Total face height-to-width ratio

The outer face changes how much space surrounds the features. Widening the cheeks can make unchanged eyes and a mouth look more concentrated towards the centre. Adding height makes their vertical positions within the face more noticeable.

The overall ratio describes that broad-versus-elongated relationship, while the contour determines the particular shape. A long rectangle and a narrow oval may have similar height-to-width values but differ in how much the sides taper. Temple, jaw and chin widths show where the outline retains breadth.

A high ratio can reflect extra height in a particular region. A tall forehead adds space above the nasal root, while a long lower face extends the region below the nose. When several regions contribute, the whole face may look elongated without one part standing out.

Narrow cheeks can also raise the ratio while the vertical distances remain ordinary. The lateral outline sits closer to the features, making the face look long by comparison. Facial thirds may remain evenly divided because narrowing changes the surrounding width rather than the distribution of height.

Extra height and limited width can occur together. The impression is stronger when the jaw and chin also narrow, while a broad lower face can retain a rectangular shape through the added height.

A low ratio can come from a short hairline-to-chin distance or broad cheeks. A short face brings its upper and lower boundaries closer to the central features. A broad face may retain substantial vertical space while extending farther to the sides.

The jaw determines how far that breadth continues below the cheeks. Broad corners and a broad chin can create a square or short rectangular outline. A narrow jaw beneath the same cheeks creates more taper, making the cheekbones the most prominent span.

Temple width affects the upper transition in a similar way. Broad temples make the sides straighter above the cheeks, while narrow temples add an outward curve into them.

A long face can contain a compact centre. High total height-to-width together with high fWHR suggests that the forehead or lower face contributes length outside the central interval. The eyes, nose and upper lip may occupy a relatively short region within the longer outline.

Facial thirds help locate that height. A large lower-third share still needs to be divided around the mouth: extra space above the upper lip separates it from the nose, while extra space below the lower lip extends the chin. These arrangements place the mouth at different levels within the lower face.

Compare width around the longer region too. A tall lower face with broad corners and a broad chin forms a substantial rectangular base. The same height ending in a narrow chin produces a more slender outline.

Ferrario and colleagues documented unequal growth across facial regions, with substantial development of the lower face towards adulthood. Velemínská and colleagues associated larger faces with greater elongation. Height and width can therefore change together without preserving the same ratio.

The hairline can change the upper endpoint independently of the regions below it. Recession at the centre increases measured height even if the nose and jaw remain unchanged. A naturally tall forehead can give a similar result, so earlier photographs are useful when discussing a change.

Soft-tissue fullness also affects visible breadth. Fuller cheeks may lower the ratio and round the outline without shortening the face. Compare the actual boundaries in similarly posed photographs to see which dimension has changed.

The facial-form experiment cited below found that changing the outline affected attractiveness ratings. Abbas and Duchaine also found that ratings of one facial region depended on the region paired with it.

The 1.28–1.38 reference describes one overall height-to-width relationship. Its endpoints are not established preference boundaries for every distribution of forehead and lower-face height. A broad, long lower face and a tall forehead above a short centre can share the ratio while presenting different outlines.