Decoding the Golden Ratio of beauty - Times of India (2024)

Amber Heard has been in the news again, this time for having ‘one of the most perfect faces’, according to the

Golden Ratio

of Beauty Phi. An old post about a 2019 study by popular facial cosmetic surgeon Dr

Julian De Silva

from London, has been making rounds after the Depp-Heard verdict. Dr Julian’s study puts Amber third on the list of most beautiful women in the world, while Bella Hadid leads the list.

However, many have called out the study for setting illogical beauty standards at a time when body positivity is being embraced.
What is the Golden Ratio of Beauty?
In the Renaissance era, artists like

Leonardo Da Vinci

, as well as architects used a mathematical equation to make their artwork scientifically perfect. It is denoted by the Greek letter 'phi'. Years later, scientists developed mathematical formulae and software to analyse facial features. Dr Debraj Shome, senior cosmetic surgeon and director, The Esthetic Clinics, explains, “First, the length and width of the face are measured, followed by dividing the length by the width. Then three other segments, namely the space between the hairline to a spot between the eyes, space from between the eyes to the bottom of the nose, and from the bottom of the nose to the bottom of the chin, are measured. If the numbers are equal, a person is considered more beautiful. Finally, statisticians measure other facial features to determine symmetry and proportion.”

As per Dr Julian De Silva’s 2019 study, these actresses had the highest percentage of accuracy with the phi:
Bella Hadid

: 94.35%
Beyonce

: 92.44%
Amber Heard

: 91.85%
Ariana Grande: 91.81%
Taylor Swift: 91.64%
Facial symmetry is sought after, but facial proportions can’t be similar for all: Cosmetic surgeons
With an added boost from various facial symmetry filters on social media apps, cosmetic and plastic surgeons receive a good number of enquiries for such amendments. “Presently, many people have turned to cosmetic amendments which are in sync with the Golden Ratio. In that respect, many people have opted for rhinoplasty, as the nose is the central feature of the face. Various facial implants are also used to heighten the perceived attractiveness and overall harmony of the face,” shares Dr Anup Dhir, plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgeon from Apollo Hospital. He adds that most of the clients seeking corrections are from the age group of 35-45 years. Experts believe this perfection can be achieved. "This can be attained using sculpting hyaluronic acids and botulinum toxin to help shape the face. There are several modalities including surgical intervention available for the same," says Dr Sonali Kohli, Consultant Dermatologist, Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital

For some, the ratio may not be known, but the pursuit of symmetry still brings them to the professionals. Dr Sushil Nehete, consultant plastic surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital in Mumbai, shares, “Most clients do not know about the ratio, but they come to get that symmetrical face and are ready to undergo plastic surgery for the same. Many people opt for rhinoplasty, eyelid lift, chin, cheek, or jaw reshaping, facelift, and lip augmentation in that regard.” While the ratio may look like it applies to all, doctors believe otherwise. “Every face doesn't have to respect all proportions. The ratio is a good indicator of trying to transform a face. But that doesn't mean we sit with calipers and try to restructure everyone’s faces as per a particular mathematical proportion,” says Dr Debraj.
Such pursuit for perfection may impact mental health: Experts
On the other hand, mental health experts believe that at a time when many are trying to promote body positivity and acceptance of oneself, such standards of beauty may create an adverse impact on the mental health of many vulnerable youngsters. “Widely publicised standards of beauty in news, social media and pop culture can have a large impact on a section of the population, resulting in more cases of anxiety and poor self-esteem. What follows may be unhealthy eating and exercising patterns, as well as long durations of time checking whether one conforms to the said standard of beauty,” says Dr Sathya Prakash, senior consultant psychiatrist, Institute of Brain & Spine (IBS), New Delhi. He emphasises on diagnosis of eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorders and the likes due to this, thereby leading unhappy and dissatisfied lives. “Many factors like bone structure, the way one’s body stores fat etc., are not considered while trying to conform to these standards. Out of frustration, some may resort to strategies that may be unhealthy or even medically dangerous,” he adds.
The obsession with facial symmetry
This is not the only instance where the world’s obsession with facial symmetry has been highlighted. #Symmetricalface has a whopping 105 million views as per

TikTok

trends, and the ‘Face symmetry’ filter on Instagram has more than 17K reels with over 3 million views. Experts from the field have also ascertained that a good number of clients visit them to attain such a flawless symmetry
Beauty trends that went viral

  • Golden Ratio eyebrows: It is a filter created by TikTok user Grace M Choi where the face is scanned by phone camera, and it maps the face according to the Golden Ratio. Users can draw up perfect eyebrows with this filter
  • Instagram Face: There are filters on the app that can show how you would look with high cheekbones, pore less skin, cat-like eyes and plump lip
  • Kylie’s lip challenge: A viral trend, where social media users were using DIY techniques to plump up lips to make them look pouty. Several people ended up with painful and bruised lips because of this
  • Slim-thick body: Researchers define it as a full and curvy body type with a small waist and flat stomach. It was made popular by influencer Kim Kardashian
  • Thigh gap: Considered as an ideal shape of the legs where there is a visible gap between the thighs, and they no longer touch each other
Decoding the Golden Ratio of beauty - Times of India (2024)

FAQs

What is the perfect golden ratio for a woman's face? ›

The Golden Ratio, roughly 1:1.618, is a principle from mathematics that describes ideal proportions. When applied to facial aesthetics, it offers a guideline for achieving facial balance and symmetry.

What is a good score on golden ratio face? ›

On a perfect face, Dr. Schmid says the length of an ear is equal to the length the nose, and the width of an eye is equal to the distance between the eyes. Most people score between 4 and 6, and Dr. Schmid says no one has ever been a perfect 10.

How does the golden ratio determine beauty? ›

Some of the proportions they may discuss, as outlined by the Golden Ratio, include: A visually balanced face is approximately 1.618 times longer than it is wide. The distance from the top of the nose to the center of the lips should be around 1.618 times the distance from the center of the lips to the chin.

Who has the highest golden ratio face? ›

According to the Golden Ratio, a scientific measure of beauty, Jodie Comer is the world's most beautiful woman. Her face closely matches ideal proportions with a score of 94.52%.

How do I find my golden ratio for my face? ›

First, the length and width of the face are measured. Once this is done, the length is divided by the width. The ideal result is considered the Golden Ratio which should equal 1.6. This means a beautiful person's face is about 1 ½ times longer than it is wide.

What celebrity has a golden ratio face? ›

Jodie Comer

The winner of Dr. Julian De Silva's 2023 study is actor Jodie Comer — our current Golden Ratio goddess whose face is 94.52% accurate to the Greek Golden Ratio.

Who is most beautiful according to golden ratio? ›

According to a study conducted by Dr. Julian DeSilva, supermodel Bella Hadid had the most perfect face as per the Golden Ratio, followed by singer Beyonce and actress Amber Heard.

How to check how attractive you are? ›

To start, upload your image. Our AI tool will then predict if you're pretty or not. This pretrained image model uses a Nyckel-created dataset and is built with 5000 samples across 7 labels, including Not Attractive, Very Attractive, and 5 more.

What is the scientifically perfect face test? ›

The distance from the top of your nose to the center of your lips should be 1.618 times the distance from the center of your lips to your chin. The distance from your hairline to your upper eyelid should be 1.618 times the length of the top of your upper eyebrow to your lower eyelid.

Which celebrity is closest to the Golden Ratio? ›

Top ten female celebrities with the highest scores of Golden Ratio:
  • Jodie Comer - 94.52%
  • Zendaya - 94.37%
  • Bella Hadid - 94.35%
  • Beyonce - 92.44%
  • Ariana Grande - 91.81%
  • Taylor Swift - 91.64%
  • Jourdan Dunn - 91.39%
  • Kim Kardashian - 91.28%
Oct 12, 2022

Who is the absolute most beautiful woman in the world? ›

Among all the data collected, Bella Hadid ranked highest with a result of 94.35% of symmetry. While keeping in mind that beauty is celebrated in all forms of imperfection, De Silva's list is taken in stride when considering the societal standards of cosmetic beauty.

Who has the most beautiful face in the world female? ›

Top 10 Most Beautiful Women in the World 2024 – Celebrities Who Define Beauty
  • Ariana Grande. One more actress and singer to reach the list who has won a Grammy. ...
  • Beyoncé ...
  • Zendaya. ...
  • Kim Kardashian. ...
  • Aishwarya Rai Bachhan. ...
  • Emma Watson. ...
  • HoYeon Jung. ...
  • Deepika Padukone.
Apr 12, 2024

What is the Golden Ratio of the average face? ›

Shape of the face

The golden proportion was 1.6. When the ratio approximated to 1.6, the shape was normal; the shape was long when its ratio was larger than 1.6; and when the ratio was smaller than 1.6, the shape was short [Table 1].

What is the Golden Ratio in Korean beauty standards? ›

Korean traditional design objects show a clearly shorter ratio (1:1, 1:1.333) than the golden ratio (1:1.618).

What is the perfect face shape? ›

Oval: Your face is often longer than wide, with the forehead standing out as the largest area of your face. According to Papanikolas, this form is typically regarded as the most attractive facial shape.

What is the ratio of mouth width to nose width? ›

Finally, the width of the mouth represents 1.5-times the width of the nose. These ratios of the vertical fifths apply to both males and females. Figure 2. A male face divided into equal vertical fifths.

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