#4-1. Understanding the Aesthetics of the Nose

In the previous article, we discussed which conditions should be met for the eyes to appear beautiful. In short, the size of the eye can be measured vertically(length) and horizontally(width). According to the golden ratio, when the face is divided into five equal vertical sections, the eyes should fill the second and fourth sections. The glabella should have similar width as the eyes. Now, let us take a look at what makes the nose beautiful.

In the frontal view, the ideal ratio of the nose is as shown in Figure 1. The distance from the glabella to the nasal tip should be about 1/3 of the entire length of the face and the width of the lower nose(including the alas) should be similar to the width of the glabella.

Figure 1. Ideal ratios in the frontal face.

However, to obtain more natural improvements with rhinoplasty, it is important to understand the silhouette that suits the Asian face. The ideal silhouette(profile) has a rounded forehead which continues smoothly downward to the right height of the nose bridge and the rounded nasal tip. The lowest point along this silhouette(Point A in Figure 2), or the nasal root, is the origin of the nose and the nose ends at the nasal tip(the distance between A and B is the length of the nose).

The nose can become elongated when the nasal root is raised or the nasal tip is lowered. And the opposite can be done to shorten the length of the nose. However, the nasal tip cannot be easily raised or lowered as the nasolabial angle and conditions of the nasal root should be considered.

In Caucasians, the nose should begin from the glabella or the fold of the upper eyelid to appear aesthetically pleasing. On the other hand, the nose that begins from the height of the pupils looks better in Asians. In a Southern Mongoloid face, the nasal root should not be above this point, whereas the nasal root can be slightly higher in Northern Mongoloid face.