Determinants of facial attractiveness in a sample of white women

Esthetic evaluation of a photographic profile slide of a random sample of 130 adult white women was made by six judges. The esthetic evaluation included vertical and anteroposterior evaluation and an attractiveness score on a visual analog scale. Additionally, the judges were asked to give specific reasons for their scores. Profiles with increased vertical features or convex or Class II tendency profiles were judged as being the most unattractive. Judgment of facial appearance was consistently related to certain regions of the face: the chin, upper lip, and nose having the greatest effect on the overall judgment of appearance. Orthodontic and surgical treatment planning should focus primarily on these regions to obtain the best esthetic result.