Asymmetry and facial balance
Assessment with Dr Amy Chahal · Surry Hills, Sydney
Every face is asymmetric. The useful question is not whether yours is, but whether what you are seeing is something worth treating — and this is one area where the honest answer is often no.
$250, not redeemable · 3D imaging included · (02) 8074 1559
- 013D imaging, which measures rather than guesses
- 02Assessed by Dr Chahal, not by a treatment coordinator
- 03A straight answer, including when the answer is to leave it alone
Everyone is asymmetric, including the people you are comparing yourself to
Faces are not built symmetrically and never have been. One eye sits slightly higher, one side of the jaw is a little fuller, the nose leans a fraction. This is universal and it is a large part of what makes a face look like a person rather than a rendering.
Most asymmetry is invisible to everyone except its owner. People who have noticed theirs tend to see it constantly, in every photograph, while friends and family genuinely cannot see what is being pointed at.
So the first thing we do is establish what is actually there and how noticeable it is, rather than accepting the premise that something needs fixing.
Where asymmetry comes from
- 01
Natural variation
The mild differences that nearly everyone has and few people ever notice. Usually spotted after seeing a photograph at an unflattering angle.
Our view: this rarely needs treating, and treating it can make a face look less natural rather than more balanced.
- 02
Structural asymmetry
Differences in the underlying bone — jaw position, cheekbone height, eye socket depth. Often present since childhood, sometimes more obvious with age.
Our view: non-surgical work can soften how it reads. It does not change the skeleton, and we will be clear about that ceiling.
- 03
Acquired asymmetry
Changes that came from somewhere — dental work, an injury, sleeping position, weight change, a nerve issue, or uneven treatment done elsewhere.
Our view: this is the most rewarding to assess, because there is usually an identifiable cause and sometimes a straightforward answer.
Sudden or one-sided facial changes are a medical matter before a cosmetic one. If anything about your history suggests that, you will be sent to your GP rather than offered treatment.
What a balance assessment involves
- 3D imaging, which measures both sides properly instead of relying on a mirror
- Standardised photography, so lighting and angle stop distorting what you are looking at
- Which differences are structural and which are soft tissue
- How noticeable it genuinely is at conversational distance
- Whether anything can realistically change it, and by how much
- Whether treatment is the right answer at all
- Ultrasound imaging where it is useful to see what sits beneath the surface
This is a Strategy Session with Dr Chahal rather than a skin appointment, because the assessment is about structure and proportion rather than surface. You leave with imaging, an explanation and a written plan — which sometimes says that nothing should be done.
What can and cannot be influenced
Balance work is mostly about structure, so the honest answer is that skin treatments play a supporting role rather than a leading one here.
- 3D imaging assessmentMeasuring both sides, and tracking any change over time
- Cosmetic injectablesA category discussed with Dr Chahal where soft tissue asymmetry is the issue
- Morpheus8Skin quality and definition along the jaw and lower face
- SofwaveNon-invasive tightening where laxity is exaggerating a difference
- RejuranSkin quality and resilience
- Ultrasound guidanceAvailable where seeing beneath the surface adds precision or safety
- Surgical referralWhere the difference is skeletal and a surgeon is the right person
More on the skin treatments we offer, or browse other skin concerns.
Where injectables are relevant, that is a conversation with Dr Chahal about the category rather than a product being sold to you. And where the honest answer is a surgeon, you will be told.
How we work through it
- Session oneMeasure it3D imaging and standardised photography, so the conversation is about data rather than impressions.
- Same visitExplain itWhat is structural, what is soft tissue, and how visible it really is to anyone but you.
- ThenDecide togetherSometimes a plan. Sometimes a referral. Sometimes a considered recommendation to leave it alone.
- If we proceedSmall steps, reviewedBalance work is done conservatively and reassessed against your imaging. Overcorrection is much harder to undo than undercorrection.
Your phone is not telling you the truth
Front cameras use a wide lens held close to the face, which stretches whatever is nearest the lens and flattens everything else. Turn your head slightly and the asymmetry appears to change. It has not.
Selfie mode also mirrors you. You are used to seeing your reflection, so an unmirrored photograph of your actual face can look unfamiliar and wrong, even though it is what everyone else sees every day.
This is exactly why we image properly. A surprising number of people discover that the thing they have been studying in their phone for months is barely measurable — and that is a genuinely good outcome for an appointment.
Common questions
Is facial asymmetry normal?
Yes, essentially universally. Perfectly symmetrical faces do not occur naturally and tend to look slightly unsettling when generated artificially.
Why do I notice mine so much more than other people seem to?
Because you look at your own face far more than anyone else does, and usually in mirrors and phone cameras that distort it. Proper imaging often reassures people more than treatment would.
Can asymmetry be corrected without surgery?
Soft tissue differences can often be softened. Skeletal differences cannot be changed non-surgically, and we will tell you which yours is rather than let you find out after spending money.
Will treatment make my face look symmetrical?
No, and that would not be the goal. Some asymmetry is part of looking like yourself. The aim is balance that reads naturally, not a mirror image.
What if you think I should not have treatment?
Then we will say so, and explain why. It happens reasonably often in this area, and it is a legitimate outcome of an assessment.
Why is this a Strategy Session rather than a skin consultation?
Because balance is about structure and proportion, which needs 3D imaging and an assessment with Dr Chahal rather than a surface skin appointment.
Start with a proper assessment
3D imaging, measurement rather than impression, and an honest view on whether anything needs doing at all.
240 Riley St, Surry Hills · (02) 8074 1559
