Perception of facial profile attractiveness of different antero-posterior and vertical proportions

This study investigated the influence of changing the antero-posterior (AP) and vertical proportions of the lower face on the rankings of facial attractiveness. Four hundred and fifty-four (219 males and 235 females) native Jordanians of various ages and professions rated the attractiveness of a sequence of antero-posteriorly and vertically altered male and female profile images. Attractiveness ranking scores were obtained from the visual assessment of these digitally altered male and female profile images that represented a range of AP and vertical lower facial proportions. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the rank scores were calculated. Statistical analyses were employed for comparison between the different age groups, genders, and professions. A Class I male profile with a normal lower face height and Class I female profile with a reduced lower face height were ranked as the most attractive. Class II male and female profiles with increased lower face heights were ranked as least attractive. As the vertical and AP dimensions diverged from normal, attractiveness decreased. Images with Class II profile features and increased lower face heights were considered less attractive than corresponding images with Class III profile features and reduced lower face heights. Gender had a limited influence on the perception of attractiveness. A significant difference was found between dentists and lay people in the perception of profile attractiveness.