Anthropometric analysis of linear parameters of the Indian nose: A cross-sectional study and comparison with literature

Abstract

Background: Many studies have been done to find out the accepted "ideal" appearance and proportions of the nose. However, much of this work has been limited to the facial architecture of the North American Caucasian population. Therefore, most beauty standards are driven by Western influences.

Aims and objectives: To measure different standard linear parameters of Indian faces and compare them with the studies found in the literature, in an endeavor to help in preoperative planning in rhinoplasty while maintaining their ethnicity.

Methods: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study of 500 subjects. A total of 21 standard measurements were noted directly from the faces, and 11 proportional values calculated. Mean values with standard deviations were statistically used for comparisons with studies in the literature.

Results: There were significant differences between male and female subjects of our study in 16 variables. The proportional indices calculated also revealed significant differences statistically in 6 out of 11 measurements between male and female subjects. Significant differences were found in most of the parameters when our data were compared with Indian American, North American white population, Korean, Chinese, and African American.

Conclusions: Facial measurements in the Indian population are different from those of other races, such as nasal index: (al-al × 100/n-sn), sn-prn x 100/ al-al index, and sn-prn x 100/n-Sn index, and it is important to have own set of parameters to act as standards guiding esthetic nasal surgeries while maintaining ethnicities. Our study is an attempt at the same. However, because of the huge diversity of the Indian population, it requires larger studies from different regions to achieve the final aim to create standards for cosmetic rhinoplasties.

Keywords: Direct linear anthropometrics (parameters); Facial proportions; Indian nose; Racial Comparisons.