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Aging and anatomy in retouching

Facial aging is a complex process that involves changes in both soft tissue and bony structures over time. When retouching images, we can manipulate the bone structure and the way light falls on the face using techniques like Dodge & Burn and Liquify.
However, it is important to be clear about whether we are intentionally rejuvenating a model and to avoid creating an unnatural overall impression by hiding some signs of aging while preserving others. This can lead to an unusual, inharmonious, and unnatural overall impression.
It is particularly essential to maintain the age of so-called “best agers” and only to make them look “fresher”.

The goal of this article will be to know different signs of aging and to use this knowledge (carefully!) accordingly in image editing.

The Major Forces responsible for Facial Aging

To use image editing techniques effectively, it is crucial to understand the different signs of aging, which can be caused by factors like:

Gravity,
Soft tissue maturation,
Skeletal remodeling,
Muscular facial activity,
Hormonal imbalance
Environmental factors: mental stress, diet, work habits, drug abuse, disease
and solar changes.(Zimbler MS, Kokoska MS & Thomas JR, 2012, p. 1)

Facial shape changes related to aging are similar in both sexes until around age 50, after which they become more pronounced in women. (Windhager S, Mitteroecker P, Rupić I, et al., 2019, p.1)

Signs of Youth

The youthful face is characterized by a balanced distribution of superficial and deep fat that creates a well-rounded 3D topography defined by a series of arcs and convexities.

In profile, three primary arcs are the most definitive features of youth:

The lateral cheek projection (the “ogee” curve), extending as an unbroken convex line from the lower eyelid to the cheek,
The arc of the jawline, extending from the lateral lower jaw to the chin
and the arc of the forehead.(Sydney R. Coleman, MD; Rajiv Grover, 2006, p.5).

Figure 1 – Woman aging from left to right. Arrows illustrating the loss of facial fullness that occurs with age. (Source: Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2006)

Signs of Aging

As people age, they lose volume in their facial tissues and their skin becomes less elastic due to epidermal thinning and decreased collagen production. This loss of fat, combined with the effects of gravity and muscle movement, leads to the development of wrinkles and dynamic lines, and can also affect the bones of the face. (Windhager S, Mitteroecker P, Rupić I, et al., 2019, p.1).

Various signs of aging include:

Global:
Textural skin changes,
Skin thickness decrease
A flatter face,
Reduction in facial height,
The defining arcs and convexities of youth are disrupted in higher age.
Upper third (forehead and brows):
Loss of fullness underneath the skin in the forehead, brow, temple, and upper eyelid areas,
The bony outline of the skull and supraorbital rims become more evident, as do the muscles of the brow,
The temporal blood vessels assume an increasingly tortuous appearance,
Loss of fullness in the upper eyelid,
The eyebrow seemingly descending to a position at or below the superior orbital rim,
Fixed wrinkles or folds
Middle third (midface):
Smaller visible areas of the eyes;
Deeper and broader orbit and double convex deformity of the lower eyelid;
Darker coloration to the thin infraorbital skin, resulting in a tired eye appearance;
Lid-cheek junction lengthening,
Deeper nasolabial folds,
Tip of the nose dropping
Ear lobe lengthening
The upper jaw decreases in size,
In proﬁle, the primary arc of the cheek is broken.
The lower third (chin, jawline, and neck):
Lips are straight, thinner, drier and angular,
Sagged soft tissue (“broken” jawline)/ bone resorption in the lower jaw, the height and length of the lower jaw decrease, the lower jaw angle increases, so the shape of the chin changes,
A relative excess of the skin occurs in the aging lower face, leading to loss of definition of the jawline,
Development of the characteristic jowled “turkey neck” deformity,
The hyoid bone and larynx gradually descend.

(Windhager S, Mitteroecker P, Rupić I, et al., 2019, p.1)(Sydney R. Coleman, MD; Rajiv Grover, 2006, p. 4 ff.)(Windhager S, Mitteroecker P, Rupić I, et al., 2019, p.678)

Figure 2: Aging of the female face, as represented by models representing an individual at ~20 years of age (left), ~50 years (center), and ~75 years (right). The first event of aging is the loss of facial volume. All the aspects mentioned above can be recognized (Source: Aesthetic Surgery Journal 2006)

Figure 3: Aging of the female face based on facial scans in different stages of age. (Source: American Journal of Physical Anthropology 2019)

How to improve image editing

To improve your image editing, study the reference images provided in this article and compare them closely. When retouching images of middle-aged or older models, use this information to create a natural-looking result that is appropriate for their age.
It is important to be aware of these signs and to use retouching techniques in a way that maintains a natural appearance, rather than attempting to make middle-aged or older models look like they are in their twenties.

Remember that the goal is not to eliminate all signs of aging, but to create a fresher, more youthful appearance while maintaining a sense of harmony and balance.

A little tip for better image editing at the end of this article: If the intention to reduce wrinkles, you should only reduce the small ones; the large ones are very important for facial expressions and anatomy.

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Biological mechanisms that defines beauty

What is beauty according to science?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This famous popular saying has already become a cliché. But does that make it any less valid?

This article will discuss what beauty is according to science and how it changes depending on the context.

What is beauty?

If you search for the definition of beauty, here is what you’ll find:

A combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight.

But what are these specific qualities that humans find so attractive, and why?

Psychological beauty

Humans put plenty of importance on beauty. When you look at someone, you almost instinctively analyze his or her attractiveness.

People considered beautiful may enjoy certain social and professional advantages.
This proven effect is used in advertisings to transfer positively associated properties of a beautiful model to a product next to it (halo effect). This is because we associate beauty with positive traits. Attractiveness is a signal of sympathy, intelligence, and even health.

Examples of this concept are movies that show unattractive villains and beautiful heroes, sustaining the “ugly is evil” notion.

What is a beautiful face, according to science?

Sometimes we cannot describe why we like someone visually. Although we may have an intuitive sense of what it is, defining beauty is complex.

Researchers and physicians have tried to determine measurements, ratios, and characteristics beyond cultural boundaries and universally represent beauty.

This task is challenging, mainly because our population is highly diverse. Everyone is beautiful in its way. But what does science say that most people prefer?

Hicks and Thomas (2020) show some key features that underlie most traditionally beautiful faces.

– Symmetry and balance

The left and right sides look the same in a symmetrical face, even though people’s faces are not perfect mirror images. Our eyes read faces with similar proportions on both sides as if they were.

Both men and women tend to find symmetrical faces more attractive than asymmetrical ones. This is because symmetry looks normal to us, and we see asymmetry as a deviation from the norm.

– The golden ratio

The search for a beauty “magic number” dates back to antiquity when the Ancient Greeks believed beauty was represented by a golden ratio of 1:1.618. There is no evidence supporting the golden ratio; however, studies show that certain facial features can make you look more attractive.

For example, one study found that attractiveness is optimized when the face’s vertical distance between the eyes and the mouth is approximately 36% of its length. The horizontal distance between the eyes is about 46% of the face’s width.

To get these specific numbers, the researchers asked 20 people to analyze photos of female Caucasian faces. Using Photoshop, they changed face length (distance between the eyes and the mouth) and width (space between the eyes). Then, the participants had to choose the most attractive face between the two photos.

The new golden ratio proposed by Pallett and co-workers in 2009 says that the ideal distance between the eyes and mouth should be 36% of the total face length, measured from the hairline to the chin. The distance between the eyes should be 46% of the total face width, measured between the inner edges of the ears.

– Averageness

Imagine you are in a room full of people and have to name the most beautiful. You’ll likely select someone with average physical characteristics.

In general, the closest you are from the mathematical average of most people’s features, the more attractive you look. This perception can change depending on your culture, habits, beliefs, and social environment.

Additionally, some physical characteristics may vary with time. For example, global body mass index (BMI) increased from 21.7 kg/m2 in 1975 to 24.2 kg/m2 in 2014 in men.

– Youthfulness

If you spend hours on Instagram looking at pictures of babies and puppies, you’re not alone. These cute pictures are so popular. But for what reason?

Most babies and children have large eyes and small noses, features we subconsciously associate with positive attributes. When we age, we lose volume in the cheeks, the brow descends, and our eyes look smaller.

These changes can make us look “sad” or “tired,” and these features are not usually considered attractive.

– Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is external differences between males and females. In women, fat accumulates in the upper cheek, lips, breasts, and hips. Features like prominent eyes, high cheekbones, proportional nose, full lips, and small chin can be seen as signals of femininity and fertility.

Qualities associated with attractiveness in men include thick hair, heavy brows, thin lips, and a squared jawline with a strong chin.

– Cultural differences

My concept of beauty can be very different from yours. At the same time, someone living on an isolated island in Japan may disagree with both of us.

First of all, body and facial features and proportions vary across different ethnicities. One study analyzed 27 ethnic groups and found differences in forehead height and the distance between the eyelids. Nose height and width may also vary.

Although there appear to be some universal beauty standards for the human race, they are shaped by cultural and social differences.

Media also plays a significant role in spreading specific beauty standards. The United States, for example, has emphasized a particular concept of female beauty— blond, blue-eyed, and busty. Movies, advertising, and fashion magazines often portray abnormally slim women, resulting in increased body image issues.

Social media spread made it worse, with models and influencers making excessive changes to their photos, creating unattainable beauty standards.

Implications for the beauty industry

The beauty industry uses this knowledge to develop cosmetics and treatments that can make people’s faces more attractive.

Makeup can potentially change people’s appearance by altering facial contrast and skin quality.

One study analyzed how contrast changes using makeup affects attractiveness. The researchers found that upper eye makeup increased attractiveness while lower eye makeup decreased attractiveness. Lips’ makeup did not affect beauty.

Besides adding color and contrast, beauty artists manipulate face contouring and highlighting to create an illusion of symmetry. These techniques apply dark or light colors to emphasize or make certain regions step back visually.

The hairstyle is another ally when it comes to improving the look. For example, people with facial imbalances can minimize the issue of styling the hair into an uneven updo. The best choices are messy buns, side ponytails, or side-swept chignon on the opposite side of the notable asymmetrical feature.

Uneven, angular, and messy haircuts work the same. Long bangs swept over facial asymmetries can give you a more balanced look.

Conclusion

It is challenging to define such a subjective concept as beauty, especially since beauty standards change considerably, depending on the moment, society, culture, and ethnicity.

Even so, researchers tried to define some universal factors associated with beauty, such as symmetry, normality, youth, and sexual dimorphism.

However, these standards are not absolute truth, and more research is needed to understand human perception of beauty.

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