Miasm Research - Photos and Tips

 

 

Using a camera

A digital camera or personal phone camera is suitable for taking photos

Ensure the patient is perfectly upright and straight - for best results the photos should be taken on zoom or close enough that the face fills the screen, but not so close it becomes distorted or blurred. The following NINE photos must be taken:

  1. Front on no smile – hair behind ears (flash on)

  2. Front on with a natural but full smile (flash on)

  3. Front on with a wide fake smile (have patient show both their top and bottom teeth – flash on)

  4. Front on hair raised up so hairline is fully visible (pull hair back tightly with two hands – flash on)

  5. *Profile right - hair pulled back to show forehead shape from bridge to hairline – use a hairband to hold back fringe so all forehead is seen – hold the head very level and take the image at 90 degrees to the bridge of the nose (flash on)

  6. **Profile left - hair pulled back to show forehead shape from bridge to hairline - use a hairband to hold back fringe so all forehead is seen – hold the head very level and take the image at 90 degrees to the bridge of the nose (flash on)

  7. Front on with a natural but full smile (flash off)

  8. Front on with a frown to show lines between eyes (flash off)

  9. Front on with eyebrows raised to show forehead lines – hair held up (flash off)

*Hair-bands are only successful if they hold the hair tightly. A loose hairline can be misinterpreted.
**This second profile photo is a new recommendation - some patients have asymmetry that cannot be seen from one profile photo.

Remember that the head must be held very straight in each photo. If the head is not straight ears can look higher or lower than they really are. Features may look asymmetrical when they aren't really asymmetrical.
 

*** IMPORTANT - If your patient is much shorter than you bend your knees to be at the same height. If they are taller than you have them sit in a chair so you can adjust to their height.
 

 

 

Observations in the clinic

Often facial lines do not show up on the photos but can be observed during the consultation - this is the reason that analyzing photos alone may not be sufficient. Both the camera and clinical observations make the total analysis.
 

 

 

What to tell the patient about this method

We have used this method on many hundreds of patients in the last few years. At first some patients were amused but now it is such an essential part of our practice that we wouldn't think of choosing a remedy until the patients' miasm (as assessed by facial diagnosis) had been determined. Photos are generally taken after the consultation has finished but as part of the introduction to the consultation the following is a recommended explanation.

"In this clinic we use facial diagnosis to determine your genetic pre-disposition to disease. After all of your symptoms have been described to me I will be taking some photos of your face and analyzing your facial structure through the computer. This is similar to the way an iridologist looks into the eye for information. This information helps me to determine the homœopathic genetic group you below to and is important in my remedy choice for you."
 

 

 

Cosmetic surgery

Remember to ask - the features PRIOR to the surgery are the only ones worth analyzing. A bump removed from a nose or teeth that used to be crooked are important pieces of information. Have the patient describe what their teeth or face used to be like - most will remember clearly. Old photos prior to the surgery can be helpful.
 

 
 
Interpreting a feature
The main thing to remember is that the feature must be strongly influenced by the miasm. If you find yourself saying "is that a bump on the nose" or perhaps "the lips may be a bit full" disregard the feature. Errors are made by overweighting features. This is just experience but overall it is far better to leave things out than add them in UNLESS you can see them very clearly. There is no doubt that some people have very "average" faces and these can be very difficult to analyse - however there will always be a few distinctive features to put you on the right path. It is a good idea to look at lots of features and try to imprint in your mind what an "average" feature looks like so you can recognise features that are different. You will soon start noticing features that fall way out of the "average" or "normal" range. Remember too that some facial lines will only show when the person frowns (especially the two lines between the eyes - yellow) and the compact smile of yellow will often not show on the photos but will be seen when the patient laughs or smiles naturally during the consultation rather than posing for the camera - and should be given one point.
 
Homœopathic Facial Analysis was written to help take the guess work out of rating features. Many practitioners have found that the visual images and control pictures are enabling them to improve their own skills in facial analysis.
 
 
 
How Long will it take before I am proficient at Facial Analysis?
Allow yourself the time to look at about fifty or more faces. VCCH students usually have an accuracy rate of 95% after two years study. In a clinic situation this timeframe can be reduced to a few months. Practice where-ever you are - at the movies, when reading magazines. You will soon start to recognize the miasms and where biographies are known will see the link to the themes.
 

 

Facial analysis tool - Click here to use our  free online facial analysis tool

 

Latest tips - click here (March 2009)

 
 

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