TikTok / @isseypovs
A chorus of beauty-obsessed Zoomers is sounding off about the “facial harmony,” the latest TikTok trend to hit For You Pages everywhere.
Posting detailed shots of their nose, eyes, jawlines, cheekbones and lips, Gen Z creators are asking and analyzing whether they have subjectively “good” or “bad” harmony, referring to the way that their facial features look when put all together.
They highlight their so-called “bad” features — rounded jawlines, Roman noses, thin lips — that actually create “good” facial harmony. Conversely, some say they have “good” features — button noses, chiseled cheekbones, plump lips — that create seemingly “bad” harmony.
While the measurement of beauty seems arbitrary, board-certified dermatologist Dr. Geeta Yadav explained there is a scientific method to the madness.
“There is something called the ‘golden ratio,’ a measurement known as Phi, that is considered aesthetically ideal and found in nature, architecture, art and the face,” the Toronto-based doctor told Fashion.
That ratio — 1:1.618 — refers to the dimensions and distance of facial features. For example, she added, the lower lip should be 1.6 times more voluminous than the upper lip to be truly “harmonious,” at least according to science.
The equation has even determined that some A-listers — like Robert Pattinson and Regé-Jean Page —have achieved the gold standard of beauty.
But the golden ratio doesn’t necessarily equate to beauty — a tough pill to swallow for the über-critical TikTok crowd of Zoomers, who have been flocking in droves to receive Botox, filler and other procedures to modify their appearance, data shows.
“There are all these rules around facial harmony that we are implicitly or explicitly told, which can lead to a constant preoccupation in the back of people’s minds or trigger a negative fixation,” Dr. Jennifer Mills, a clinical psychologist and York University professor, told Fashion.
“This gets concerning when it takes mental energy away from other aspects of our life that add value, like friends, family, and work or school.”
Not to mention, not everyone can afford the money or time to mold their physical appearances to the hottest trends, she noted.
FORM Face+Body plastic surgeons Dr. Michael Brandt and Dr. Ron Somogyi told Fashion that harmonious features can’t really be measured in uniform anyway.
“It’s like talent; you know it when you see it,” they said, although they warned about the dangers of following fleeting fads seen online such as buccal fat removal.
“Chasing trends will result in many future treatments to redo or undo some of the changes that are made,” they added.
In an attempt to copy a particular beauty trend popularized by influencers, celebrities or other figures online, you may end up with what Yadav calls “Instagram Face“: over-filled lips, doll-like noses and hallowed cheeks with the apples plumped with filler.
“Selfie culture” and the proliferation of filters on social media have seemingly driven youngsters to go under the knife. And this summer, over-done mugs were the talk of the town because of the “‘Love Island’ effect,” named after the popular reality series that featured contestants who look virtually the same due to cosmetic work.
“When it comes to the ‘Instagram Face,’ after a certain point, we go past the golden ratio and into the uncanny valley, creating something that looks so perfect that it looks inhuman to the point of being creepy,” Yadav explained.