PLATE 01 + 02 / HUMAN FACE

Anatomy of proportion

Select a region to explore its structure and evidence.

AnteriorFront

A / FIXED REFERENCE

LateralProfile

B / FIXED REFERENCE

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Illustrative anatomy · approximate outlines.
Not a measured “ideal” face.

FORMA FEATURE / MOUTH & LIPS

Philtrum & upper lip: measurements, ratios, and research

The philtrum is the central groove between the nose and upper vermilion. Skin length, groove definition, and upper-lip fullness are different measurements.

How philtrum & upper lip is measured

Cutaneous upper-lip length: subnasale to upper vermilion border. Subnasale to stomion includes the upper red lip. Do not substitute one for the other in a ratio.

Ratios, ranges & competing claims

2.0–2.25 : 1 — Forum chin-to-philtrum target

A forum ratio guide proposes this chin-to-philtrum interval.

Forum claim: Speculation with ambiguous endpoints: some posters include the lower lip in “chin” height. It is not equivalent to the clinical lower-third division. Ideal facial ratios and proportions

1 : 3 — Upper vermilion to skin above it

In a 101-observer study, a male upper-vermilion-to-upper-lip-skin ratio of 1:3 was rated most attractive among the tested options.

Study: All observers were Caucasian; manipulated images and discrete options constrain the result. The perception of lip aesthetics in the context of facial proportions

Practical takeaway

Balance skin length with upper-lip height.

Start with the study’s vermilion-to-skin comparison, then check how the entire upper-lip segment fits the lower face. A shorter philtrum is not the only route to a balanced appearance.

What changes the answer

The same skin length looks different with a thin versus full upper lip, a rotated nasal tip, or a taller chin. Distinguish skin-only length from nose-to-closed-lip-line height.

Connected facial features

Explore the interactive atlas and compare this feature with both fixed reference views.