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IN THE NAME OF BALANCED BEAUTY, A BRAVE LUCINDA PITT TRIALS A RADICAL TREATMENT

Grazia – Pamered
October 2008

FOR thousands of years we've been hung up on our looks. And whether we're aware of it or not, much of that preoccupation is sourced in symmetry; the size and spacing of our eyes, the gradient of our cheekbones, the size and shape of the nose, and the line of the jaw and chin. Beauty is less about a perceived payout in the genetic lottery and more about geometry. Dr Christian Troy, a fictitious plastic surgeon played by Julian McMahon in the TV series Nip/Tuck, cuts to the quick when he brutally assesses a patient: "Beauty is symmetry honey – and you don't have any." Ouch.

DOES MY NOSE LOOK BIG IN THIS?

Scores of scientific studies conclude beauty is simply balance. The ancient Greeks believed beauty came down to mathematics; their theory of phi (whereby many things found in nature have parts in a ratio of l.618 to 1) is referred to as "the golden ratio". It's still an important assessment tool for plastic and reconstructive surgeons the world over, including Dr Mark Edinburgh, medical director of the Eden Institute (www.edeninscicuce.com.au). When assessing facial symmetry in a patient, he looks for pleasing proportions and harmony of facial features in the same vertical and horizontal patterns. He also employs neoclassical principles used by painters and sculptors such as:

• The length of the ear is equal to the length of the nose.
• The distance between the eyes is equal to the width of each eye.
• The width of the mouth is one and a half times the width of the nose.
• The width of the nose is one-Fourth the width of the face.

UPON REFLECTION

You're checking yourself out in the mirror right now aren't you? I am. And quietly wondering why I'm not measuring up. Facial symmetry can be affected by a multitude off factors. Many believe it can be compromised first by a difficult birth and then through disease, hormones, physical trauma and structural abnormalities like scoliosis. Greg Schreeuwer, a chiropractor with leading practice Universal Health (www.universalhealth.com.au), says often people who have orthodontic work can end up with altered facial symmetry: "Braces compress the jaw and pull the teeth and cheekbones downwards, which can also make the eyes appear hollow." And many people are simply born without symmetry.

Schreeuwer is one of a handful of Australian practitioners trained in an alternative treatment known as NeuroCranial Restructuring (NCR), of which one of the side effects is improved body and facial symmetry.

As someone who lives with scoliosis, fat feet and shoulders tighter than security at a Prada sample sale, I'm keen to explore a connection between structural quirks and facial symmetry. NCR is a manipulation process developed in the US and used to unwind the body into its original shape and optimal design. Translation: the practitioner looks at a patients posture and balance patterns (proprioception) to determine the precise areas of the skull (and its connective tissue) that need to be released in order for the mind and body to function more effectively.

Sounds weird? It gets weirder:

Schreeuwer does this by inserting a small balloon up your nostril and inflating it to loosen the connective tissue around the sphenoid bone (the largest bone in the skull). But frankly, I'll consider trialling almost anything if the phrases "anti-ageing" and "improved facial symmetry" are in the mix.

INFLATION ON THE RISE

Looking at the "before" and "after" photos of some of Schreeuwer's NCR patients I notice, at first glance, their faces look different, better different.

On closer inspection, the eyes display a sparkle, cheekbones seem slightly lifted, features certainly more symmetrical than before. And yes, more attractive. In one patients case, astoundingly asymmetrical eyebrows and mismatched ears were corrected after four treatments. And it's all without the use of a scalpel or a needle. Pass the balloon, I'm ready and willing.

First up: the "before" shots to track my facial symmetry, my posture and where I bear most of my weight (through the balls of my feet apparently). Then it's on to the massage table for some body work, followed by some simple balance tests. (In certain points, Schreeuwer is able to push me over with one finger).

Yet chat was all foreplay in comparison to the balloon insertion. Aided by some Vaseline, it's not painful (though this depends on the size and shape of your nasal passage) but not pleasant either. Once the balloon is in place, it's inflated until the silence is broken by the sounds of the connective tissue shifting and a startling cough/gag reflex. Fortunately, it's all over in seconds and Schreeuwer is a skillful operator. Regardless, I'm left feeling, well, politely horrified.

But there's an instant improvement to distract me; we do the same balance tests and immediately I'm more stable. My weight seems to have shifted more evenly through my feet, my near-non-existent arches have had a boost and my posture is instantly improved. I'm warned I may feel light-headed with the potential for giggly outbursts. (The afternoon staff meeting should be interesting…) And within about two to four hours, I may feel incredibly tired. (I do. And struggle through the afternoon.)

But what about those anti-ageing effects? Schreeuwer tells me to have patience to see the treatment series through. But throws me a bone: "when you move the sphenoid bone you change the position of the bones in the head," he explains. "As you move the bones the face widens and lengthens and the skin moves with it, softening wrinkles and often improving any bags under the eyes." Bring. It. On.

UP, UP, AND AWAY

Balloons two and Three are nowhere near as shocking as the first. A combination of sheer vanity and professional curiosity is what's keeping me motivated to turn up for my appointments. It would be easy to knd an excuse not to return, which is probably why you pay for all four consecutive sessions ($52O total) up front. I can't actually see any visible difference yet, although I do feel it; I'm still struggling with the associated fatigue I was warned about but definitely feel more open, clearer, calm, more capable. Must be all that cranial fluid coursing around my brain.

By balloon number four I've never been happier to end a course of treatment (no offence to Schreeuwer). we take the "after" photos which he's promised to email me. I interrogate him for the results: Do I look younger, better, more symmetrical? In the email report to follow he describes my facial changes as subtle. "there's a little widening of the head and mouth, and the eyes and ears are now almost symmetrical," he writes. Thanks to a deviated jaw it will take more manipulation to correct my "complete facial symmetry". The most significant change is in my body symmetry. "Your head has changed position probably by about 5–10 degrees which has led co an improvement in your eye line, and the centre line through your head and body are almost in line which reveals a large degree of unwinding. You're definitely standing further back on your heels too."

While I have anything but the cut contours, cheekbones and chiselled jaw of a Slavic supermodel, I can see a difference in my reflection; subtle though, as Schreeuwer said. My eye area looks sharper, fresher and the expression lines on my forehead seem to have softened. A few friends have asked whether I've had Botox and commented on how well I look. Must be that sparkle in my eye.

For further information about NCR contact Universal Health
(www.universalhealth.com.au, 02 9232 8840)

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