An experimental study of the esthetic effect of facial profiles

In this study good-looking "male" and "female" as well as ugly facial profiles were shaped by 104 lay persons using an especially constructed device according to specific instructions. These profiles were photographed and subsequently evaluated using a series of parameters from soft tissue profile analyses. Although some significant mean value differences were found between the good-looking and ugly profile variants, they were not substantial. In contrast, markedly significant differences were revealed between the variances of all variables. In some instances the variance of the ugly profiles was more than 3 to 4 times higher than that of the good-looking profiles. These findings were convincingly confirmed when statistical distribution of the data was established and compared. This implies that perception of beauty is associated with regularity of facial features and is conveyed by measurement values which are located close to the mean. Ugliness is associated with extreme deviations from the latter in either direction. Apart from the facial proportions, the degree of convexity or concavity of facial profile and their sequence seem to be important for the esthetic effects. "Male" profiles in contrast to "female" profiles exhibited more conspicuous facial features such as pronounced convexity and concavity.