Survey identifies most pleasing nasal tip projection and rotation

(HealthDay)—A columellar facial angle of 106 degrees with the Crumley 1 tip projection is the most aesthetic combination of tip rotation and nasal tip projection (NTP), according to a study published online June 26 in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery.

Omar Ahmed, M.D., from New York University in New York City, and colleagues digitally modified lateral facial portraits of normal-appearing white women (aged 18 to 25 years; selected from a previously validated and attractiveness-scored database of images). The portraits were modified to fit the NTP ideals outlined by the Crumley 1, Crumley 2, and Goode methods with columellar facial angles (rotation metric) of 96, 101, 106, 111, and 116 degrees (15 modified images per portrait). Electronic surveys including these variants were distributed to traditional focus-group and online social-network participants.

The researchers found that the most preferred rotation variant for all three NTP methods was 106 degrees (P < 0.001). Of the NTP method, Crumley 1 was considered to be the most attractive (P < 0.001) overall and was the most preferred NTP method for faces of above-average attractiveness (P < 0.001). For faces of average attractiveness, no NTP method was significantly preferred (P > 0.05). A columellar facial angle of 106 degree with the Crumley 1 tip projection was found to be the most aesthetic combination of tip rotation and projection.

"To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study to attempt to simultaneously determine the ideal NTP and rotation," the authors write.

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