The Ideal Face & Profile: Here’s What Mathematics Says About Beauty (2024)

Face

Bydragha

Beauty standards have evolved not just through the years, but also in different cultures. What one culture perceives as the standard of beauty may differ in another.

Still, researchers were able to devise mathematical ways to measure beauty, serving as the foundation for every facial plastic surgeon’s aesthetic techniques when it comes to performing facial cosmetic surgeries on their patients.

The Top 3 Theories on Beauty

Golden Ratio

Spanning all the way back to ancient Greece, the Golden Ratio considers the proportion of 1:1.618 as appealing — whether it’s in art or the human body. The closer your face comes to this ratio, the more beautiful you are.

How is this applied in cosmetic surgery? Here are some examples:

  • 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.
  • Your lower lip should have slightly more volume than your upper lip, so the ideal ratio of your upper lip to your lower lip should be 1:1.6.

Horizontal Thirds

The Ideal Face & Profile: Here’s What Mathematics Says About Beauty (1)

According to this theory, the face is divided into:

  • The upper third, which runs from your hairline to your brows.
  • The middle third, which extends from the brow to your nose tip.
  • The lower third, which runs from the nose tip to the narrowest part of your chin.

In a perfect face, these three are supposed to be equal.

Vertical Fifths

The Ideal Face & Profile: Here’s What Mathematics Says About Beauty (2)

With the vertical fifths, the front facial profile is divided into:

  • The first and last fifths that cover the ear up to the outer corner of the eye.
  • The second and fourth fifths that represent the distance between the inner and outer corners of the eye.
  • The middle fifth is the distance between the inner corners of your two eyes.

The more uniform their lengths are, the closer you are to having the perfect face.

The Ideal Facial Features

The ideal forehead

A hairline that’s too high skews the proportion of your face.

For women, the ideal hairline is 6 to 6.5 centimeters above the eyebrows. And for men, it’s 7 to 7.5 centimeters.

If you’re interested in how your forehead can improve your profile, read about forehead reduction or forehead lift here.

The ideal eyebrows

Ideally, the eyebrows should be ½-inch above the supraorbital rim — the bony ridge where your eye socket starts. From the central part of your face, the arch of your brows must be two-thirds away.

If you want more uplifted and youthful-looking brows, check out the brow lift surgery.

The ideal eyes

Your eyes are considered beautiful when they have these youthful characteristics:

  • Wrinkle-free
  • No bulging fat in the lower eyelid bags
  • Eyelids aren’t stretched or drooping due to muscle weakness
  • No extra skin folds on your upper lids

Whether you have an eyelid crease or not, what matters is how your eyes complement the rest of your facial features.

Check out how you can make your eyes brighter and more youthful with eyelid surgery or double eyelid surgery.

The ideal nose

Because it’s at the center of your face, there is so much more than goes into what the ideal nose looks like.

Based on the theory of vertical fifths, the width of your nose should be equal to the middle fifth. Also, the distance between the tip of your nose and your face must be the same as its width.

If you want a nose that’s in perfect proportion with your face, check out the rhinoplasty page.

The ideal cheeks

The ideal cheeks should be plump and oval-shaped, providing definition to your eyes and lower part of the face. Your cheeks should also create the illusion of lifting your facial features so they don’t look flat.

If you want to give your entire face a lift with just one procedure, check out how cheek augmentation can help you.

The ideal ears

The ears should not be protruding from the front view to keep your features balanced.

Research shows that the average ear measures 2.5 inches, with the earlobe being 0.77 inches wide and 0.74 inches long. Men’s ears are also generally larger than women’s.

If you want to have your ears closer to these averages, read about otoplasty to see if it’s right for you.

The ideal lips

Many people prefer a more defined bottom lip, so the ideal ratio between the upper and lower lips should be one-third to two-thirds.

Getting fuller and more luscious lips is possible with lip augmentation. Learn more about it here.

The ideal chin

For men, a strong and angular chin looks great. But for women, the ideal chin is much smoother and softer.

Your chin does a lot to balance your features. Viewed from the side, a small chin makes your nose look too big or your neck look too fleshy.

But a chin that’s in proportion to the rest of your face depicts confidence for men and femininity for women.

If you want your chin to accentuate all the right features, see how chin augmentation can help.

In a Nutshell

Beauty may differ from one person to another, but good facial proportions are universal. That’s why even a slight improvement in the shape of your eyes or lips can dramatically improve your profile.

Make sure that you choose a qualified and experienced plastic surgeon like Dr. Siamak Agha to help you improve and enhance your beautiful facial features. He can help you decide which procedures can bring out the best results depending on your overall facial profile.

Schedule your consultation with Dr. Agha to see how you can bring out your most beautiful self.

The Ideal Face & Profile: Here’s What Mathematics Says About Beauty (2024)

FAQs

The Ideal Face & Profile: Here’s What Mathematics Says About Beauty? ›

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.

What is the math behind beauty? ›

Referred to as the “Golden Ratio”, this is the exact ratio measurement thought to be needed to achieve symmetry and beauty. This applies to all things including nature, buildings, and the human body. A person is thought to be attractive if the length of their face divided by the width of their face equals 1.618.

What is the mathematical standard of beauty? ›

The Golden Ratio (or "Golden Section") is based on Fibonacci Numbers, where every number in the sequence (after the second) is the sum of the previous 2 numbers: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, ... We will see (below) how the Fibonnaci Numbers lead to the Golden Ratio: Φ = 1.618 033 ...

What is the mathematical formula for the perfect face? ›

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. The hairline to the upper eyelid distance is classically 1.618 times the length of the top of the upper eyebrow to the lower eyelid.

What is the Fibonacci scale for attractiveness? ›

Can you give a number to beauty? The answer is yes – it is roughly 1.62 and it is called the Golden Ratio of beauty! The Golden Ratio (also known as Phi, or the Fibonacci number) is the mathematical symmetry algorithm that underlies our perception of attractiveness.

What is the golden equation of beauty? ›

It is suggested that a face is perceived as more aesthetically pleasing when its width is about 1.618 times the width of the mouth. This application of the golden ratio helps to create a sense of balance across the facial features, making the face appear more proportionate and visually appealing.

What is the most beautiful theory in math? ›

Euler's pioneering equation, the 'most beautiful equation in mathematics', links the five most important constants in the subject: 1, 0, π, e and i.

What is the principle of mathematical beauty? ›

The aesthetic pleasure that mathematical physicists tend to experience in Einstein's theory of general relativity has been attributed (by Paul Dirac, among others) to its "great mathematical beauty". The beauty of mathematics is experienced when the physical reality of objects are represented by mathematical models.

What is the Golden Ratio for face? ›

Golden Ratio in Facial Aesthetics

Proponents of the golden face ratio in facial aesthetics highlight the distance between the eyes and the width of the nose. According to this concept, the ideal proportions would be such that the width of the nose is 1.618 times the distance between the eyes.

What is the face beauty standard? ›

The concept of a “perfect” face leans heavily towards symmetry and balance. Typically, features such as larger eyes, a slender nose, pronounced cheekbones, plump lips, and overall harmonious proportions are deemed attractive. However, beauty is subjective and varies across cultures and individuals.

What is the most beautiful face mathematically? ›

Jodie Comer: The Most Beautiful Woman in the Globe According to Dr. Julian De Silva. The “Killing Eve” actress, who's 29, has a face that's 94.52% close to the Golden Ratio – a standard that defines beauty.

What is the most beautiful equation in math explained? ›

Euler's formula, e i θ = cos ⁡ ( θ ) + i sin ⁡ ( θ ) , and the special case when θ = π is unequivocally beautiful. Since cos ⁡ ( π ) = − 1 and sin ⁡ ( π ) = 0 , we have e i π = − 1 ⟺ e i π + 1 = 0 , called Euler's identity, and widely considered the most beautiful equation in mathematics.

Why is Fibonacci beautiful? ›

The beauty of the Fibonacci Spiral partly lies in its presumed ubiquity in nature. Indeed, allegedly it can be found in various natural phenomena such as the arrangement of leaves on a stem, the branching of trees, the flowering of an artichoke, the form of the Nautilus, etc. (Tsuji & Müller, 2019).

How can I measure my attractiveness? ›

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 is the beauty scale? ›

The "1-10 attractiveness scale" is a subjective and often superficial way that some people use to express their perception of someone's physical attractiveness. It's important to note that beauty and attractiveness are highly subjective, and different individuals may have varying criteria for what they find appealing.

Why does the brain see math as beauty? ›

Brain imaging experiments conducted by Semir Zeki and his colleagues show that the experience of mathematical beauty has, as a neural correlate, activity in field A1 of the medial orbito-frontal cortex (mOFC) of the brain and that this activity is parametrically related to the declared intensity of beauty.

What is beauty determined by? ›

Physical characteristics that determine beauty

Several physical characteristics, such as facial averageness, symmetry, skin hom*ogeneity, and sexual dimorphism, can partially explain this capability.

What is the beauty in math numbers? ›

Connected to the Fibonacci sequence is the golden ratio, which is the ratio of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. The golden-ratio value is approximately 1.618034, and it is sometimes referred to as the ratio of beauty.

What is the science behind beauty? ›

The Appearance of Health

hom*ogeneity of color: Evenness of skin tone can be a signal to our brains that someone is healthy and might be good mate material. Smooth texture: Minimal blemishes and lines on a face can signify youthfulness and vitality. These qualities are felt to signify overall health.

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