Welcome to the Center for Human Appearance
at Penn
Linton A. Whitaker, MD
Director, CHA
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Appearance is fundamental – and key – to
our interactions with others. People who have
a healthy appearance tend to feel better about
themselves. To appear normal, and to improve
on even normal appearance are a basic human desires.
I became keenly aware of this when, in the 1970s,
I was one of the first plastic surgeons in the
U.S. to perform intricate craniofacial surgery
on infants. Not only did my young patients thrive,
but their families benefited psychologically
as well. My experience drove me to study the
interaction of human appearance and the psyche.
In 1988, the University of Pennsylvania Medical
Center accepted my proposal to designate space
for the first ever Center for Human Appearance
within a university setting. Our Center was the
country's first multispecialty group devoted
to all aspects of human appearance, from the
medical to the surgical to the psychological.
Now, the Edwin and Fannie Gray Hall Center for
Human Appearance provides an interdisciplinary
approach to the study and treatment of appearance
and the quality of life affected by it.
At the Center, we work as a team – creating
a new paradigm in how we think about appearance.
We consider form as well as function, and treat
the psychological aspects as well as the physical
facets of appearance.
Our core group of specialists includes plastic
surgery, dermatology, oral and maxillofacial
surgery, ophthalmology, otolaryngology and psychology.
Each of these specialties shares an interest
in both reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.
Using the advanced technology and treatment options
available through the Hospital of the University
of Pennsylvania, the team pursues their interest
in appearance. They are proud of their affiliation
with an institution rated one of America's
best hospitals.
Please feel free contact us to answer your questions
about our services and to learn more about The
Center for Human Appearance at Penn.
Linton
A. Whitaker, MD
Director, CHA
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