Patient-Centered Facial Planning as a Determining Factor for Natural Results in Orofacial Harmonization

Abstract

Introduction: Facial aging is a gradual process that affects all layers of the face, from bone tissue to the skin, with significant aesthetic and emotional consequences. The growing demand for minimally invasive procedures, such as botulinum toxin and hyaluronic acid fillers, requires practitioners to approach treatment through an in-depth and individualized assessment of each patient. Objective: To analyze how patient-centered facial planning, grounded in anatomical, structural, and proportional parameters, contributes to the safe execution of procedures and the achievement of natural results in orofacial harmonization. Methodology: Integrative literature review conducted in PubMed and SciELO databases, using controlled descriptors, covering publications from 2007 to 2024 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. Explicit inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, resulting in a corpus of 17 critically analyzed studies. Results and discussion: The literature shows that assessment of facial thirds, knowledge of layered anatomy, attention to individual vascular variations, and consideration of gender differences are determining factors for the naturalness and safety of outcomes. The golden proportion demonstrates limited applicability as an isolated planning guide. Combined approaches adapted to each patient's individual morphology yield superior results. Conclusion: Patient-centered facial planning is an irreplaceable technical and ethical requirement in contemporary orofacial harmonization practice, whose quality depends on the integration of anatomical knowledge, proportional analysis, and respect for each patient's individual characteristics.