Asymmetric (uneven) Face

Any kind of over-the-counter heat rub would probably help. Like Tiger Balm. They would relieve pain in your jaw joint and relax your jaw muscles, too. Plus, they'd be easier on your liver than the Extra Strength Tylenol. ;o)

If you're looking for a pill, Naproxen is a good muscle relaxant, but you would need a prescription.

Now, I'm speculating about their utility for for the jaw, as I've only ever treated my own stress-induced jaw pain and subsequent headaches with sleep and tylenol.

hi sorry to discuss this so late in the forum, i\'ve been reading different forums and doctorate advice to find out what my problem is... recently ive noticed that when i take pictures on my mac, they look fine... but when i flip the image it looks nothing like me... alot of people have been saying the mind plays tricks when images are swapped but im still unsure... its as if my face is crooked but ive never noticed before

no one has ever said anything about my face so maybe its just me....

im a rather self-conscious person, ive done the mirror trick with the 2 mirrors and my face does appear to be crooked... this bothers me because ive been told to be very attractive my whole life (could it just be that im not very photogenic?)

Hey Morelli,

Judging by your profile photo, you look really, really, really symmetrical. I copied and pasted one side of your face, inverted it and pasted it to the other side, and you look almost identical. The only difference was in your eyes, but that's probably because your head is slightly tilted in the photo (so it doesn't c &p evenly).

I also tried to invert it normally - which is how I usually see asymmetry - and I still can't really see any significant abnormalities in your face.

To some extent it's normal to not like your inverted photo, since we like what is familiar. Most people dislike the inverted photo, since they've never seen a 2-dimensional, still image inversion of their face.

If you have any crookedness, it's probably extremely minor, but it may be unlikely that other people notice it. If you look through the thread, you've probably noticed that other people's asymmetry is never as noticeable as they themselves think it is.

Personally, I've started to notice it in other people, but only because I look for it, and it's always something that I never noticed up until I actually studied their face. Most people have very minor asymmetry and it doesn't distract from their aesthetic appeal whatsoever. Having said that, even studying your face, I can't see it!

Honestly, you look 100% normal If people have told you your entire life that you're good looking, then believe them!

Hello everyone.

It is somewhat comforting to read about the experiences of other people in the same boat as myself.

I spoke to a Doctor who I had originally made an appointment with for something unrelated. I briefly asked him about my asymmetry, after examing me, he told me the left side of my jaw was overdevolped, the right, slighly under. He added that the surgery involved was something not to be taken lightly as it would include cutting bone.

I shall be seeing him again and asking him to arrange a consultation with a Maxillofacial Surgeon, after which I will make a decision about my next step.

It's come to the point where I hate it that much that I'll be willing to take the risks to have it sorted out.

Here is my photo:




I know its bad, but I'd like some other opinions.

Hey Michael!
Well, by just glancing at your pic i didn't notice it right away. Knowing there's some asymmetry, and looking for it, i did notice one of your ears seems to be higher than the other, and that your chin is off to your right.

I took your pic and lined up your ears, assuming they're normal and you have your head slightly tilted. Then i could see that your jaw is longer on your left side, making your chin deviate to the other side.

I don't think it's BAD, though... lol, or maybe i'm just getting more and more used to seeing asymmetries like this? mh....

I think your deviation is kind of like mine, although i think my left and right side of the jaw are more or less the same. If what it took to fix mine involved cutting bone, i wouldn't do it... i'm too scared of surgery!

Hi Biani,

Thanks for your input! I just noticed the ear thing. My Doctor did ask me if I had any trouble with my hearing, which I don't.

I'm a little surprised you said you didn't see it right away. Like a few people have mentioned previously, I don't see it when I look in the mirror. It's a different story in photos though, where it becomes painfully obvious. It doesn't help that I have a devaited septum either, which seems to upset the balance of my face further. I'd still be interested in what other people think.

I'm seeing my Doctor again tomorrow, where I'll ask him to refer me to a consultant. I don't know what I'll do until after I speak to a expert on the subject.

I really dont think its that bad to be honest......this isnt something that would make or break me dating the guy...everyone has flaws..no one is perfect..i guess we have to learn to accept it or...get it fixed if it bothers us that much...but like I said..i probably wouldn't have even been able to tell if it weren't pointed out...then again..i dont look for peoples flaws when I look at them haha

You're welcome Michael! I too have issues with my nose, i don't know if it's a deviated septum or what, but it does point a little to my right. So having my chin to my left doesn't help at all.

Let us know how everything goes...

On my case, i'm happy to report that apparently it will be fixable with braces. I've been wearing this splint thing, and yesterday i went to the dentists office to get it adjusted, and it seems to be working... My jaw doesn't pop as much and it seems that i am getting used to biting more to my right... I'll let you guys know how that goes. Although i'm not crazy about the idea of having braces at my age... haha.

Hey Michael,

I think we might be twins. lol. I have an uneven jaw and a deviated septum, too.

I think I can see the asymmetry you're talking about. The "overdeveloped" side is the left, and the "underdeveloped" side is your right? It looks like the vertical jaw bone is slightly longer on the left (same thing I have). I see it a bit, but it's not overly noticeable, I don't think. You're definitely not anymore asymmetrical than the rest of us (which is probably not very comforting, now that I think about it. lol).

If your surgeon ever gives you an idea of causes, please, let me know! I'm very curious as to how asymmetry is produced.

A friend of mine had surgery on her jaw when we were in high school, because even after braces her jaw still sat in an open bite and she couldn't eat properly. The surgery is a HUGE pain in the ass, and unless you have insurance that covers it, a huge blow to the wallet too (it can cost tens of thousands of dollars). You can't open your mouth for the first week or two after surgery and you're on a liquid diet for quite awhile. Definitely worth considering if you go through with it!

Hi eveyone.

I visited my Doctor yesterday and he was very honest and blunt with me. I live in the UK and that means dealing with the NHS. He told me there's no way I'd get it done on the NHS (which I contribute to via my taxes I might add) unless it was causing me pain.

He went on about how everybody is a little asymmetric and also went on to point out other fauts with my face, which was nice of him! To tell you the truth, although it is something that bothers me and will to some degree effect my confidence, I can live with it.

I do have the option of contacting the Maxillofacial unit directly myself. But if they tell me the same thing as my GP did - that they won't do it, I'm pretty much stuck with it. After hearing about possible complications I'm not really sure what I will do next.

Michael,

It's too bad the NHS won't cover the surgery. There aren't any private cosmetic surgeons who could do it?

It's probably not much consolation, but it's really not that noticeable, anyway. I doubt I would have noticed it had you and I randomly met on a street. Biani didn't even notice it, and worrywart also said it wasn't that obvious. I agree that it's not that obvious - I noticed it here because I studied the photo, looking for asymmetry, and because you and I have similar asymmetry, which I have trained myself to look for (though, I think mine is more noticeable. Totally obvious when I speak or turn my head).

Gimlet,

I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could have it done privately. What I really wanted to know was how much of my life I'd have to put on hold.

At one point, I was 100% certain I wanted to do something about it. Now, I'm not so sure, mainly because of the apparent difficulty of arranging the surgery. I still feel I'd like to talk with a specialist surgeon, get all the facts I need and then take it from there.

Wow... I've been going crazy trying to find ppl online with this same exact issue... Luckily, I found this thread...I thought it was rare but I guess it's not at all.

Like most of you I noticed this with a double mirror. I'm currently 22 and started noticing this assymetry a few years ago (3-4 years).
What I notice of the right side of my face is the following:
1) Right side of face looks different than left side
2) Looks and feels flat
3) Feels like there's less bone density
4) My hairline is uneven, gets higher from left to right.
5) Makes my hair look uneven
6) By the temple, I feel a kind of bulge.
7) Jawline looks longer
Cheek is very flat.

This affects my self-esteem a lot. If my right side looked a lot more like my left side, I'd be a lot more confident and happy.

I've been researching this for over a year now and the only doctor/surgeon that is remotely close to dealing with this type of problem is a Craniofacial Surgeon.

I've seen some recommendations of Oral-Maxillofacial surgeons, but I think Craniofacial Surgeons are more specialized since they deal with extremely severe deformities of the face and skull. At first I thought my issue wasn't bad enough for a Craniofacial surgeon, but there's nothing else that comes close to this assymetrical problem.
I was told CAT scans of the face is the only thing that can really prove anything.
Consultation fees range from $100-250. I'll be visiting one this month hopefully.

This information should be helpful!

Wow, Methos, sorry about that... It does seem odd that your jaw is still growing... people are supposed to stop growing at a much younger age, right? dang indeed.
I hope you have more of those fine and normal days.

hpnotiq: Are you sure it's that big of a deal? You should post some pics of you. I mean, if you only notice it in the 2-way mirror... Anyway, let us know how your consultation goes.

On my part there's no new updates yet. Still wearing the splint.

yeah he said the oldest he has seen was a 22 year old. and im already 24. so he was there thinking dang thats a first. i was like dawww!!! im screwed. so yeah cant do nothing about it until it stops growing.

if all goes like he says, then i should have already been through the surgery this time next year.

I think it's serious enough for surgery, but only a surgeon could really be sure.....