Facial reconstruction: The art of the science

Facial reconstruction has now become a very important part of research considerations in Forensic Sciences. Part of the reason for this has been the fact that though the security and disaster implications of such researches have been paramount, researches into facial reconstruction have been lucrative in cosmetic surgery. This has fueled a lot of research in these areas, especially as many new kinds of possibilities have become possible and also because the trend in society has increased toward ‘looking good’. Perhaps this has implications in society with regard to mate selections. Facial reconstructions in research have started focusing primarily on technologies and sciences that ensure that certain technical, technological and physiological problems are smoothed out. For many cosmetologists, facial reconstructions involve certain set images and formulae that give rise to perfect and symmetrical faces. Many of the studies show the use of a variety of flaps for use in facial reconstruction, like submental flaps, facial artery musculomucosal (FAMM) flaps, radial free flaps, scapular flaps, epigastric artery adiposal flaps, and rectus abdominis myocutaneous flaps, among many others. However, anthropological studies show us that concepts of beauty are culture-specific. They cannot be said to be anything but subjective. As a result, conceptions of beauty from one region need not follow set patterns or rules. Further, individuals also have differences of opinion relating to what they consider to be most pleasing, especially in a mate. Hence, overall set schemes for facial reconstruction to create please-all faces are unlikely to work. Also, those who wish to change their facial structure caused by an accident or event often wish for something specific. This would generate a requirement for tailormade facial reconstructions. Artistic constructions of human faces are constructed by many artists using a variety of techniques for museums, for personal identification, for reconstruction of past evolutionary figures or even for showcasing cultures existing in the present day. Many such artists are not very well conversant with the science of facial reconstruction, but they understand the underlying structure of human bodies quite well. They use this