Facial contour: what it is and how it is assessed in HOF

Facial contour is the silhouette of the face: the lines and transitions that define its shape when seen from the front, in profile and at three-quarter view. It results from the combination of skeleton, fat compartments, muscles and skin. In orofacial harmonization (HOF), assessing the contour means looking at the face as a whole before thinking about isolated areas.

Which structures define facial contour?

• Upper third: width of the forehead and fullness of the temples.
• Middle third: projection of the cheekbone area and the zygomatic bone.
• Lower third: jawline, mandibular angle and projection of the chin.

The relationship between these areas gives the reading of shape (oval, square, triangular) and balance. A change in one of them alters the perception of the others.

How does contour change with age?

With aging, there is gradual bone loss, redistribution and loss of fat, and less support from the skin. In practice, the temples can sink, the cheekbone loses projection and the jawline becomes less defined. The face tends to lose the more tapered shape of youth.

How does HOF work on contour?

Treatment is usually structural, with firmer fillers or biostimulators in supporting areas, sometimes combined with botulinum toxin, for example in the masseter. The combination, products and volumes are decisions for the qualified professional, after an assessment, and the possible complications, such as swelling, bruising, nodules and vascular occlusion, apply here as well.

In Harmy

The Temple, Cheekbone, Chin and Jawline points let you mark several areas in the same projection and show the patient the combined effect on contour.

Also called: face contour, facial silhouette.