Beauty Beyond the Golden Ratio: A Study of Perception Regarding Facial Proportions and Symmetry in the Turkish Population
Beauty Beyond the Golden Ratio
Keywords:
plastic surgery, craniofacial, esthetic surgery, facial proportions, faceAbstract
Background: The “golden” ratio is an effective tool for defining facial beauty and attractiveness. However, faces that lack such commonly accepted proportions can still be considered beautiful. Therefore, other important factors can also have contributory effects on facial attractiveness.
Objectives: The authors examined the effect of previously described and utilized facial proportions and facial asymmetry on the perception of beauty and attractiveness. The optimal values of four different facial ratios and the optimal degree of asymmetry were examined.
Methods: In this study, 10 faces were adjusted to reference values, then -2.5%, -5%, +2.5%, +5% deformations were created. Participants were asked to choose via online survey the most and least attractive face between 5 photographs of the same person with different facial ratio values. Finally, split-face imaging was used to generate right and left-symmetrical images. These images along with the original were questioned to determine the most and least attractive.
Results: The most attractive face was closer to the reference ratios while the least attractive face was the most distant from the reference. Both the left and right symmetrical faces were considered less attractive compared to the natural asymmetrical face.
Conclusions: Standardized “golden” ratios are effective reference points to the perception of facial attractiveness although deviation from these proportions does not always imply that a face will not be perceived attractive as some degree of asymmetry also contributes to facial attractiveness and beauty.