What Is the Ear Protrusion Ratio in FaceIQ Labs' Harmony Analysis?

Key facts

• Calculation: mean absolute ear-to-cheek horizontal gap ÷ cheekbone width × 100.
• Three values are used: left ear-to-cheek extension, right ear-to-cheek extension, and cheekbone width.
• It compares the ears' lateral extent with face width, not with the width of the ears themselves.
• A lower ratio means a smaller average horizontal ear-to-cheek gap; a higher ratio means a larger gap.
• Worked example: a 14-unit average gap against a 140-unit face width gives 10%. The example is not a target range.
• Hair coverage, head rotation, or an ear landmark inside the cheek outline can make the result misleading.
• FaceIQ Labs describes this as its own landmark-based description of facial shape; the cited research does not directly validate this formula or its score.
• The one cited source is Farkas et al., 2005, 'International anthropometric study of facial morphology in various ethnic groups/races'.
• It is a front-view measurement in the Harmony pillar, one of four pillars (Harmony, Angularity, Dimorphism, Features), and has a companion guide called Ear Protrusion Angle.

What does FaceIQ Labs' Ear Protrusion Ratio measure?

FaceIQ Labs' Ear Protrusion Ratio measures the average horizontal extension of the ears beyond the cheek landmarks, relative to face width. It is the mean absolute ear-to-cheek horizontal gap divided by cheekbone width, multiplied by 100. It is taken from the front view and uses three values: the left extension, the right extension and the cheekbone width.

How is the Ear Protrusion Ratio calculated?

• Measure the horizontal gap between the left ear and the left cheek landmark (left ear-to-cheek extension).
• Measure the horizontal gap between the right ear and the right cheek landmark (right ear-to-cheek extension).
• Take the mean of the absolute values of the two gaps.
• Divide that mean by the cheekbone width.
• Multiply by 100 to express the result as a percentage.

Why does the Ear Protrusion Ratio matter in FaceIQ Labs' analysis?

In FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis, the Ear Protrusion Ratio describes how much the ears contribute to the front-view silhouette. It compares their lateral extent with face width, not with ear width. A lower value means a smaller average horizontal ear-to-cheek gap, and a higher value means a larger one.

What is an example calculation of the Ear Protrusion Ratio?

FaceIQ Labs gives a worked example for its Ear Protrusion Ratio: an average ear-to-cheek gap of 14 units against a face width of 140 units gives a ratio of 10%. The example only illustrates the arithmetic. It is not a target range and is not a measurement of the guide's schematic.

What can make the Ear Protrusion Ratio result inaccurate?

• Hair coverage over the ears.
• Head rotation away from a straight front-facing pose.
• An ear landmark that falls inside the cheek outline.
• FaceIQ Labs' Ear Protrusion Ratio uses absolute landmark distances, so each of these can distort the measured gap and make the ratio misleading.

Where does the Ear Protrusion Ratio come from, and has it been validated?

FaceIQ Labs presents the Ear Protrusion Ratio as its own landmark-based description of facial shape. The linked research gives background on facial measurement but has not directly validated this exact formula or its score. FaceIQ Labs says its score weights and reference ranges are model settings that the cited papers do not collectively validate.

What research does FaceIQ Labs cite for the Ear Protrusion Ratio?

FaceIQ Labs cites one source for the Ear Protrusion Ratio: Farkas et al., 2005, 'International anthropometric study of facial morphology in various ethnic groups/races'. The paper documents variation in facial dimensions across sampled populations. FaceIQ Labs notes that descriptive measurements explain variation and do not establish an attractiveness score.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Ear Protrusion Ratio the same as the Ear Protrusion Angle?

No. They are separate guides in FaceIQ Labs' Harmony measurement library. The Ear Protrusion Ratio measures the horizontal ear-to-cheek gap relative to cheekbone width; the Ear Protrusion Angle has its own guide.

Does the Ear Protrusion Ratio compare ear size to face width?

No. FaceIQ Labs states that it compares how far the ears extend laterally from the cheek landmarks with face width, not the width of the ears themselves.

Can hairstyle affect my Ear Protrusion Ratio?

Yes. Hair covering the ears can make the result misleading, because the calculation depends on absolute landmark distances.

Has FaceIQ Labs' cited research validated the Ear Protrusion Ratio formula?

No. FaceIQ Labs describes the formula as its own landmark-based adaptation. The cited Farkas et al. (2005) study gives background on variation in facial measurements but has not directly validated this formula or its score.

Is 10% an ideal Ear Protrusion Ratio?

The guide does not give an ideal value. The 10% figure comes from a worked example (14-unit gap, 140-unit face width) and is explicitly not a target range.