The new “Hollywood Face” isn’t about sky-high lifts and ballooning proportions but, rather, changes that are decidedly more subtle. Sometimes so subtle that it’s not until Instagram accounts, like the anonymously run @celebface, line up a series of photos that an untrained eye would spot what has been tweaked. The best part about this approach? Know what to ask for and it’s totally achievable for those without a Beverly Hills derm on call. 

 

MAKE IT PERSONAL

INTERVENTION LEVEL: 5/5

Surgical procedures require significant prep work and downtime. The trick to imperceptible results is to keep tweaks proportional to your features. “Size is important, but proportion is king,” says Dr. Cory Torgerson, a Toronto-based plastic surgeon. For example, an extra-large chin implant will look cartoonish if it’s too far away from your baseline, he explains. “Our eyes notice changes that are plus or minus two standard deviations away from your personal average.”

Pre-procedure, Torgerson uses a 3-D-imaging machine to get a 360-degree look at the treatment area and ensure that any changes are made in harmony and alignment with the rest of the body. Another major benefit of using imaging software: Both the surgeon and the patient are on the same page about expected outcomes. 

 

CONNECT FOUR

INTERVENTION LEVEL: 3.5/5

Young faces are very “connected.” (Think the smooth, full face of your 12-year-old niece.) As we age, we lose volume, fat and muscle tone, which causes us to look disconnected—the nasolabial folds look distinct from the cheeks, which look distinct from the under-eye area. “The goal is to recreate connection so that one area flows into another area,” explains Torgerson. (Google photos of your favourite reality-TV stars from 10 years ago and compare them to some from today and you’ll see what we mean.) One of the first places to lose volume is under the eyes (called the “tear trough” in professional circles). To restore the hollowed-out area to its former glory, Torgerson uses Teosyal PureSence Redensity II, a soft filler designed specifically for use in this delicate zone.

Uncomfortable with the thought of a needle that close to your eye? Dr. Diane Wong, a Toronto-based cosmetic physician and the owner of Glow Medi Spas, says that loss of volume in the cheeks can also cause you to look drawn. “When fat diminishes, we lose the ‘holding power’ and the tissue falls south,” she explains. “Cheek filling is often enough to lift the tissue to create the optimal angles for light reflection.”

 

MAKEUP MAGIC 

INTERVENTION LEVEL: 0/5 (Because you can wash it off!)

Makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury, who works with celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Amal Clooney, knows every youth-hacking trick in the beauty book. “When you get older, your eye socket drops, so you need to cheat it with eyeshadow,” she tells us. “Apply shadow higher than your natural crease and then softly blend so it looks lifted.” Try the Charlotte Tilbury Stars in Your Eyes Eyeshadow Palette ($95), at sephora.ca.