<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a strange kind of discomfort that comes from watching a face that doesn\u2019t move. You catch it in the middle of a pivotal scene\u2014the moment an actor is supposed to break, or rage or fall apart, but instead, you see stillness. A forehead that won\u2019t furrow; eyes that widen, but never quite crease at the corners. It\u2019s subtle enough that you might not name it right away, but you feel the disconnect: Something that should land emotionally just doesn\u2019t. As neurotoxins, fillers and other treatments have become as routine as concealer for many performers, we\u2019ve adapted to a kind of frozen expression on screen, and in doing so, we may be losing something essential to what makes acting, acting.<\/p>\n
I remember feeling struck by the performances in Wicked: For Good<\/em> in a way I hadn\u2019t been in some time. Upon reflection, I quickly realized it was because the leads\u2019 foreheads weren\u2019t frozen in one expression. Jonathan Bailey\u2019s brow furrowed when flexed, and Ariana Grande\u2019s 11 lines were the focal point of some of her most star-making moments (she’s been vocal about stopping neurotoxins). This is, of course, not to say they don\u2019t have toxin in some spots and other work done, but it was refreshing to see faces on screen that actually reacted and felt like human faces.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n It\u2019s invigorating to watch a scene from The Bear<\/em> that doesn\u2018t shy away from Jeremy Allen White\u2019s static wrinkles or take in a close-up of Molly Gordon\u2019s errant brow hairs. When I think of the most memorable performances over the past few years, stars like Kate Winslet, Paul Mescal, Viola Davis, Robert Pattinson, Colman Domingo and Jamie Lee Curtis come to mind. The common factor? They look and feel like real people. Their faces move.<\/p>\n Certain aesthetic treatments can, when overdone or done incorrectly, limit actors\u2019 muscle movement, flattening micro-expressions and making it difficult to convey intense emotions convincingly. This creates a barrier between the performer and the audience, reducing emotional immersion. Olivia Wilde recently told Vogue<\/em> \u201cas a director, I now am constantly searching for actresses who can still move their faces, and it\u2019s not easy.\u201d<\/p>\n Clinical psychologist Dr. Chloe Carmichael says, \u201cFacial micro-expressions\u2014unconscious, fleeting facial movements lasting only a fraction of a second\u2014are the bedrock of subconscious human communication. Audiences connect with performance through automatic \u2018facial mimicry\u2019 and mirror neurons. When a viewer observes subtle shifts in an actor\u2019s face, such as a slight tightening around the eyes or a momentary twitch of the lip, their brain subtly mirrors those movements, generating a corresponding emotional response.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, micro-expressions register as involuntary, making them signals of genuine emotion, says Dr. Carmichael. \u201cWhen macro-expressions, like a full smile or cry, are not supported by natural-looking micro-movements, the audience senses a discrepancy,\u201d she explains. \u201cThis \u2018uncanny valley\u2019 effect makes a performance feel forced, guarded or flat, preventing the audience from fully suspending disbelief.\u201d<\/p>\n The conundrum for many actors today is how to balance the scrutiny of the public eye with the ability to perform their craft to the best of their abilities. Social media and tabloids are rife with critiques of celebrities\u2019 appearances, from the lines that age them to the under-eye bags that make them look tired, so naturally they seek a solution. However, that solution may in turn impair their acting abilities, bringing on a fresh layer of scrutiny. Wilde told Vogue<\/em> that while it\u2019s frustrating as a director she understands it as a public figure. \u201cI am a product of the same machine,\u201d she continued. \u201cI am under the same pressures. I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n Actors and non-actors alike often want to maintain a youthful, healthy look without appearing as though they’ve had work done, explains Beverly Hills, CA facial plastic surgeon Paul S. Nassif, MD. \u201cThat can be achieved while preserving the subtle movements needed to communicate emotion on camera,\u201d he says. \u201cFor an actor, I evaluate the face in motion, not just in a still photograph. I want to understand which expressions are essential to that individual\u2019s work and which lines or movements may actually be part of their identity on camera.\u201d<\/p>\n Scottsdale, AZ facial plastic surgeon Kelly Bomer, MD says actors should be very careful when seeking aesthetic improvements and select their doctors carefully. \u201cThe most important advice I would give is to move slowly and don\u2019t do anything irreversible without serious consideration beforehand.\u201d<\/p>\n Neurotoxin injections, like Botox Cosmetic, Dysport and Xeomin, tend to get the worst reputation when it comes to masking emotions, although facelifts are a close second. \u201cNeurotoxin is typically used to reduce the strength of or freeze the muscles between the eyebrows that convey worry and anger, as well as the muscles that raise the eyebrows that can convey surprise and wonderment,\u201d says Dr. Bomer. \u201cWhen these muscles aren\u2019t moving, less emotion is conveyed.\u201d<\/p>\n However, when carefully done by an expert, the ability to emote doesn\u2019t have to go out the door with your wrinkles. \u201cBy artfully reducing the amount of neurotoxin injected, one can soften extreme expressions and improve overall beauty, but maintain the ability to convey strong emotions,\u201d Dr. Bomer adds.<\/p>\n Dr. Nassif says that the muscles most commonly treated with neurotoxins \u201call contribute to facial movement and the visual cues used to communicate emotion. Treating them requires a precise understanding of facial anatomy, muscle balance and the patient\u2019s natural expressions. The goal should be to soften excessive contraction without unnecessarily eliminating meaningful movement.\u201d Dr. Bomer adds that the key is artfully and expertly injecting neurotoxins to soften extreme expressions without removing them completely.<\/p>\n Neurotoxins are only one part of the equation. Dr. Nassif says that looking refreshed does not require eliminating every single line. \u201cA conservative, highly targeted treatment may soften certain expression lines while leaving other areas untreated so the patient can maintain natural movement,\u201d he explains. \u201cWe can also improve how youthful and healthy someone appears by addressing facial balance, volume loss, skin texture and tone, hydration, eyelid aging, brow position or tissue descent. Depending on the patient, the right treatment may involve injectables, fat grafting, lasers, resurfacing, surgery or a combination of approaches.\u201d<\/p>\n Nonetheless, it\u2019s important to note that \u201cany treatment that changes facial shape, support, proportion, position or mobility can influence how emotion is expressed or interpreted,\u201d Dr. Nassif says. On the other hand, he explains that treatments that primarily address skin quality, such as lasers, chemical peels and microneedling, generally have much less direct impact on muscular expression. Dr. Levine adds that lasers can help improve the tone and texture of the skin, while fillers can lift and volumize without affecting expressions.<\/p>\n Additionally, fillers and fat grafting may restore lost structure and volume without intentionally weakening the muscles, says Dr. Nassif. \u201cWhile fillers don\u2019t directly weaken muscles, excessive volume or poor placement, particularly around the lips, cheeks or under-eye area, can alter the way a smile or other facial expression looks,\u201d he explains. \u201cFat grafting can also influence expression. It restores volume rather than weakening muscle, and when it is conservatively placed in the appropriate anatomical areas, it can produce a very natural result that moves with the face.\u201d<\/p>\n Procedures such as browlifts, eyelid surgery, facelifts, necklifts and thread lifts can influence the resting position and dynamic appearance of facial features as well. \u201cWhat matters is selecting the appropriate operation for the patient, avoiding excessive skin tension, protecting the facial nerve and repositioning the deeper tissues without distorting the patient\u2019s identity,\u201d Dr. Nassif explains. \u201cThe wrong approach can make someone appear surprised, tired, angry or emotionally disconnected.\u201d<\/p>\n New York dermatologist Jody A. Levine, MD says the great actors she’s treated \u201chave been able to strike the right balance of aging minimally and beautifully while still being able to animate. Some of that has to do with nuanced neurotoxins, some of that has to do with discrete fillers, and some of that has to do with well-timed and appropriate lasers.\u201d Dr. Levine notes that her husband, New York plastic surgeon Elie Levine, MD, who operates on many A-listers, has a similar ethos. \u201cThe idea is to use combination therapy in a way that preserves someone\u2019s natural beauty while also making them look younger and more attractive,\u201d says Dr. Jody Levine.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, the best result allows the patient to look like the healthiest, most refreshed version of themselves, not a different person,\u201d says Dr. Nassif. \u201cIf the treatment is obvious or interferes with their ability to convey emotion, then we missed the mark.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s a strange kind of discomfort that comes from wa […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3292,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3291"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3291"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3291\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3292"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3291"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3291"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nichebeaty.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3291"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}A frozen face makes for a frigid audience<\/h2>\n
Societal pressure plays a part<\/h2>\n
Striking a balance<\/h2>\n
The freeze factor<\/h2>\n
Choosing the right treatment<\/h2>\n