The Happy Emoticon Effect or Emoticon Effect is a study published in the “American Journal of Cosmetic Surgery” in 2015. It was conducted by Dr. Christian Drehsen, our board-certified plastic surgeon at Clinique of Plastic Surgery & Laser Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida.
What Did the Study Involve?
During the Happy Emoticon Effect study, Dr. Drehsen showed before and after pictures of plastic surgery patients to 80 medical students. All of the patients had undergone the same procedures: sectional fat grafting, a modulated Dual Plane Brow Lift, and a RefresherLift℠. Dr. Drehsen asked the students to rate the patients on a scale of one to five based on how pleasant the person looked. As per the scale, people rated one looked very pleasant and friendly, while people rated five looked very unpleasant.
Dr. Drehsen noted that people with “downward vectors” like a naturally downturned mouth that made them appear to be frowning or scowling were rated as unpleasant-looking. The students even said they did not want to meet them. People with “upward vectors” or facial features that made them look cheerful were considered far more pleasant-looking.
Dr. Drehsen concluded that the Happy Emoticon Effect called for a paradigm shift in cosmetic surgery. Rather than try to make people look young, which can produce unnatural-looking results, cosmetic surgeons should instead concentrate on making people look cheerful. Since happy-looking people tend to look younger than unhappy-looking people, the surgery can still make someone look younger.
What is the RefresherLift℠?
The RefresherLift℠ is a type of facelift developed by our own Dr. Drehsen. It consists of several smaller procedures combined and can thus be tailored to fit the patient’s needs and desires. The RefresherLift℠ can address such problems as excess neck skin, puffy lower eyelids, forehead wrinkles, upper lip wrinkles and various fine lines and age spots.
Contact Our Office Today to Learn More
During a consultation with our renowned surgeon at Clinique of Plastic Surgery & Laser Institute, you can get all the facts about the Happy Emoticon Effect study and how it can play a part in your procedure. Dr. Drehsen would be happy to meet with you and assess your unique case. Contact us today to schedule an appointment at our state-of-the-art facility in St. Petersburg!