With the boom of social media and the “selfie culture” in the last two decades, aesthetic procedures and plastic surgery have become seemingly more acceptable.
What used to be a taboo topic of “going under the needle or knife” is now a common sight on social media, with celebrities, social media influencers, and even teenagers, publicly sharing cosmetic and aesthetic procedures they have undergone.
Unfortunately, we have also seen an increase in “too-far-too-much” faces, including some dignitaries or celebrities.
The mainstream and social media have been abuzz with wild discussions about what possible procedures these personalities have undergone.
Indeed, aesthetic procedures and plastic surgery can be tools for rejuvenating and enhancing existing facial features, and even correcting problems caused by ageing.
However, overzealous and excessive treatments may backfire instead.
So, how much is too much?
Here are 10 of the tell-tale signs:
1. Tight and thin waxy-looking skin
Many people undergo facial and aesthetic treatments hoping to attain a smooth, soft and glowy skin texture.
However, we increasingly see people ending up with thin crepe-like skin that almost looks like a plastic wrap stretched across their faces, with a waxy sheen to it.
This is a sign of over-exfoliation.
It can be caused by excessive use of chemical peels, acids, exfoliative laser treatments, exfoliative cosmeceuticals, as well as scrubs.
Also, a waxy look may be due to too much botulinum toxin treatment (commonly known as Botox) as when the face loses muscle tone/contraction, it starts looking like the face of a wax figure with frozen facial expression.
2. A frozen face/unnatural facial expressions
Botox is almost a household name in today’s society.
The age at which such injections are given has become younger and “preventative” botulinum toxin treatment has become the new fad.
However, too much botulinum toxin can have consequences, such as a “frozen face” that has unnatural, awkward, minimal or no facial expression.
3. Highly-arched eyebrows
Strictly speaking, high-arched eyebrows are not necessarily a sign of overdone botulinum toxin treatment, but rather, of improperly injected botulinum toxin.
This is usually due to placement of too much botulinum toxin over the forehead centrally and not enough on the sides, causing muscles on the sides to pull the eyebrows up.
As aesthetics is highly subjective, there are cases where some patients actually demand such a look.
4. Unnaturally-shaped or “Avatar” noses
Unusual-looking noses are usually due to too much or incorrect filler placements.
When fillers or non-surgical nose jobs are overdone without obeying the aesthetic rules of the face, it can lead to the loss of aesthetic contours, leading to unnaturally high or sharp nose bridges and tips.
A migration of filler material can also lead to the nose bridge becoming broad, giving rise to a nose that looks like that of the blue Na’vi from the planet Pandora in the Avatar movie (2009).
Overfilling in the nose can also lead to a nasal dorsum that looks bowed.
5. “Flowerhorn fish” forehead
A few years ago, there was a trend in China where it became popular for fillers to be injected into the forehead to the extent of being overfilled.
This led to the condition now called “flowerhorn heads”, so named because of the likeness to the fish of the same name.
A beautiful forehead is one that has a smooth, rounded contour that makes one look more feminine or child-like.
However, overzealous filling led to some people developing an unsightly bulge over their foreheads.
6. “Trout pout” or “sausage” lips
The “trout pout” or “sausage” lips are seen when people have overdone lip fillers.
Our lips are remarkably expandable due to the fat spaces and muscles within it.
Thanks to a perception that thick lips are sensuous, celebrities and ordinary people alike have gone for lip fillers.
An aesthetically-pleasing lip filler job is not always easy, just as art and science are not synonymous.
So you may have seen overfilled upper lips that typically lose the curvature of the lips and end up hanging down on the sides.
The cupid’s bow is also frequently lost, giving rise to sausage-shaped lips.
Overfilling of the lips also everts the lips inwards to out, giving the typical “pout” that has now become known as the “trout pout”.
7. Pillow faces
In the quest to correct sagging of the mid-face, injection of fillers to “lift” the sagging fat pads, as well as fill volume loss, has become one of the most popular filler procedures.
However, when overdone, it can result in overly puffy cheeks that look unnatural and inappropriate for the patient’s age.
The natural eyelid-cheek junction is often obliterated, causing the whole mid-face to become one continuous bulge, very much like a pillow.
8. Cat eyes
A very typical overdone surgical lift around the eyes results in a look known as “cat eyes”.
As we age, the corner of our eyes start to sag and droop downwards, causing heavy lids and droopy eyes that result in a tired and haggard look.
Multiple interventions can be used to deal with this, such as lateral browlift, eyelid surgery and canthopexy.
But when overdone, it can lead to an unnatural upswing of the corner of the eyes, giving the eyes a cat-like appearance.
9. Witch’s chin
Another popular procedure is a filler treatment in the chin.
A well-sculpted chin projects naturally into the jawline.
However, overfilling of the chin gives a typical ball-in-the-chin appearance, which is commonly likened to a witch’s chin.
10. High protruding cheekbones
With this, there has also been an increase in people with overfilling in the cheekbone area.
This has resulted in what is now termed “Maleficent cheekbones”, which derives its name from the witch played by Angelina Jolie in the movie Maleficent (2014).
There are many other examples of overdone faces or people who have gone through too many aesthetic procedures or plastic surgeries.
With aesthetic procedures, the adage of “too much of a good thing may become bad” rings true.
The desire to improve one’s appearance and self-confidence has to be balanced with the medical risks involved with each procedure.
Over-obsession and excessive treatments can have undesirable effects.
In the quest to reverse or slow down the effects of ageing or to improve our appearance, we should always remember that moderation is key.
Dr Kwan Yuan Dong is a general practitioner (GP) in Singapore. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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