Intercanthal-Nasal Width Ratio: What It Is and How FaceIQ Labs Measures It

Key facts

• Calculation: alar nose width ÷ inner-eye-corner distance
• Measured on the front view as part of FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis
• Below 1: the nose base is narrower than the inner-eye gap; above 1: it is wider
• Worked example: a nose 35 units wide and an inner-eye gap of 32 give 35 ÷ 32 ≈ 1.09; the example is not a target range
• Measure at the outer edges of the nasal wings, not the nostril openings
• Population variation in this ratio is substantial
• FaceIQ Labs divides nose width by eye gap, so check the order when comparing with other sources
• Harmony compares 70+ facial ratios and angles to ideal ranges adjusted for gender and ethnicity, weighted roughly 60% front photo and 40% side photo
• FaceIQ Labs cites Farkas et al. (1985 and 2005) as background and says these papers do not collectively validate its scoring system

What is the intercanthal-nasal width ratio?

At FaceIQ Labs, the intercanthal-nasal width ratio is alar nose width divided by the distance between the inner eye corners. It is a front-view Harmony measurement that relates the nose to the eye region immediately above it, and it is one of the 70+ facial ratios and angles in the Harmony pillar.

How do you read the intercanthal-nasal width ratio result?

In FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis, an intercanthal-nasal width ratio below 1 means the nose base is narrower than the gap between the inner eye corners, and a result above 1 means it is wider. A wider nose and a narrower inner-eye gap both raise the number, so the ratio cannot identify either feature alone.

What is a worked example of the ratio?

FaceIQ Labs illustrates the intercanthal-nasal width ratio with a nose 35 units wide and an inner-eye gap of 32 units, which gives 35 ÷ 32, about 1.09. The example only explains the arithmetic. It is not a target range and not a measurement of any real face.

Which points are used to measure nose width for this ratio?

FaceIQ Labs says to measure nose-base width across the outer edges of the nasal wings, not at the nostril openings. The second measurement is the distance between the inner eye corners. FaceIQ Labs notes that population variation in the intercanthal-nasal width ratio is substantial.

Is there an ideal range for the intercanthal-nasal width ratio?

FaceIQ Labs' guide to the intercanthal-nasal width ratio does not state a numeric ideal range. The company describes its score weights and reference ranges as model settings, and says the Farkas research it cites does not collectively validate them. The 1.09 worked example is an illustration, not a target.

Where does the intercanthal-nasal width ratio idea come from?

The intercanthal-nasal width ratio rests on a classical proportion canon comparing nasal width with inner-eye spacing. FaceIQ Labs divides nose width by eye gap, so anyone comparing its figures with other sources should check the order of division, because other sources may express the ratio the other way round.

What research does FaceIQ Labs cite for this ratio?

FaceIQ Labs lists two papers by Farkas and colleagues as background: a 1985 paper testing nine traditional proportion rules against measured faces, and a 2005 international anthropometric study of facial morphology across ethnic groups. FaceIQ Labs states its score weights and reference ranges are model settings that these papers do not collectively validate.

How does this ratio fit into the FaceIQ Labs Harmony score?

The intercanthal-nasal width ratio is one of the 70+ facial ratios and angles that FaceIQ Labs compares to ideal ranges, adjusted for gender and ethnicity, in its Harmony pillar. Harmony is weighted roughly 60% from the front photo and 40% from the side photo, and this ratio is measured on the front view.

Frequently asked questions

What is the intercanthal-nasal width ratio?

It is alar nose width divided by the distance between the inner corners of the eyes, measured on a front-view photo and used as one input to FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis.

Does a higher intercanthal-nasal width ratio mean a wider nose?

Not necessarily. A higher ratio can come from a wider nose base, a narrower inner-eye gap, or both, so the ratio alone cannot show which feature is responsible.

Which landmarks are used for the nose measurement?

FaceIQ Labs says to use the outer edges of the nasal wings for nose-base width, not the nostril openings.

Is there a target value for the intercanthal-nasal width ratio?

FaceIQ Labs' worked example of about 1.09 only illustrates the calculation and is not a target range. The company notes that population variation is substantial.

Does published research validate FaceIQ Labs' scoring of this ratio?

No. FaceIQ Labs cites Farkas et al. (1985 and 2005) as background on classical proportions and population variation, and states these papers do not collectively validate its scoring system.