New Era in Aesthetics: Dermatology Champions Diverse Beauty Standards

SCHAUMBURG, IL – December 29, 2025 – In a move poised to redefine the landscape of aesthetic medicine, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) has released a landmark special issue of its official journal, Dermatologic Surgery. Titled “Facial Assessment in a Diverse World,” the collection of articles provides a comprehensive new framework for facial rejuvenation, one that deliberately moves beyond outdated, one-size-fits-all beauty standards to champion an individualized, culturally sensitive, and holistic approach to patient care.

The special issue, generously supported by Galderma, Inc., was guest-edited by current ASDS President Dr. Kavita Mariwalla, a leading advocate for greater diversity and equity in dermatology. The publication aims to equip practitioners with the tools and mindset necessary to serve an increasingly diverse patient population effectively and ethically.

“This special issue was created to provide dermatologists with a practical framework to conduct facial evaluations for patients in a comprehensive manner with a focus on individualized, diversity-sensitive and structured consultations,” stated Dr. Mariwalla, who also served as the issue's lead author. “This concept merges science, art and empathy to ensure safe, equitable care with clinical precision for all patients.”

A Paradigm Shift Beyond Western Ideals

For decades, the field of aesthetic medicine has been heavily influenced by classical, often Eurocentric, canons of beauty, such as the “golden ratio” and other neoclassical norms. While these standards provided a foundational language for facial analysis, they have proven increasingly inadequate and exclusionary in a globalized world. Patients from a wide array of ethnic and cultural backgrounds are seeking treatments that enhance their unique features, not erase them in pursuit of a singular, Westernized ideal.

This special issue directly confronts this gap. The authors assert that “facial rejuvenation is most effective when guided by a holistic, patient-centered assessment that integrates anatomical, psychological and cultural dimensions.” This represents a significant paradigm shift, urging clinicians to become students of cultural beauty norms and to engage in deeper conversations with patients about their personal aesthetic goals. Research shows a growing patient demand for practitioners who understand the nuances of different skin types and facial structures, from the shape of the nose in Asian patients to the desired lip volume in African American patients. Failure to acknowledge this diversity has historically led to patient dissatisfaction and a breakdown in trust.

The new framework encourages a move away from prescriptive correction and toward collaborative enhancement. It’s a call for cultural competency, where a provider’s success is measured not by how closely they can sculpt a face to a predefined ratio, but by how well they can achieve a result that feels authentic and empowering to the individual patient.

Merging Technology with the Human Touch

To translate this ambitious vision into clinical practice, the special issue highlights the role of emerging technologies designed to facilitate more objective, personalized, and transparent consultations. Central to this new toolkit are two innovations from Galderma: the Facial Assessment Scale (FAS™) and its companion augmented-reality application, FACE by Galderma™.

The FAS™ provides a structured, five-domain framework that allows clinicians to systematically evaluate skin quality, facial shape, proportions, symmetry, and expression. Its design is intentionally adaptable, enabling practitioners to balance objective anatomical assessment with the patient's unique ethnic features and subjective goals. This creates a shared language that moves the conversation beyond vague desires to concrete, achievable outcomes.

Complementing this scale is the FACE by Galderma™ app, an augmented-reality (AR) tool that is revolutionizing the consultation process. The application allows practitioners to simulate the potential results of injectable treatments directly onto a patient's face in real time. For patients, this demystifies the process and helps manage expectations. A global pilot study of the technology revealed that 80% of respondents felt they understood their treatment options better after using the app. By visualizing outcomes before a single needle is used, the technology fosters a more collaborative partnership, ensuring the patient and provider are aligned on the treatment plan. This blend of structured assessment and advanced visualization represents a powerful fusion of art and science, empowering surgeons to deliver with greater precision and confidence.

Assessing the Whole Patient, Not Just the Face

Perhaps the most profound aspect of the new framework is its emphasis on the “whole patient.” The special issue is methodically structured to guide practitioners through this comprehensive approach. A series of articles details the assessment of specific facial regions—the upper face, midface, lower face, and neck—before culminating in a capstone article titled, “Putting it all Together: Assessing the Whole Face in the Context of the Whole Patient.”

This holistic philosophy recognizes that a person’s desire for aesthetic treatment is deeply intertwined with their psychological well-being, self-perception, and cultural identity. A successful outcome is not merely a physical change but one that enhances a patient’s confidence and quality of life. By integrating psychological and cultural dimensions into the initial assessment, dermatologic surgeons can better understand the motivations behind a patient's request, establish realistic expectations, and foster a more empathetic and effective therapeutic relationship.

This approach signals a maturation of the specialty, moving from a purely procedural focus to a more integrative form of care. It acknowledges that the face is a canvas of identity and emotion, and any intervention must honor the complex individual to whom it belongs. By training practitioners to listen for and address these deeper dimensions, the ASDS is championing a standard of care that promises not only better physical results but also greater patient satisfaction and psychological well-being. This comprehensive strategy, detailed by a roster of esteemed contributors including Drs. Daniel Belkin, Sabrina Fabi, and José R. Montes, is set to become a new benchmark for excellence in the field.