Visagism vs. Facial Harmonization: Two Opposite Ways to Seek Balance

Brief description

While facial harmonization attempts to standardize faces, visagism seeks to reveal individual harmony — one that respects proportions, identity and personal expression.

What visagism really proposes

Visagism , a concept created by Fernand Aubry and expanded upon by Philip Hallawell , is the art and technique of creating a personal image that reveals who you are, in harmony with your essence, your proportions and your lifestyle. It is not about “changing” the face, but about understanding the visual language of the human face — its lines, volumes, shapes and expressions — and, from there, finding balance between appearance and identity .

At its technical base, visagism works with the three pillars of facial harmony:

• Symmetry (balance between the sides of the face),

• Proportion (relationship between volumes and measurements),

• Harmony (suitability between shape, color, style and personality).

From this triad, individual factors are added — personal styles and image goals — that make each face unique.

Therefore, in visagism, harmony is not an aesthetic standard, but a personalized equation , where technique and expression meet to reflect who the person is, and not what the market imposes.

Facial harmonization and the standardized beauty ideal

In recent years, the term “facial harmonization” has become popular in medical aesthetics as a synonym for fillers, defined angles, and more symmetrical features. However, Philip Hallawell himself warns that this current trend strays from the fundamentals of visagism and true aesthetic harmony.

“Facial harmonization, as it is practiced today, is the result of an idealization

cultural—not an authentic search for balance.”— Philip Hallawell, Visagism – Harmony and Aesthetics

Hallawell observes that the contemporary facial model —square jaws, high zygomatics, and rigid expressions—reflects both symbolic and historical influence :

• In man, the desire to represent heroic strength , inspired by comic book hero archetypes.

• In women, the reflection of the second wave of feminism , which sought social and professional equality through the approximation of masculine features — which often led to the masculinization of feminine features as a symbol of power and respect.

In other words, contemporary aesthetics has transformed the face into a social discourse — but not always in harmony with individuality.

The Essential Difference: Identity vs. Standardization

Visagism is based on the principle that beauty lies in the coherence between form and essence . Facial harmonization, on the contrary, seeks mathematical symmetry and idealized features , often to the detriment of naturalness and emotional expression.

While visagism asks “who are you and what do you want to express?” , facial harmonization answers “how can you fit into the current standard?” .

This is the border between authenticity and standardization .

True harmony

Facial harmony is not measured by angles, but by the perception of emotional and visual balance . In visagism, the face is interpreted as a symbolic map of identity: each line, volume and curve has an expressive meaning. The technique serves to reveal and balance , not to transform into another.

Thus, true harmony is not born from comparison, but from the acceptance and understanding of one's own face —of what it communicates, of the strength and softness that coexist in each feature.

Conclusion

Facial harmonization is the reflection of a visual culture that seeks uniformity. Visagism , on the other hand, is the path back to authenticity: the search for a balance that respects anatomy, essence and individuality.

➡️ Instead of imposing an ideal, visagism invites self-knowledge — because true harmony is being at peace with one's own expression.

📚 References

• Hallawell, Philip. Visagism – Harmony and Aesthetics. São Paulo: SENAC.

• Aubry, Fernand. Le Visagisme. Paris, 1930.

• Hekkert, P. (2006). Design aesthetics: Principles of pleasure in product design. Psychology Science, 48 (2).

• Freitas, A. (2022). The construction of the ideal face: the influence of social media on contemporary facial aesthetics. Brazilian Journal of Visual Communication.