Longitudinal changes in the adult facial profile

Longitudinal growth changes in the adult craniofacial complex were studied for 24 white male and 23 white female subjects between the ages of 18 and 42 years who had Class I or end-to-end molar relationships and no excessive protrusions or retrusions. The male profile straightened with age, and both lips became more retrusive. The males increased in all nose dimensions and in soft tissue thickness at pogonion, but decreased in upper lip thickness at labrale superius with a slight decrease in lower lip thickness at labrale inferius. The female profile did not become straighter with age, and the lips did not become more retrusive as with males. The females also increased in nose dimensions but decreased in soft tissue thickness at pogonion, decreased in upper lip thickness at labrale superius, and slightly increased in lower lip thickness at labrale inferius. For males most changes in hard tissue measurements had been accomplished by age 25 years, whereas soft tissue changes in the nose, lips, and chin occurred as much after age 25 years as from age 18 to 25 years. For females, both hard and soft tissue measurements had more changes after age 25 years than before. Those males who had high relative sagittal mandibular growth also experienced larger sagittal maxillary growth, and those who showed greater skeletal growth also had more soft tissue growth at the nose. The females also had good correlation between sagittal growth in the mandible and the maxilla. Later maturing males had greater adult craniofacial skeletal growth in several dimensions.