Beauty and the Signature Feature™
Ava Shamban, MD
Dr Shamban is a renowned dermatologist and recognized as a skin care expert. In this presentation, she discusses the concept of beauty and how, as dermatologists, we can improve the aesthetic outcomes for patients by recognizing their Signature Feature™, a concept developed by Dr Shamban.
Dr Shamban reminds us that beauty is an expression of sight, smell, and sound. We want to make beauty memorable and we experience beauty at every level of our brain. Unfortunately, the media is always sending us messages about what we “should” like and this isn’t realistic. It’s important to remember that beauty can really affect one’s self-esteem. Lifestyle issues, such as stress, poor nutrition, diet, alcohol, and sleep can also affect beauty.
We now have a redefinition of aging and that has led to heightened expectations, i.e., what is normal and what is expected with regards to aging. Dr Shamban also reminds us that reaction to beauty is hard-wired, in that “we know it when we see it.”
We have to remember what makes faces and bodies beautiful…
Form
- Symmetry
- Proportion
- Averageness
- Defined contour
Surface
- Smoothed draping
- Texture
- Pigment
Another concept that Dr Shamban discusses is that of the positive feedback loop. How we feel affects how we look and it’s a circular concept.
The purpose of aesthetics is to highlight the natural beauty of the individual. Dr Shamban’s Signature Feature™ is comprised of three points:
- Feature the particularly beautiful feature of the individual
- Persona-the signature feature should be tied to who that person is
- Showcase/highlight the signature feature
The goal of cosmetic work is to showcase the signature feature by reducing background noise, which in dermatology is composed of fine lines, wrinkles, textural changes, and brown spots. A blink-test will easily identify the positive feature on a person. As dermatologists, we need to remember that beauty is very important to our patients and we need to use insight and intuition along with the guides and tools that are available in order to help our patients look their best.
