An Investigation on the Adipose Tissue Distribution Between Male and Female Faces: Beyond Facial Reconstructions

Silva, T. and Ferguson, E. (2022) An Investigation on the Adipose Tissue Distribution Between Male and Female Faces: Beyond Facial Reconstructions. Anatomical Society Summer Meeting 2022, Dublin, Ireland, 4th - 6th July 2022.

Abstract

Facial soft tissue depths (FSTD) refer to the tissue thickness that is attached to the facial skeleton and is composed of structures, such as skin, adipose tissue, muscle and fascia. The distribution of adipose tissue deposits differs between male and female bodies, particularly during weight fluctuation. There are a vast range of biological mechanisms at play which cause this difference, such as gene expression and presence of sex steroids. However, no previous studies have investigated whether the adipose tissue variation with weight gain in the face is proportional between males and females. This research is vital as it may contribute to better efficacy of not only facial reconstructions but also digital facial identification systems, cosmetic and clinical surgeries. Therefore, this study aims to determine if there is a difference in the variation of FSTD at nine anatomical landmarks as body mass index (BMI) increases between males and females. As sex-based differences have been observed across populations, this FSTD difference will be further examined between Asian and Caucasoid ancestry groups. An electronic search was conducted across five databases to identify full-text articles with average FSTD measurements for both males and females in at least two different BMI categories. The final number of articles selected was nine, and nine landmarks common to all papers were identified and selected for analysis. General linear models were performed at each landmark between BMI and sex. Statistical analysis was also performed to compare Asian and Caucasoid ancestry groups. No significant differences were observed between males and females in the FSTD increase with increased BMI at any facial landmark (p > 0.05). Similarly, FSTD increase with increasing BMI between males and females was similar across Asian and Caucasoid ancestry groups (p > 0.05). Although results suggest no difference in adipose tissue deposition between males and females with increased BMI, we were unable to compare some areas of the face most affected by weight gain, due to limitations in available data. Further research is therefore necessary using standardised methods of measurement across different age and population groups to better understand the underlying mechanisms of adipose tissue deposition in male and female faces. This research project used anonymised data from previously published studies, and therefore further ethical approval was not required.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: No
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ferguson, Dr Eilidh
• Authors: Silva, T., and Ferguson, E.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing