Measurement of Aesthetic Proportions in the Profile View of Koreans

Abstract

We have evaluated the usefulness of direct soft tissue measurements in profile photographs for determining the nasal proportions and angles of young Korean individuals and those of rhinoplasty patients, and we compared these findings with existing norms of Caucasian populations. We retrospectively compared preoperative profile measurements of nasal length, nasal tip projection, dorsal height, radix height, nasolabial angle, and nasofrontal angle in 123 patients who underwent rhinoplasty, with measurements in 21 young Korean adults. Rhinoplasty patients were grouped by preoperative diagnosis as deviated nose without saddle or hump, saddle nose, hump nose, and low radix. The young Koreans had a nasal length to nasal tip projection to dorsal height to radix height ratio of 2:0.97:0.61:0.28. Dorsal height differed significantly among groups of rhinoplasty patients. Those with low radix had the lowest dorsal and radix height, whereas those with saddle nose had the smallest nasal tip projection. The average nasolabial and nasofrontal angles were 78.5 degrees and 82.7 degrees, respectively, in young male Koreans and 126.0 degrees and 133.6 degrees, respectively, in young female Koreans. In the deviated nose group, all parameters except for nasofrontal angle were significantly changed after rhinoplasty. In the saddle nose group, nasal tip projection and dorsal height were significantly increased, whereas, in the hump nose group, nasal tip projection and nasolabial angle were significantly altered. Direct soft tissue measurement on profile photographs is useful for assessing nasal characteristics and postrhinoplasty outcomes. Compared with Caucasians, young Koreans had relatively lower dorsum and radix and more acute nasolabial angle, but similar nasofrontal angle.