Dr. Marcus Capanema: Between Precision and Identity
- Evely Oliveira
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
'BEAUTY' EDITION COVER - FEBRUARY 2026 ISSUE
There is something quiet about the moment someone recognizes themselves again in the mirror. It is not merely an adjustment of features or proportions. It is an intimate reorganization of one’s own presence. The image ceases to be conflict and becomes coherence.
For Dr. Marcus Capanema, facial plastic surgery has never been about the surface. Throughout his career, what leaves the deepest mark on him is not only the visible results, but the changes revealed in behavior. At the postoperative follow-up, the transformation is not limited to comparative photographs. It appears in a firmer posture, in a gaze that holds contact, in the way a patient begins to inhabit spaces that were once avoided.
In his perspective, self-esteem is not an aesthetic detail. It is an emotional structure. When someone recognizes themselves with serenity, decisions become clearer and presence gains consistency. Aesthetics, when guided with discernment, functions as an alignment between inner identity and outer expression.
This alignment demands rigor. In facial surgery—especially in rhinoplasty—millimeters define balance and longevity. Mathematics guides the planning, but it does not determine a standard. Angles, grafts, and vectors of tension are technical instruments. The true distinction lies in the individual reading of each face. Technique only has value when it preserves singularity.
Naturalness does not mean the absence of intervention, but precision applied with intelligence. Harmony is not about neutralizing features; it is about refining them with respect. Universal models may simplify the process, but they impoverish the outcome. The commitment lies in preserving the identity that makes each patient recognizable to themselves.
Part of this responsibility is expressed in the ability to advise against a procedure. Translating desire into possibility requires maturity and ethics. The first consultation is not merely a technical evaluation; it is the construction of aesthetic awareness. Photographs, simulations, and transparent dialogue define what is feasible within the presented anatomy. Visual references are interpreted as symbolic language of what the patient considers beautiful—never as a template to be replicated.
In a digital landscape saturated with filters and unrealistic edits, preserving individuality has become a conscious stance. The front-facing camera distorts proportions and amplifies details the mirror never emphasized. Continuous exposure to manipulated images creates biologically nonexistent references. Educating the eye is part of the ethical practice of the profession. Skin texture, subtle asymmetries, and facial particularities are not flaws. They are marks of authenticity.
His philosophy does not promise perfection. It proposes coherence. The best version of oneself is not a copy of a passing standard, but the consistent evolution of one’s own identity.
Precision, in this context, does not merely redefine shapes. It redefines presence.
And it is from this perspective that we deepen the conversation with Dr. Marcus Capanema, exploring the principles that sustain his practice and his understanding of identity, technique, and self-esteem.
1. Aesthetics transforms what is visible, but often what is at stake is invisible. Throughout your career, what has daily contact with patients taught you about identity, self-esteem, and human nature?
Although many still view the pursuit of plastic surgery solely through the lens of vanity, my daily practice has shown me that we are dealing with something far deeper. Looking in the mirror and recognizing one’s own essence with love and confidence is not a minor detail. Self-esteem is, above all, mental health. Self-love restores self-confidence, and a confident person naturally becomes more radiant and attractive, opening doors across all social spheres.
What moves me most is the postoperative follow-up moment. I often comment to my team in the office: “Have you noticed how different she seems?” And I am not referring only to the facial features we refined, but to her posture. The smile carries a new strength; the way she walks and looks at the world changes. Witnessing this true inner rebirth through aesthetics is the most beautiful and emotional part of my work.
2. In facial surgery, millimeters can redefine proportions, expressions, and even the perception of age. What principles guide your decisions to promote rejuvenation and enhancement while preserving each patient’s naturalness and identity?
It is absolutely true: in facial aesthetics, every millimeter matters. In rhinoplasty, for example, a fraction of a millimeter at the nasal tip can be the difference between perfect harmony and disproportion. I often say that rhinoplasty and facelift surgery are among the most complex procedures in plastic surgery, requiring the highest level of technical refinement. We study proportions in depth, mathematical calculations, and the precision of grafts.
However, all of this science must serve merely as a compass for the surgeon. That is where the true distinction lies: the artistic eye and the sensitivity to read each person’s unique features. Mathematics must be applied gently and in a strictly individualized manner. After all, true beauty resides in singularity. Operating according to a “ready-made” or standardized formula is what causes a patient to lose their essence. My fundamental principle is to master the technique perfectly and then adapt it to the identity of the person in front of me.
3. Many patients arrive at the office with very specific expectations, often influenced by external references. What is the process of translating that desire into a possible result and, in some cases, guiding someone not to undergo a procedure?
A great mentor I had during my medical residency used to say, “More difficult than indicating a surgery is knowing when to contraindicate it.” I carried this lesson as a pillar of my clinical practice. For me, saying “no” to a procedure when I identify unrealistic expectations or when the result would not bring harmony to the face is, above all, an act of care and ethics. My greatest commitment is to deliver self-esteem and happiness, and that cannot be built on illusions.
That is why our first consultation is so detailed. I perform a thorough facial analysis, with photographs and simulations, to show with complete transparency what is feasible within that person’s unique anatomy. I even encourage patients to bring photos of faces they consider beautiful. I make it very clear that the goal is not to “copy”—which would be technically and anatomically impossible—but rather to map the patient’s beauty standard. It is essential to understand what that individual’s eyes perceive as beautiful in order to translate that desire into a real, safe, and tailor-made result.
4. Throughout your career, has there been a moment when you clearly realized the positive impact of surgery on a patient’s life? What do these moments reveal about the role of self-esteem in people’s lives?
There have been countless moments. Colleagues from other specialties often joke with me: “Marcus, I treat complex diseases and, many times, the relationship ends at medical discharge. You work with aesthetics and, every week, you receive gifts, hugs, and emotional messages from patients who were discharged months or even years ago.” That observation perfectly illustrates the transformative power of self-esteem.
The modern concept of health goes far beyond physical well-being; it fundamentally encompasses mental and social well-being. That is precisely where facial plastic surgery operates. I see patients who were once shy, who avoided photos and social interactions, and who suddenly begin to blossom.
One case that deeply marked me was that of a young woman who suffered greatly because of the proportions of her nose. She had been a victim of bullying and cruel nicknames during her school years. As a result of that trauma, she became extremely withdrawn, with enormous difficulty forming friendships or relationships. She did not even have social media. After her rhinoplasty, the internal transformation was so remarkable that she regained her confidence, did a professional photoshoot, and today works as a photographic model. She always tags me in her photos, and my heart fills with pride.
I keep a box in my office where I carefully store all the thank-you letters I receive. They are what prove to me, every single day, that I am on the right path.
5. In a context where social media often reinforces homogeneous beauty standards, how can individuality be preserved and beauty prevented from becoming standardized?
My first and main recommendation—almost like a prescription for mental health—is to shield yourself from the negative impacts of social media by abandoning the use of filters. Filters create a completely unrealistic perception of our own faces. Today, we look at ourselves far more through the front-facing camera of a cellphone than in the mirror, and as a result, our self-image becomes fragmented. What was once a minimal detail takes on disproportionate weight. For this reason, avoid any digital tool that alters your features or the texture of your skin.
Secondly, I recommend curating your own feed: unfollow influencers who overuse editing or try to sell a “perfect” life and aesthetic. Absolute perfection does not exist in human biology. Skin without pores, texture, or small blemishes is simply not real. Consuming this type of content daily only makes us unwell and creates unattainable standards.
My role as a surgeon is precisely to value real, human beauty—moving completely away from the standardization of avatars.
6. And finally, but no less importantly, what is your voice? After everything you’ve learned throughout your career, if you had the opportunity to be heard by the entire world, what essential message would you want to convey?
If I could leave a single message for the world, it would be this: loving yourself and accepting who you are does not, in any way, mean that you cannot undergo aesthetic procedures or enhance what bothers you. True self-love lies in understanding that your beauty is unique and that your features make you special. Loving your own face does not mean resigning yourself to living with a nose that affects your self-confidence; it means realizing that it is possible to refine it naturally, respecting your anatomy and your body’s limits.
Beauty is not being a copy of the influencer of the moment; beauty is embracing your best version. A person with healthy self-esteem has a different kind of glow—they are noticed, become magnetic, and naturally stand out because, above all, they are happier.
My greatest life purpose is to continue transforming realities, overflowing my box of thank-you letters, and seeing a world full of patients proud of their own unique beauty.
