The New Face of Beauty

By: Ruth Donnelly
Created on 03rd December 2010

Recent years have seen a change in what we perceive to be attractive, with a move away from the ‘cookie cutter’ idea of beauty. Cosmetic Surgery & Aesthetics Guide investigates the reasons behind this change and looks at the treatments available to help you achieve the new ideal...

Beauty is a subjective concept, but it is fair to say that there are certain physical attributes that are generally considered to be more attractive than others. The goalposts move over time, of course – the young starlets of today look very different to those of sixty years ago.

But recently we have seen a shift that is really quite surprising: features which were previously considered to be imperfections – or, at the very least, ‘quirks’ – are fast becoming the facial equivalent of the season’s hottest ‘it’ bag.

So what is bringing about this shift? Celebrities, of course, have a huge part to play, but why are we suddenly idolising these unusual-looking women? Some say it’s a result of the recession, that it’s become bad form to look too glossy when so many are out of work.

But the general consensus is that we are simply bored of all looking like carbon copies of each other, with the same perfect white smile, the same smooth, tanned complexion and the same rosebud lips. These days, we want to stand out from the crowd.

We’ve tracked down the top three quirky features that women want to emulate and the celebs who are setting the trend.

The Lara Stone effect

Dutch supermodel Lara Stone has taken the fashion world by storm since she signed to IMG in 2006, and became a household name in the UK when she married comedian David Walliams earlier this year.

What makes Lara stand out from the other catwalk beauties – aside from her ‘curvy’ size eight figure – is the pronounced gap between her front teeth. And after the dental profession has dedicated years to finding ways to meet our demands for the perfect Hollywood smile, suddenly we’re not so interested anymore.

Dr Tapesh Anand, founder of Harley Street cosmetic dental practice Q Clinic, has noticed a huge celebrity influence when it comes to the treatments his clients are requesting: “Most recently we have seen people asking for a small gap to be created in their teeth as they seek to emulate the quirky and fashionable smiles of superstars such as Lara Stone and Madonna, who have made imperfection the new perfection.”

Dr Mervyn Druian of the London Centre for Cosmetic Dentistry agrees: “What makes Lara Stone and Georgia May Jagger’s smiles so great, is the gap between their two front teeth, plus their front teeth are longer than the others, which is a seductive, feminine characteristic. It is good to see ‘English’, individual smiles becoming the smile of choice.”

When it comes to creating that gap artificially, however, the two dentists are not in quite such accord. “If a patient has a lovely ‘quirkiness’ to their teeth, which suits them, we would recommend veneers that copy that and improve on it,” says Dr Druian.

“With regards to being asked to create that specific gap through veneers or sanding the two front teeth very slightly, I would be reticent to perform it if it didn’t suit the patient.”

But Dr Anand says there is a way to do it which is not quite so permanent: “At Q Clinic we normally use Invisalign’s revolutionary braces to straighten teeth and close spaces. However, we can also use it to gently move the teeth in the opposite direction, creating a fashionable gap in anything from six to 12 months.”

Get your gap: www.qclinic.com www.londoncosmeticdentistry.co.uk

The Cheryl Cole phenomenon

It is no exaggeration to say that over the past year, the former Mrs Ashley Cole has become the nation’s sweetheart, with the press poring over her every move. And whilst there is no denying that Cheryl is beautiful, there is one aspect of her face that would not always have been considered so desirable.

“The natural dimple is essentially a defect,” says consultant plastic surgeon Mr Shailesh Vadodaria. “The skin of the cheek is tethered to the underlying tissue and deeper, to the muscle itself. When you smile, the muscles will contract and that tethering becomes very apparent.”

So famed is Ms Cole for this particular characteristic that she is nicknamed ‘Dimples’, and since her rise to superstardom there has been a huge increase in the number of women seeking surgery to recreate this defect in their own cheeks.

“Over the past year, I have started getting a large number of enquiries about dimple creation in the UK,” Mr Vadodaria confirms. “My basic surgical training was in India, where dimples have long been seen as a sign of beauty because a lot of Bollywood actresses have them. So I was aware of the dimple creation procedure, but never realised it would be so popular in the UK.”

If you’re keen to follow suit and get the Cheryl Cole look for yourself, you may be in luck, as it’s not so complex as you might think.

“I perform dimpleplasty as an office procedure, under local anaesthetic,” Mr Vadodaria explains. “I make a small cut inside the cheek and create iatrogenic tethering of the underlying element of the skin to the muscle, essentially recreating that defect.

“There is no visible scar, but for the first few weeks there will be a constant dimple in the cheek, even when you are not smiling. I tell patients they can either cover that with a small dressing and tell friends that they have an insect bite, which they don’t want to get infected, or come clean and explain that in a few weeks time the dimples will only appear when they smile.”

If surgery’s not for you, Dr Ayham Al-Ayoubi, of the London Medical and Aesthetic Clinic, says he has a method to create dimples without the use of a scalpel.

“If you know facial anatomy very well then it is possible to create an impression of a dimple through non-surgical means. My background as a facial plastic surgeon means that I’m well equipped to do this.

“First I ask the patient to perform a series of facial manoeuvres such as clenching and smiling, and study the face to see where the muscles are and how they move. Then I know where to put the dimple.

“I then inject a filler called Ellanse around the area to create a circular ring deep into the dermis so it doesn’t create any lumps – an indentation forms in the middle of the ring that mimics the impression of a dimple. If you do this with HA fillers they will dissolve with the facial movements, whereas Ellanse will become more defined with the process of inflammation.”

Dimple me up: www.vadodariaplastisurgery.com www.lmaclinic.com

The Angelina craze

Recently dubbed the only true beauty in Hollywood today, during Joan Collins’ memorable tirade against the 21st century’s “average-looking” stars, Angelina Jolie is almost universally acknowledged as a sex symbol. But what makes her so attractive?

Obviously her big eyes, long legs and slender physique all play their part, but top cosmetic practitioner Dr Bob Khanna thinks he has spotted the feature that really makes her stand out from the crowd.

“I’ve spent a lot of time recently looking at very attractive women and trying to work out what it is about them that is so compelling,” he tells us. “I noticed that many of them, including Angelina, have a particular ‘quirk’ in common – a discernible cleft in the mid-line of the lower lip, that means their lips are naturally heart-shaped.”

Full, soft lips have always been a symbol of sexiness, but until now most lip enhancement techniques have concentrated on size, rather than shape. Dr Khanna realised that if he could find a way to recreate this cleft artificially, he would be able to help women achieve lips like Angelina’s. And so, Heart Lips™ by Dr Bob Khanna using Restylane was born.

Dr Khanna has developed a technique, using Restylane with integrated pain relief, to provide a very natural enhancement, creating beautiful, sensuous lips, which are soft to touch and irresistibly kissable.

“Using Restylane, a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler, I can recreate that heart-shaped appearance,” says Dr Khanna. “It’s the perfect treatment for the woman who really cares about how she looks and doesn’t mind the extra attention she will get!

“Heart Lips™ is very much a young and sexy look, and it’s important that lips are in proportion with facial features so I take great care to tailor the treatment to each individual patient to ensure that their lips look balanced and natural.

“With Restylane I can refine and tweak to get the best possible result.”

Kim, 27, had Heart Lips™ by Dr Bob Khanna using Restylane in September

“I was seeing Dr Khanna for another treatment, and I noticed his clinic manager had amazing lips. I asked her about them and she told me it was Heart Lips™ by Dr Bob Khanna using Restylane – I had to have them!

“I really liked that they were a more natural shape and feel – they looked much more defined and individual.

“The procedure itself was completely painless. Dr Khanna applied a topical anaesthetic cream beforehand, and that combined with the in-built pain relief in the Restylane filler meant I couldn’t feel a thing.

“The results were immediate and very impressive – there was a tiny bit of bruising and swelling, but certainly no more than I’d had with my previous lip enhancement, and it all died down within 24 hours.

“I had the treatment about two months ago now, and I love my lips more every day. Lots of people have commented on them, and my partner – who wasn’t keen on me having the treatment initially – now can’t get enough of them!”