There is an old adage that you will be well served to put in the work on your sleep, posture, body composition and grooming before you ever consider a needle. That is where one goes to maximise facial aesthetics. The most substantial improvement in attractiveness is not found in some template you see online but in a face that is more balanced and has been put in better frame to look its healthiest.
Cassian Redfern does not set out to make of you a wax figure with cheekbones to slice sourdough with. This guide is for those after something real and practical; it is about what can be done to enhance facial harmony and sidestep the sort of polished drivel that misleads people.
The Big Levers
Take nothing else from this than the fact that good posture, sensible levels of body fat, clear skin and a night’s proper rest are worth more than any hack in vogue. One sees too much concentration on minor asymmetries at the expense of the things that are apparent in three seconds flat.
Reality check: two weeks is not going to transform a face. But do the basics right and over a couple of months there will be a marked difference, a fresher and leaner look.
Where People Err
It is a mistake to want to “fix” the structure and neglect the presentation. You have your type who will be mewing and fixating on symmetry yet put in five hours of sleep, get burnt by the sun and put on some cleanser they found on special next to the dunny paper. Not much of a plan.
Then there is the folly of adopting another person’s face as your own. Good results are individual, contingent on age, sex, ethnicity, bone structure and how much body fat you carry. Any clinician of repute will tell you that neoclassical canons and cookie-cutter notions do not cut it.
Fast Results
For something you can see in a matter of weeks, go after the habits that de-puff and give the skin some radiance, moves that are low risk for high return. I was taken aback when I began to attend to my skin instead of relying on coffee to get me by, to find that looking tired was all down to dehydration and a lack of upkeep and had nothing to do with years.
A Two-Week Reset
Get your sleep in, tone down the alcohol, drink up and put on some SPF every morning along with your cleanser and moisturiser. Have your beard or hair put in order to complement your face shape and put a stop to your eyebrows acting like an independent local council.
- 7–9 hours of sleep for the most part
- Morning application of broad-spectrum SPF, cleanser and moisturiser
- Do away with the salty food late at night to curb the puffiness in the morning
- Put in a walk or a training session to aid circulation and body composition
- See the dentist if plaque or staining is an issue with your smile
Should you need to turn yourself around for an event in a day, make sure you are hydrated and have slept, exfoliate gently if the skin allows, and find some good lighting. Leave the new acids, strenuous facial exercises or last-minute injectables for another time; they are no way for a beginner to approach a wedding or interview.
On Skin and Structure
In terms of aesthetics, skin is paramount. Patchy tone and a texture as flat as a pancake from sun damage and being dehydrated will be what is noticed first, no matter how well structured the bone underneath. Consistency is what counts, not having a fancy product. Many a person has a routine so loaded with serums they are hard pressed to see why their face is in a state.
Stick to a core routine of cleanser, moisturiser and sunscreen to start the day, the former two to end it. Introduce retinoids and chemical exfoliants in measured doses. Retinoids will address fine lines and acne and put in some collagen, while an AHA or BHA can open up clogged pores and take away the dullness.
And do not think sunscreen is optional because the day is mild. The Australian Government makes it plain in its skin cancer information that Australia has among the world’s highest incidence of the disease, and with ultraviolet exposure being such a risk here, their health guidance is reason enough to apply it daily.
Timelines to be Realistic About
A few days of hydration and moisturising will do something for the way your skin looks on the surface. Do your chemical exfoliants right and in a week or three you can expect some brightness. Retinoids are another matter; put in eight to twelve weeks at least for any visible change and count on some irritation in the beginning. As for microneedling and the like, they have their place for certain issues but do not let them stand in for proper sun care every day.
Then there is over-exfoliation to trip you up. When the skin is red and tight with a sheen to it, that is no “glow”. It is a skin barrier that has been ruffled and is putting up a small white flag.
Eat, Sleep and Move
Genetics are not the only thing dictating facial definition, lifestyle plays its part. An unremarkable night’s sleep, a diet that is all over the place and exercise done out of guilt will make themselves known in the form of puffiness and a lack of contour.
You will not find a food to put more in your cheekbones. What you will find is that with stable routines the face tends to look leaner and less inflamed. Not very glamorous but effective.
On Facial Definition and Body Fat
To get rid of facial fat one generally has to lose it from the body as a whole. The notion of spot reduction peddled on social media does not hold water. A lower percentage of total body fat may well bring out the jawline and diminish submental fat, though everyone is different as to where it goes first. Put on too much weight loss in a hurry and you can age the face by robbing it of fullness. So leave crash diets alone for something more gradual and sustainable. Months, not miracles.
Sleep and Recovery
Skin quality and the under-eyes suffer when you do not sleep well. Exercise is good for the circulation and insulin sensitivity, not to mention stress, which in turn is reflected in the texture and radiance of the skin. There is no call for the discipline of an elite athlete, just be consistent.
Put Some Grooming To Work
One of the swiftest and most economical ways to alter how your face is read is to groom it. You would be surprised how many put hundreds into products when a decent haircut or some dental work would yield more. Cassian Redfern might class it with knowing the location of the bakery on a road trip: practical, basic and oddly potent.
Hair, Beard, Teeth and Brows
Trends should not dictate your haircut so much as what suits your face. Round faces will be made wider by bulk on the sides; a long face is not helped by too much height on top. Any competent barber will put that to you in five minutes in a way the internet cannot in five thousand words.
Stray hairs on the eyebrows can be tidied to lend some symmetry without overdoing it, for they define expression more than is thought. A beard can give visual strength to a soft jaw if the lines are right, otherwise it has the reverse effect. And do not take the word of the “looksmax” forums on dental care; a smile being what it is, staining, gum inflammation and poor hygiene are an immediate detriment to attractiveness.
In researching cosmetic or restorative procedures one might come across Nova Dental and others, but the practitioner you go with will be down to your own oral health and where you are. Skin care is the same: a Garnier product is fine if it is suitable and you are consistent with it, the logo is of secondary importance.
Posture
More than is usually appreciated, posture has a bearing on your appearance. Hold the head forward and the jawline is lost, the neck and chin area in photographs will not be flattered. It is an unsexy solution but try it and you will see the camera angles improve before the face has had time to do anything.
The Neck, Jaw and Tongue
Keep the head in line with the shoulders and do not perpetually put your chin out. Online there is a lot of talk about mewing, or oral posture, which is to say nose breathing with the tongue on the palate and lips shut.
But to be frank, high-quality evidence does not back the assertion that in an adult this will rework the bones of the face. Good nasal breathing and posture may well put a better face on the lower half of you, but to anticipate a skeletal overhaul is rather like trying to run a road train on a goat track and expecting elegance.
Exercises and What They Can Achieve
There is a certain appeal to facial exercises in that they are inexpensive and make one feel proactive. But does moving the muscles of the face amount to anything? It does, certainly. The pertinent question is if it will yield an aesthetic change that is both predictable and of any consequence.
The verdict is not cut and dried. While some might see a degree of toning in certain spots or improved control over their expressions, the data to back it up is scant and outcomes are anything but uniform.
Beyond the Folklore
You will find small studies on muscle engagement, zygomaticus exercises for the smiling muscles for instance, yet that is no proof of wide ranging contouring benefits. In fact, too much repetition can etch deeper lines into the skin. Facial exercises have their place, but do not expect them to be a quick way to symmetry or more pronounced cheekbones.
A sensible course is to employ them in moderation, put some emphasis on posture and stay away from the kind of extreme regimens an influencer with what looks like an injectable forehead would advocate. Face-mapping has been made fashionable by QOVES Studio and the like, but let a clinician’s opinion stand in for any online analysis.
Your Treatment Options
For volume loss, laxity, dynamic lines or acne scarring that one cannot put right with lifestyle alone, non-surgical treatments are of use. Then again, they can go awry when employed to follow a trend or to put on a face that is not your own.
Readers may be inclined to look at the commercial side of things, so to be blunt: what is right for you is a matter of the problem at hand, your anatomy, how much risk you are willing to take and the clinician’s ability.
What the Various Treatments Entail
One might search for dermal fillers and botox in the same breath but they are not interchangeable. Botulinum toxin will put the brakes on muscle-driven lines and in some instances slim a muscle; fillers are for adding or putting back volume and altering the contour. There is microneedling for texture and collagen support, or a thread lift which uses temporary threads for a mild effect, though complications are possible and longevity is variable.
| Treatment | Best For | Downtime | Main Risks | Approximate Cost (AUD) |
| Botulinum Toxin | Dynamic lines, some muscle slimming | Low | Asymmetry, ptosis, movement that is not natural | From AUD 150–800+ |
| Dermal Fillers | Contour work, volume | Moderate to low | Swelling, migration, vascular occlusion | Per syringe AUD 450–1,200+ |
| Microneedling | Radiance, scars, texture | Low to moderate | Irritation, infection, pigment | A session will run AUD 250–600+ |
| Thread Lift | Where a light lift is called for | Moderate | Irregularity, limited results | AUD 1,500–4,500+ |
Take these as rough market figures in Australia; they are not set in stone and will differ according to the clinic, the product and the plan. Should a price come in well under the market rate, enquire as to why. You will find bargain injectables cost you dearly to put right.
Do Not Be Hasty
If your skin care, sleep and grooming are not in order, or you are still forming your expectations, this is not for you. Equally, hold off if you are pregnant or nursing, have an active skin infection or do not heal well, or if a partner or social media is pressuring you. Thomas Loeb, M.D., Dr. Renato Calabria and Jason B. Diamond get plenty of mention in cosmetic circles around the world, but that is no substitute for an in-person evaluation and checking local credentials.
Finding the Right Clinician
A good one will not simply oblige. They will put the risks and trade-offs in front of you and have the sense to advise you to leave something be, which is not given enough credit. Do not make the mistake of going by Instagram before looking at qualifications; a polished feed tells you nothing of clinical judgement or conservative technique.
Ask the relevant questions.
Is the issue one of muscle, fat, laxity or volume?
And what are the risks and limits for my face in particular?
And if I am not happy with the outcome or some complication rears its head?
I would like to know what one can expect in terms of longevity from the results and the total cost of maintenance in AUD.
Can you put forward some before and after cases of patients my age and with comparable anatomy?
On the logistics side, it is worth inquiring as to parking, public transport, when one can get back to work, any swelling windows and if flights, exercise or alcohol are to be eschewed in the aftermath. It may seem a chore but a little practical planning will spare you half the panic.
Natural Results
A good result will stand up to scrutiny over time; without proper maintenance it has a way of becoming overdone and overfrozen, leaving the patient with an air of being taken aback by his own reflection. To avoid that, space things out, do your reassessing and have the discipline not to “top up” at the drop of a hat because of a poor mirror in a shopping centre car park.
The face should be regarded as a system for facial aesthetics to be of any use. The final picture is put together by skin quality, grooming, dental health, stress levels and weight stability.
A Plan of Action
The most sensible course is to put in eight to twelve weeks on the fundamentals. Put photos in identical light and see if lines, asymmetry, volume or softness are still an issue. Should they be, put in a visit with a qualified clinician for a measured view.
In the long run it is more flattering, and less expensive, to give priority to posture, grooming and skin and leave the treatments for later.
Cassian’s View
To get the most out of facial aesthetics: present a face that is healthy, well-kept and in proportion before you put in for procedures. A better radiance of skin, sound body composition and realistic decisions will serve most faces better than any gimmick.
Redfern would have you start in your bathroom, kitchen or barber chair with the things under your control. If you then require professional assistance, go in with a budget and a clear head and enough scepticism to put you off any polished promises from a distance.
FAQ
For those who prefer their answers unvarnished and not in the manner of a brochure.
How to take 20 years off your face?
You cannot simply subtract 20 years but a fresher look is attainable with improved sun protection, hydration, dental appearance and sleep, and non-surgical treatments where warranted. You will see more by putting right sun damage and bad styling than in an attempt to obliterate every line.
The 1:3 Face Rule?
A matter of proportions between the different parts of the face in some aesthetic analysis. Clinicians will consider the harmony of the features and how they come together. It is something to go by, not a hard and fast rule.
What is the ideal face shape for a girl?
No one can verify a prettiest shape. There are too many variables from culture and fashion to individual features. Balance and confidence are what make for a good impression in most situations.
When does the face change the most?
Puberty is a structural event. After that there is a gradual effect from bone remodelling, changes in fat and collagen and loss of elasticity. Sun and lifestyle hasten the process. Most will see it from their late twenties but it is not uniform.
Is it possible to define the jawline sans fillers?
Often you can. Posture, lower body fat, a good haircut and beard, and dealing with submental fat in the right way will all contribute. Fillers are not the answer for all, even if they suit some.
