Three-dimensional facial morphometry of attractive Italian women

OBJECTIVES: To identify reference standards and possible esthetic features in facial proportion and form of Italian adult women. METHODS AND SUBJECTS: A three-dimensional electromagnetic digitizer was used to collect the coordinates of 50 facial landmarks (forehead, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, jaw, ears) in 71 healthy, reference women (18-30 years old) and in 48 "attractive" women selected during a beauty competition; soft tissue facial angles, distances and volumes were computed. RESULTS: Attractive women had wider faces with a relatively larger upper facial third (forehead); a larger facial width relative to facial height. The mouth was larger, and lips were more prominent; the interlabial angle was reduced. Overall, the soft-tissue profile was more prominent, with a larger maxillary prominence relative to the mandible. Faces in the attractive women were more flat in the horizontal plane. For several of the analyzed measurements, similar patterns were observed for the 36 women participants to the semi-final stage of the beauty competition, the 12 finalists, and the winner. The winner of the beauty competition deviated from the reference women more than the other two groups of attractive women. CONCLUSION: Esthetic reference values were determined for a population of 18-30 year olds that reflect contemporary society.