Nasion (n) — deepest midline point of the nasofrontal groove at the root of the nose; soft-tissue correlate of the nasofrontal suture. [1]
Rhinion (r) — junction of the bony and cartilaginous dorsum (caudal end of the nasal bones); on profile it is typically the apex of a dorsal hump. [1,2]
Supratip break point — point on the dorsal profile just cephalic to the tip-defining point where the dorsal line steps down to the lobule. [5]
Pronasale (prn) — most anteriorly protruded point of the nasal tip on profile; the tip-defining point. [1]
Columellar point (c′) — mid-point of the anterior columellar margin between subnasale and the infratip lobule; with sn it defines the columellar tangent of the nasolabial angle. [1,2]
Subnasale (sn) — midline point where the columellar base merges with the upper lip (nasolabial junction); vertex of the nasolabial angle. [1]
Labrale superius (ls) — midline point of the vermilion border of the upper lip; with sn it defines the lip tangent of the nasolabial angle. [1]
Frontal landmarks
Nasion (n) — midline point at the radix. [1]
Mid-dorsum — midline point on the dorsal aesthetic lines at the mid-vault; the paired lines should run as gentle unbroken curves from the brows to the tip-defining points. [5]
Tip (prn) — tip-defining point on the midline. [1]
Alare (al) — most lateral point of each alar contour; the al–al distance is the anthropometric nasal width. [1]
Subnasale (sn) — midline base of the columella. [1]
Optional facial reference points
Glabella (g) — most prominent midline forehead point; with nasion and tip it defines the nasofrontal angle. [1,2]
Pogonion (pg) — most anterior soft-tissue chin point; anchors the facial line for the nasofacial and nasomental angles. [2,5]
Alar crease (ac) — alar–facial groove; the reference for Goode tip-projection. [2,6]
Medial canthi — inner eye corners; the intercanthal distance is the neoclassical reference for alar base width. [1]
Nasolabial angle — at subnasale between the columellar (sn–c′) and upper-lip (sn–ls) tangents. Ideal 90–95° (men), 95–110° (women). [2,5]
Nasofrontal angle — glabella–nasion line to nasion–tip line; ideal 115–130° (more obtuse favoured in women, more acute in men). [2,5]
Nasofacial angle — facial line (glabella–pogonion) to nasion–tip line; ideal 30–40°, ≈ 36° by Crumley's 3-4-5 triangle. [2,5,6]
Nasomental angle — nasion–tip line to tip–pogonion line; ideal 120–132°. [2,5]
Tip projection (Goode) — perpendicular distance from the tip to the alar-facial line ÷ nasion–tip length; ideal 0.55–0.60. [6] Byrd: projection ≈ 0.67 × ideal nasal length, which ≈ 0.67 × midface height. [4]
Dorsal profile — rhinion height vs the nasion–tip line. A straight or minimally convex dorsum is the male ideal; a high dorsum with slight concavity and a subtle supratip break is the female ideal. [5]
Alar base width — should approximate the intercanthal distance and the middle fifth of facial width (neoclassical canon). [1,6]
Note — all ratios are scale-invariant; angles are computed from your placed points. Linear millimetre values (e.g. columellar show 2–4 mm, nasal length 45–49 mm) require a calibrated scale and are not reported.
Population-matched norms
Ideal bands shift with the selected population. The nasolabial angle is the most ethnically stable parameter and changes least across groups. [7]
Middle Eastern — a wider (more obtuse) nasofrontal angle is preferred (≈ 133–138° in 3D preference studies), with nasolabial, dorsal, and projection values close to the neoclassical canon. [8]
East Asian — characteristically wider nasofrontal angle (≈ 138–142°), more acute nasolabial angle, lower (under-projected) tip, and wider alar base; augmentation rather than reduction is the usual goal. [9,10]
These bands are planning references, not targets to impose — preserving ethnic identity and the individual patient's wishes takes precedence over any canon.
References
Farkas LG. Anthropometry of the Head and Face. 2nd ed. New York: Raven Press; 1994.
Powell N, Humphreys B. Proportions of the Aesthetic Face. New York: Thieme-Stratton; 1984.
Armijo BS, Brown M, Guyuron B. Defining the ideal nasolabial angle. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012;130(4):759-764.
