Asymmetry between the two sides of the face increases steadily with aging—a finding with important implications for facial rejuvenation and reconstructive procedures, reports a study in the November issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Three-dimensional digital imaging techniques show a subtle but significant aging-related increase in facial asymmetry, especially in the lower two-thirds of the face, according to the new research by ASPS Member Surgeon Helena O.B. Taylor, MD, PhD, of Mount Auburn Hospital, Cambridge, Mass., and colleagues. “The observed correlation between increasing facial asymmetry and age can be useful as a guide in plastic surgery to produce age-matched features,” the researchers write.

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