A Study on Gender Differences in the Maximum Attractiveness Values for Cephalometric Measures

Objective: The relationship between cephalometric measurements and facial attractiveness may differ by gender. This study aimed to compare the maximum attractiveness values (MAVs) for cephalometric measures significantly associated with facial profile attractiveness between male and female patients for the first time. Methods: Sixteen laypersons evaluated the facial attractiveness of 180 Chinese adult patients (90 males and 90 females) who had not undergone orthodontic treatment, using photographs. The quadratic correlation between 27 cephalometric measures and facial attractiveness was calculated, and the MAVs for significant cephalometric measures were identified. Results: Twelve cephalometric measures were significantly related to facial attractiveness in both male and female patients, including: angle of convexity [MAV (male)=1.4 deg., MAV (female)=7.1 deg.], L1/FH (63.8 deg., 58.6 deg.), SNB (79.2 deg., 76.4 deg.), ANB angle (1.3 deg., 3.6 deg.), L1/NB (24.6 deg., 26.9 deg.), profile angle (169.6 deg., 167.3 deg.), facial angle (89.5 deg., 88.1 deg.), Z-angle (75.3 deg., 74.3 deg.), H-angle (17.6 deg., 18 deg.), Wits appraisal (−0.5 mm, 1.4 mm), upper lip to E-line (−0.7 mm, 0.3 mm), and L1-NB (5.1 mm, 5.8 mm). Conclusions: Significant differences were found in the MAVs for many cephalometric measures between male and female patients, suggesting that current normal values for cephalometric measures may not accurately reflect facial attractiveness. The MAVs for the ANB angle, angle of convexity, and Wits appraisal indicated that nonprofessionals tend to perceive women with a less pronounced chin/jaw as more attractive. Future studies on facial aesthetics should ideally categorize samples by gender.