Home/Asymmetry types

Facial asymmetry is less about the difference
than about where it comes from

Facial asymmetry appears where the jaw joint, the chewing muscles, the neck and posture, and expression habits overlap. RECOVER records left-right reference points at the eyes, cheeks, mouth and jawline under one standard, then separates where the difference comes from.

EYE CHEEK MOUTH JAW

Facial asymmetry: actual care, fees and booking

Dr. Han Cheong Woo at RECOVER Korean Medicine Clinic, 5F, 507 Seolleung-ro, in front of Seolleung Station Exit 7.

The doctor examines facial differences and considers Chuna and acupuncture within the published facial-balance care program. Surface records and landmarks support comparison; they are not CT images of bones or a guarantee of correction.

Basic BALANCE care: KRW 220,000. First trial: KRW 90,000. First visit only, once / initial assessment + BALANCE care (manual therapy & acupuncture) 1 session · weekdays 10:30–17:00, Sat 10:00–13:00 · until 31 Dec 2026 Included care and optional additions are listed separately.

Where asymmetry comes from — example map

Facial left-right difference comes
from the jaw joint, the chewing muscles and the neck together

Left-right differences can come from overlapping causes such as expression habits, posture, bite, and sleeping position, and everyone has them to some degree. RECOVER records how the two sides differ now by the same standard, as the starting point of the consultation.

jaw joint Chewing muscle Neck and posture
An example map of how the jaw joint, the masseter chewing muscle, the neck vertebrae and posture all take part in facial left-right balance. It is not any patient's diagnosis or before-and-after.
  1. 01

    Difference from the jaw joint

    When the path the jaw travels while opening and closing differs on each side, the chin position and the jawline impression can both look different. Clicking, pain, catching and limited opening are checked separately.

  2. 02

    Difference from the chewing muscles

    The jawline is shaped not only by bone but by the masseter, the muscle used to chew. The larger-looking side is not necessarily the side chewed with, so the muscle is palpated directly alongside the outward shape and the jaw's movement is checked with it.

  3. 03

    Difference from the neck and posture

    When the head settles into a tilted or turned position, the two sides can sit at different heights in a front-facing photograph. That is why head angle and lighting are set before any capture.

  4. 04

    Difference from expression and habit

    Some differences are small at rest and appear only in a smile. That is why two frames are kept, resting and smiling, rather than one.

Asymmetry types

Even the same facial asymmetry
is read at a different place

Facial asymmetry separates into a chin sitting to one side, a jaw that clicks, one chewing muscle thicker than the other, eye or cheek heights that look unequal, and differences that appear only in a smile. RECOVER separates what to look at first from what to revisit next.

AJaw-led Jaw joint and chin position
A · 01 · CH
01Chin offset

Asymmetry with the chin set to one side

The chin sits closer to one side once the midline is aligned from the front. The difference carrying through to the jawline and mouth corners is read with it.

Look firstChin and jawline
Look with itmouth corner
reference linemidline
Expression effectsmall

Jaw joint and posture

A · 02 · CL
02Jaw clicking

Asymmetry with a clicking jaw

Clicking on one side when opening or chewing. We check for pain, catching, or limited opening in the exam and set the treatment order.

Look firstjaw joint
Look with itChewing muscle
Pain checkrequired
Expression effectnone

jaw joint

A · 03 · OP
03Limited opening

Asymmetry with limited mouth opening

One side opens less, or the jaw catches partway. When limited opening comes with pain, it is worth confirming the cause in consultation.

Look firstOpening range
Look with itJaw movement
Pain checkrequired
Expression effectnone

jaw joint

BMuscle-led Chewing muscle and jawline impression
B · 04 · MA
04Masseter thickness difference

Asymmetry with one chewing muscle thicker

One masseter is more developed, so the jawline reads differently. The muscle is palpated directly alongside the outward shape, and everyday chewing habits are checked with it.

Look firstmasseter
Look with itjaw joint
Palpationrequired
Expression effectmoderate

Chewing muscle and habit

B · 05 · JL
05Angular jawline

Asymmetry with an angular jawline

Commonly described as a square-jaw impression. Bone shape and muscle thickness make that impression together, so the two are checked separately.

Look firstJawline angle
Look with itMasseter thickness
reference linehorizontal line
Expression effectmoderate

Bone shape and muscle

CUpper face, posture, expression Eyes, cheeks, neck, smile
C · 06 · EY
06Eye height difference

Asymmetry with unequal eye heights

Commonly described as uneven eyes. The front view is set under one standard, then the outer-corner and brow heights are compared side to side.

Look firsteye area
Look with itCheek height
reference linehorizontal line
Expression effectlarge

Eyes and forehead

C · 07 · CK
07Cheek height difference

Asymmetry with unequal cheek heights

The front view is set under one standard, then cheek height and width are compared side to side. The direction the cheeks rise in a smile is checked with it.

Look firstcheek
Look with itmouth corner
reference linehorizontal line
Expression effectlarge

Cheeks and expression

C · 08 · NK
08Head tilt

Asymmetry with the head tilted to one side

The neck and posture have settled into one direction, so the two sides sit at different heights in a front-facing photograph. Head angle and lighting are set before the capture.

Look firstHead angle
Look with itShoulder height
reference linehorizontal line
Expression effectsmall

Neck vertebrae and posture

C · 09 · SM
09In a smile only

Asymmetry that appears only in a smile

Small at rest, but a pull to one side shows in a smile. The resting and smiling frames are kept side by side.

Look firstmouth corner
Look with itCheek and jawline
CaptureTwo frames
Expression effectlarge

Expression muscles and habit

The grouping above exists to decide what to look at first in consultation. The cards are not diagnoses; individual causes and care plans are determined by clinician examination.

BALANCE READ — left-right reference points

Read by reference points, not impressions,
and compared under one standard

Lighting, angle, distance, and expression change how left and right look. Recording under the same conditions lets the next visit be compared by the same standard. What RECOVER aims for is natural balance.

RECOVER · ACTUAL 3D FACE ANALYSIS

See left–right differences on an actual face

A difference map and landmarks from the same face scan. Review which areas around the eyes, cheeks, mouth and chin to examine with the clinician.

Left–right shape difference computed from an actual 3D face scan
01 · Left–right difference map of an actual face scan
Automatic landmarks and their numbers on the same face scan
02 · Automatic landmarks on the same face

Blue 0 → green 1 → yellow 2 → orange 3 → red 5 mm or more. Grey areas could not be read. Select an image to view its original size.

What the landmark numbers refer to
  1. Nose root
  2. Nose tip
  3. Under the nose
  4. Upper lip
  5. Lower lip
  6. Front of chin
  7. Chin tip
  8. Right inner eye corner
  9. Left inner eye corner
  10. Right outer eye corner
  11. Left outer eye corner
  12. Right nasal wing
  13. Left nasal wing
  14. Right mouth corner
  15. Left mouth corner

Colour shows left–right shape differences, not normality or treatment need. Automatic landmark locations are checked before interpretation; the treatment plan follows clinical examination.

View facial balance consultation times →
01

Front alignment

Head angle and lighting are set, then the midline and horizontal line are fixed first.

02

Reference-point marking

Left-right reference points are marked at the eyes, cheeks, mouth corners and jawline.

03

Expression and tension check

The mouth, jawline and cheek tension that changes between resting and smiling is read together.

04

Next-visit comparison

The reference lines are kept so the next visit can be overlaid on them.

CARE · What the visit includes

The read comes first,
then what the visit includes

RECOVER first checks the left-right reference points at the eyes, cheeks, mouth and jawline together with the expression and tension difference, then reads the jaw joint, cervical spine and muscles together before setting a care plan.

  1. 01

    What the basic visit includes

    A functional assessment and any needed manual care, acupuncture and exercise guidance are part of the basic visit.

  2. 02

    What is added after the read

    A temporomandibular balancing appliance (TBA), thread treatment and HIFU are added after the read, when they are needed.

  3. 03

    Where the reference record sits

    The reference record is the starting point for comparing before and after under one standard. The record can be kept first without deciding on any procedure.

  4. 04

    Where the fees are listed

    Fees for facial balance care and the temporomandibular balancing appliance are published item by item on the non-covered fee schedule.

EVIDENCE · Scope

The sources behind
the left-right read

The sources below explain the basis for examining jaw-joint condition and facial left-right difference.

The sources above support the reading criteria on this page. Individual causes and care plans are determined separately, in consultation and clinician examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Frequently asked questions

Left-right differences can come from overlapping causes such as expression habits, posture, bite, and sleeping position, and everyone has them to some degree. RECOVER records how the two sides differ now by the same standard, as the starting point of the consultation.

A clicking jaw is a signal worth checking. In the exam we look at whether there is pain, catching, or limited opening when you open or chew, and set the treatment order around the jaw joint and chewing muscles.

The jawline is shaped not only by bone but by the masseter, the muscle used to chew. The larger-looking side is not necessarily the side chewed with. In examination the muscle is palpated directly alongside the outward shape, and jaw movement and everyday chewing habits are checked with it.

Not necessarily. A photo taken by someone else reverses the face you see in the mirror every day, so even a small existing difference can feel unfamiliar. Looking unfamiliar and being markedly asymmetric are different things, so rather than impressions we compare the position of the eyes, mouth and jaw under one standard.

RECOVER first checks the left-right reference points at the eyes, cheeks, mouth and jawline together with the expression and tension difference, then reads the jaw joint, cervical spine and muscles together before setting a care plan. The basic visit includes a functional assessment and any needed manual care, acupuncture and exercise guidance; a temporomandibular balancing appliance (TBA), thread treatment and HIFU are added after the read, when they are needed. The reference record is the starting point for comparing before and after under one standard.

Once you have separated where the difference comes from, the next step is keeping your own reference points under one standard.

Ask about facial asymmetry on KakaoTalk ↗ See the reference-point map →