Anthropometric Evaluation of Facial Measurements and Sexual Dimorphism in an Adult Population

Background: Anthropometry, the systematic examination of human body measurements, has been utilized in the fields of anthropology, anatomy, forensic sciences, and clinical medicine for a long time to assess sexual dimorphism, population variations, and development patterns. Aim: The current study was intended to compare the anthropometric measurements of the face, such as facial height, facial width, nasal parameters, orbital measurements, and lip/chin dimensions, between male and female subjects in this context. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study aimed at evaluating anthropometric variations in facial measurements among male and female subjects. The study focused on parameters of facial height, width, nasal dimensions, orbital dimensions, and lip/chin measurements to assess the degree of sexual dimorphism and its statistical significance. The study was conducted on healthy adult volunteers between the ages of 18–40 years. A total of 100 participants (comprising an equal distribution of 50 males and 50 females) were included. Results: Males generally have longer, more prominent faces, while females have comparatively reduced vertical dimensions. Males have larger facial widths, such as bizygomatic breadth and bigonial width, indicating broader facial proportions. Nasal height and nasal index are higher in males, while females tend to have broader nasal proportions. Intercanthal distances and eye fissure length are greater in males, but the orbital index is higher in females, reflecting a more vertically elongated aperture. Males also have a more prominent lower facial profile, including a stronger chin, compared to females. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that males consistently show larger dimensions in facial height, width, nasal length, and lower facial structures. Females exhibit higher orbital index values and broader nasal indices, contributing to differences in facial form. Most parameters achieved high statistical significance (p < 0.05), supporting their reliability in distinguishing between sexes. These observations hold important implications for forensic anthropology, clinical surgery, orthodontics, and population-specific anthropometric profiling.