Parents need to know about the bad facial harmony trend

A guide on good facial features vs. bad facial harmony

As a parent, it's natural to be concerned about what your teens or tweens are exposed to on social media – we hear this from so many of you, and want to help!

Recently, a trend called "good facial features/bad facial harmony" has gained popularity. This trend involves users taking close-up footage of individual facial features (eyes, mouth, nose) and then zooming out to see if those features create "good facial harmony." The idea is that people can have "good" features but "bad" overall harmony and vice versa, leading to cruel comments and judgments.

The medical perspective

Doctors, especially plastic surgeons who study facial aesthetics, do talk about facial harmony. This concept refers to how balanced and complementary your features are to each other. However, it's crucial to understand that doctors also recognise beauty isn't just about measurements.

The complexity of attraction

Attraction is much more complicated and personal than simply having "good" features.

Here are some important factors to consider:

• Cultural differences: beauty standards vary widely across different cultures
• Health: mental and physical health often contribute to attractiveness
• Personal preferences: everyone has unique tastes; what one person finds attractive may differ from another
• Self-esteem and confidence: feeling good about oneself and being confident are significant aspects of attractiveness

Debunking the trend

Several factors influence how people look in these videos beyond their natural features, such as:

• The makeup and hairstyle they choose
• The camera angles used to film
• Their personality traits like confidence, charisma, and humor

Remember, the more dramatic they manage to make the close-up clip vs. the zoomed out clip, the more viral they’re likely to go!

For tips on understanding the influence of TikTok beauty challenges, check out our resource on navigating TikTok skincare trends.

Key takeaways for parents

The "good facial features/bad facial harmony" trend greatly oversimplifies the concept of beauty. Beauty is much more than symmetry and proportions – it's subjective and influenced by numerous factors, including camera angles.

Try to encourage your teen to celebrate their unique beauty and not to fixate on their features – remind them that confidence and self-love are the most attractive features of all based on genuine laws of attraction. 

If you’re concerned this trend might be affecting their confidence, our guide on spotting low self-esteem in teens can provide helpful insights.

Hopefully now, if your teen comes to you with questions about this trend or you want to discuss this trend with your teen, you'll be armed with the medical knowledge to help them understand the bigger picture.

Finally, you’re really not alone in this journey – luna’s here to help!

Our app, luna, has dedicated advice on navigating the digital landscape and how to manage this – from cyber bullying to damaging social media trends, we have our finger on the pulse and reactively support your teen with what’s genuinely front of mind for them.

You can think of luna as a modern, digital approach to wellbeing – it’s cost-effective, verified by doctors and safeguarding experts, and has a direct line into the biggest concerns facing teens today – so it’s actually addressing what they need advice on, when they need it.

If you’ve been looking for an antidote to the misinformation and negativity shared on social media or forums, you can get luna for your teen via our luna premium page for the price of a coffee each month or manage their subscription by downloading luna yourself and signing up as a parent (it's "we are luna" in app stores).