrective.

Although aesthetic medicine has not been recognized as a medical specialty in
Malaysia, the practice of aesthetic medicine is currently inevitably on the rise and
is gaining popular demand nationwide.

Definition

For purposes of this Guideline, Aesthetic Medicine is defined as an area of
multidisciplinary medical practice carried out by registered medical practitioners to provide treatment which is evidence-based, with the objective of addressing the aesthetic desires of clients.

Aesthetic Medicine is not a spin-off of traditional or complementary medicine, and
is recognised to be scientific in its approach and practice. Such practice may be
through non-invasive and minimally invasive modalities.

Double Suture and Twist (DST) - The Durable Non-Cutting Double Eyelid Procedure for Asians

Double-eyelid procedure is the most popular cosmetic procedure in Asia. Whereas most surgeons in the United States perform cutting-type double eyelid surgery, Japanese women prefer non-incisional or suture methods.

Publications in the early Japanese medical literature favoured the suture method. The first description of this method, by Mikamo was published in 1896. Between 1896 and 1950, 11 articles relating to the suture methods were published in the Japanese medical literature.

The configuration of a double eyelid consists of four important parameters, namely, height, shape, continuity and permanence. As the suture method has been criticized for its high breakage rate and poorly define crease which fade over time, permanency is the major challenge the suture method is facing along its evolution.

In 2001, an improved non-cutting method to create double eyelids in Asian patients is reported. Dr Katsuhiro Kure, and Dr Akihiro Minami described an improved procedure that uses double sutures and twists (DST) to create double eyelids in Asian patients. Dr. Kure says the non-incisional procedure is “simple, durable, and virtually scar free.” The method uses only two sutures on each upper eyelid, with the durability explained by the areas of ties and the central twists that result in more secure and therefore longer-lasting results.

The average operative time ranged from 20 minutes (one side) to 60 minutes (bilateral). Most patients did not require sedation, and the surgeries were performed with only local anesthesia. Recovery time was short (3-7 days), and complications were minor and rare.

The published report for breakage or loss of fold is approximately one percent per year (ten year follow up). An extraordinarily low failure rate for this method has therefore been scientifically established, comparable to an incision method. There is a notion that the DST technique frequently fails or disappears over time. In many anecdotal comments, the most common source of misinformation has been in confusing the DST technique with traditional suture techniques that are unreliable. It is therefore important to verify that the technique used is DST before you decide to undergo such procedure.

The credential of the doctor is of course first and foremost. The registration of a doctor can be verified at the Malaysian Medical Council website.

This method is suitable for younger candidates with eyelids which do not have lots of loose skin or fat, or any obvious eyelid deformities.

Some examples of double eyelids created using DST:

The types of eyelids which are not suitable for this non-cutting technique:

Obvious ptosis (droopy eyelids)

Obvious asymmetrical eyelids

 Dermatochalasis (Eyelid with lots of sagging skin)

Thick eyelids with lots of fat

These cases require incisional blepharoplasty (Cutting double eyelid surgery), a procedure which requires a highly meticulous and precise work of a well-trained and talented oculoplastic surgeon as it involves highly accurate measurements, skin removal, cutting into deeper structures and the ability and experience to manage possible complications promptly. Such invasive procedure if carried out by unscrupulous cosmetic practitioner is at risk of suffering a permanent deformity due to excessive fat removal, ptosis (droopy eyelid) due to damage to the muscle and tendon which opens the upper eyelid (levator muscle and aponeurosis), lagophthalmos (lid retraction or unable to close the eyelid fully) due to excessive skin removal and worst of all, blindness due to retrobulbar haematoma (accumulation of blood behind the eyeball) resulting in compression and damage to the optic nerve.

A thorough assessment is therefore crucial before deciding on which kind of double eyelid procedure is suitable for an individual. Appropriate referral to a talented and experienced oculoplastic surgeon has to be made where DST is not suitable to ensure safety and best outcome for the individual.

Double Eyelid Surgery

Eyes with a lid crease between the eyelashes and the eyebrows  are described as having a ‘double eyelid’, whereas those without a crease have a ‘single eyelid’.

We all know that having double eyelids makes our eyes look bigger, wider and culturally perceived to be more alert, friendly, confident  and attractive. Having a double eyelid also allows easier application of cosmetics and no need to stick eyelid tapes anymore.

Studies have shown that about 50% of Asians do not have an upper eyelid crease, the other 50% have a least some form of crease. Therefore, it has been very popular among the Asians to opt for procedures that create double eyelids.

There have been various popular methods of creating double eyelids. The decision on which procedure is most suitable depends on the type and condition of one’s eyelids.

There are incisional (cutting) and non-incisional (non-cutting) methods. The incisional method involves plastic surgery through which some of the eyelid skin is excised. The patient will be required to return to the clinic and have the sutures removed. It may leave a prominent scar on the eyelid where the skin is removed. This is an excellent approach for those eyelids with too much loose skin around the eyes or lots of fat.

The non-incisional method is called the suture (stitching) method. In this method, no removal of skin using the knife is involved. Instead, sutures are passed through the eyelids via small punctures to create a fold by pulling the underbelly of the skin inwards when the eyes are opened. This method does not leave a prominent scar, no removal of sutures is required and recovery time is very short as no significant incision is made.

However, the traditional suture method is highly criticized for it’s short lifespan. Until recently, the advent of a new suture method known as the Double Suture and Twist (DST) technique, well-known for its longevity, addresses these disadvantages but maintaining the benefits of a suture method such as the quick recovery, scarlessness, naturalness of the crease and reversibility. This method is suitable for younger candidates with eyelids which do not have lots of loose skin or fat, or any obvious eyelid deformities.

Some examples of double eyelids created using the DST technique:

靓丽必备圣物——玻尿酸！

玻尿酸，原来就以胶状形态存在于人体皮肤的真皮组织中，负责储存水分、增加皮肤容积，让皮肤看起来饱满、丰盈、有弹性。小婴儿肌肤中的玻尿酸含量最高，所以肌肤柔嫩程度堪比白煮蛋。但玻尿酸会随着年龄增长而消失，使皮肤失去储水的能力，逐渐变得暗沉、老化，并形成细小的皱纹。

皮肤的玻尿酸从 25 岁以后就开始流失， 30 岁时只剩下幼年期65% 、60 岁时只剩下 25% ，皮肤的水分也会跟着玻尿酸而散失，皮肤失去弹性与光泽，逐渐产生皱纹，皮肤老化。然而JUVÉDERM玻尿酸的面世，让希望保持年轻靓丽外表的朋友爱不释手，只因不但立刻见效、效果自然，更重要的是，只要是由合格医生注射，将会非常安全。

【如何使用玻尿酸以让你看起来更加靓丽！】

自然塑型：隆鼻、隆颏、丰额、丰唇、丰下巴、丰耳垂等

JUVÉDERM玻尿酸是改变面部轮廓的一种新型的方法，玻尿酸在塑形方面不仅可以隆鼻，还用来隆颏、丰唇、丰耳垂等，在一定程度上都达到了美容塑形医疗效果。安全性高没有过多副作用，见效快，是演艺圈明星的美丽武器。

填充物如玻尿酸不但天然安全，更能让人随心所欲地塑出标准脸型。轻松美丽不是梦！

高效去皱：抬头纹、眉间横纹、鼻唇沟、鱼尾纹、法令纹、眉间纹、泪沟、眼角纹等面部皱纹

JUVÉDERM玻尿酸抚平皱纹，使您重现青春靓丽的容颜。其最强的功能就是可以除皱，而且是大皱小皱皆可除。其中美容大王觉得最棒、最推荐的，就是用玻尿酸除泪沟！泪沟真的是很难处理，不管用什么方法都无法尽善尽美，直到玻尿酸出现。

面部凹陷填充：丰太阳穴、丰面颊、颧部填充、痘疤、痘坑、皮肤凹陷、疤痕修复等 
JUVÉDERM玻尿酸可用于面部轮廓塑形，美化面部曲线。有些人觉得脸太凹，给人上了年纪或是很刻薄的感觉，还是脸颊饱满一点比较好看；有些人则是觉得脸颊丰腴一点看起来命会比较好。想要让凹陷的脸颊丰满起来，目前最好的选择就是玻尿酸。

长效保湿留住肌肤水分：面部、手背、胸前等

JUVÉDERM玻尿酸海绵般强劲的吸水能力，1分子玻尿酸大约可以结合500倍水分子，少量就能达到很好的保湿效果。不但能锁住肌肤的水分，还能将外界环境的水分子抓住，持续不断地保持肌肤湿润，维持皮肤水嫩、紧致状态，预防肌肤松弛、皱纹产生。

提醒：挑选受国际认证的玻尿酸牌子，让你轻松安全地漂亮示人！