Book excerpt: World-renowned aesthetic plastic surgeon Dr Bryan Mendelson guides us through the fascinating history of facial surgery. From his patients’ own stories, learn what it’s like when what’s on the outside doesn’t match who we are on the inside. Travel back through the millennia to see how the communal societies of our simian ancestors transformed the pre-human face into the expressive features we have today. Learn why the face is so important and how it has evolved into an essential—instinctive and immediate—tool of communication. Revisit the birth of reconstructive surgery in 6th century BCE India, and follow developments through the lunchtime face lifts of 1920s France, to the discovery of the fascia (the fibrous support layer beneath the skin), and Mendelson’s own role in changing the face of aesthetic plastic surgery forever. Full of fascinating historical detail told from a unique professional perspective, In Your Face provides real insight into why we’re so invested in appearance and the lengths we’re prepared to go to change the way we look.