Science has found that having good looks improve your chances of having a smoother sailing life and career.

But while a life and fate-altering plastic surgery might be something you've considered, the cost and downtime are often huge barriers to overcome.

A gentler, less-invasive alternative to enhancing how you look and in turn boosting your chances in life? Facial filler injections.

Here, we've tapped on the expertise of Dr Lam Bee Lan, Medical Director of Ageless Medical to share with us more information on the use of facial filler injections and why Song Ji-hyo and Carina Lau are considered to have a "lucky face".

What is a "lucky face"?

Chinese face reading, or physiognomy, is an ancient practice of reading one's facial features to get insights into a person's past, present and future.

People believe that it is possible to change one's fate by having a "lucky face".

However, there is no scientific evidence or studies to prove this.

We can instead enhance our facial features for a better appearance and change others' perceptions of us.

This, in turn, helps to improve our confidence and self-esteem.

Incidentally, many of the lucky facial features are what makes the face look aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

What are the characteristics of a "lucky face"?

Forehead: A wide, round, smooth and shiny forehead signifies a good family inheritance, good career fortune and trouble-free life. Lines, furrows and black moles are considered inauspicious on the forehead.

Large nose: For more wealth luck, a rounder and fleshier nose is thought to be ideal. The nose should be even and smooth, with no flaws or blotches. The nostrils should not be too small or big. A woman's nose is the primary indicator of her man's future achievement.

Defined philtrum: This is the space between the nose and the lips. Mothers with a defined philtrum indicate safe and smooth childbirth and having good and filial children.

Full moist mouth: The ideal mouth should be round with a properly defined cupid's bow. Those with this feature are popular among the other sex and have greater language ability. The mouth should also be relatively moist at all times as this is an indicator of money luck. The mouth should never appear dry as this means the wealth luck is drying up.

Strong chin: A chin that is fleshier, prominent, and well-contoured is fortunate, as it represents luck and suggests longevity. A strong jawline in men is associated with a strong personality, masculinity, and authority, whereas a receding jawline is associated with misfortune and weakness.

Bright eyes: Eyes that sparkle and are slightly moist, regardless of shape, size, or colour, indicate wealth and rank.

Full cheeks: High cheekbones and bigger cheeks are ideal for attracting more money and prosperity into your life. Authority and job success are thought to be associated with well-defined or pronounced fleshy cheekbones.

Full earlobes: It is believed that if you have fat and plump earlobes, it suggests wealth and longevity.

Asian celebs with a "lucky face"

Korean actress Song Ji-hyo possesses a face that is deemed to meet the Korean standard of a "Golden Ratio" (1:1:0.8) in vertical thirds.

She has ideal facial proportions and her profile is almost perfect from all angles.

Her forehead is full and mellow, without messy lines, bad moles or scars, no concave or drooping hairline, neither narrow nor overly protruding and not dark or gloomy.

Overall, she has a smooth forehead, contoured chin and a well-balanced face.

Veteran Hong Kong actress Carina Lau's nose is the most prominent feature of her face. She is known to possess a perfect lion's nose which is round and fleshing and it is majestic and assertive.

Her high cheekbones, firm-looking eyes and well-arched eyebrows attract luck for her wealth and career, especially towards the later part of her life.

How do aesthetic doctors decide what treatments to employ?

As aesthetic physicians, we often we need to marry art and science to create beautiful results.

I would first find out what are the patient's concerns, make a careful assessment and evaluation of the patient's face to identify the features that can be enhanced to obtain an aesthetically pleasing and desired outcome.

There are several minimal to non-invasive aesthetic treatments with less downtime in the market that can improve your face.

Some of the more popular choices are filler injections and botulinum toxin injections.

What are fillers?

There are two major categories in the market: hyaluronic acid (HA) and non-hyaluronic acid fillers.

Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are dissolvable, reversible, and therefore deemed safer to use, especially in the event of inadvertent injection of filler material into blood vessels resulting in complications.

HA fillers are cleared by your body's immune system over time or can be dissolved using hyaluronidase to remove excess fillers.

A brand of fillers would typically offer a range with different properties to suit the specific needs of each patient.

For instance, a softer filler such as Restylane Vital Light is ideal for plumping up fine lines and wrinkles.

A firmer filler such as Restylane Lyft is ideal for areas of the face that need more projection, like the cheek and chin.

It is the expertise of the aesthetic doctor to determine the usage of a combination of fillers to achieve the desired best result.

How long can fillers last?

Fillers can last between six to 18 months. A review is recommended six to 12 months after their initial filler treatment to assess if they need another one and how soon.

With repeat injections in the same areas, the fillers tend to last longer due to the injected fillers stimulating our bodies to produce their native collagen and HA.

Is there any downtime?

The patient may experience some redness, swelling, bruising or tenderness at the treatment site, which is normal.

These effects should disappear within one to two weeks after the treatment.

Would fillers permanently alter our face?

Interestingly, while HA fillers do not last forever, what I have noticed over my 18 years of treating patients with filler injections, is that they can be used to lift, sculpt and contour the face.

When the correct fillers are administered in the correct place and plane and with the correct amount, the patient's face can be transformed to look younger and more refreshed.

In a way, they age backwards and they do not revert to their former look.

Are there certain individuals who should avoid fillers?

Patients who are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a known allergy to hyaluronic acid fillers are unsuitable to do fillers.

As part of the consultation with your aesthetics doctor, it is essential to reveal your medical history so that the doctor can make an informed assessment before any treatments.

Medical history would include medications, past and present allergies, medical conditions as well as previous surgical and non-surgical aesthetic treatments that you have undergone.

Should we use celebrity photo as a reference before we get fillers?

Everyone is different and looks different as well. You should always be a better version of yourself and not somebody else.

The best aesthetic outcome is when everybody notices but nobody knows.

You may bring visual references to illustrate your desired result to your aesthetic doctor.

However, your doctor should ideally perform a facial assessment during the consultation to determine holistically if the enhancement is suitable for your facial structure and what other improvements can be done.

Which part of the face should we start with when getting fillers?

For beginners, they might want to ask themselves questions such as:

1: "Which part of your face is bothering you?"

2: "What are your concerns and what do you want to improve?"

These are the questions that I would normally ask my patients, especially those who want fillers injected.

By doing a proper face assessment and understanding the patients' concerns, I will then be able to recommend a treatment plan which is suitable for them and also meet their expectations.

How much do fillers cost?

Fillers generally cost about $1,000 per syringe across different brands.

This article was first published in Her World Online.