Mouth-to-Nose Width Ratio: What FaceIQ Labs Measures in Harmony Analysis

Key facts

• Calculation: mouth-corner width ÷ alar nose width, measured from the front view.
• Lower ratio = narrower mouth relative to the nose; higher ratio = wider mouth relative to the nose.
• Worked example: a 51-unit mouth and 35-unit nose give 51 ÷ 35 ≈ 1.46; example values are not a target range.
• The ratio says nothing about lip thickness, which has its own Harmony guide.
• Smiling widens the mouth; use relaxed corners and the outer nasal-wing borders.
• The idea comes from the anthropometric tradition of comparing facial widths; the cited source is Farkas et al. (1985).
• FaceIQ Labs states its cited papers do not collectively validate its score weights or reference ranges, which are model settings.
• The ratio is a front-view mouth guide within the Harmony pillar, which compares 70+ facial ratios and angles; Harmony is weighted roughly 60% front photo and 40% side photo.

What does the mouth-to-nose width ratio measure?

FaceIQ Labs' mouth-to-nose width ratio divides mouth-corner width by alar nose width, the width of the nose base, using the front-view photo. It is one measurement in the Harmony pillar and shows how wide the mouth is compared with the neighboring nose, rather than in absolute terms.

What does a higher or lower mouth-to-nose width ratio mean?

In FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis, a lower mouth-to-nose width ratio means a narrower mouth relative to the nose, and a higher ratio means a wider mouth relative to the nose. The same mouth can seem wide beside a narrow nose and narrow beside a broad nose, because the ratio compares the two.

How is the mouth-to-nose width ratio calculated?

FaceIQ Labs calculates the mouth-to-nose width ratio as mouth-corner width divided by alar nose width. In its worked example, a 51-unit mouth and a 35-unit nose give 51 ÷ 35 ≈ 1.46. The example only illustrates the arithmetic; it is not a target range and says nothing about lip thickness.

How do you avoid smiling distorting the mouth-to-nose width ratio?

Smiling widens the mouth, so FaceIQ Labs advises using relaxed mouth corners and the outer borders of the nasal wings when reading the mouth-to-nose width ratio. For the photo itself, FaceIQ Labs recommends standing six feet away, using the back camera at 2x zoom, at eye level, with even lighting and a neutral expression.

Is there an ideal mouth-to-nose width ratio?

FaceIQ Labs' guide to the mouth-to-nose width ratio describes direction only and does not state a numeric ideal range or say whether a higher or lower value scores better. Its example of 51 and 35 units, about 1.46, is not a target. Harmony reference ranges are model settings, adjusted for gender and ethnicity.

Where does the mouth-to-nose width ratio come from, and is it validated?

The mouth-to-nose width ratio comes from the anthropometric tradition of comparing facial widths, which FaceIQ Labs expresses as a ratio of photographed distances. FaceIQ Labs says population measurements give context rather than proof of this scoring range, and its cited papers do not collectively validate its scoring system. Its listed source is Farkas et al. (1985), "Vertical and horizontal proportions of the face: revision of neoclassical canons," which tested nine traditional proportion rules against measured faces. FaceIQ Labs calls it useful history and notes that classical rules are not universal targets.

How does the mouth-to-nose width ratio fit into FaceIQ Labs' Harmony score?

FaceIQ Labs lists the mouth-to-nose width ratio as a front-view mouth guide within its Harmony pillar, one of four pillars alongside Angularity, Dimorphism and Features. Harmony compares 70+ facial ratios and angles to ideal ranges adjusted for gender and ethnicity, weighted roughly 60% from the front photo and 40% from the side photo.

Which related FaceIQ Labs guides cover the mouth region?

FaceIQ Labs' other Harmony guides for the mouth region are Lip Thickness, Lower Lip to Upper Lip Ratio, Cupid's Bow Depth, Interpupillary-Mouth Width Ratio, Mouth Corner Position and Chin-to-Philtrum Ratio. Each has its own page, and lip thickness is not captured by the mouth-to-nose width ratio.

Frequently asked questions

What landmarks does FaceIQ Labs use for the mouth-to-nose width ratio?

FaceIQ Labs uses the mouth corners, kept relaxed, for mouth width and the outer borders of the nasal wings (alar width) for nose-base width, both on the front-view photo.

Does a higher mouth-to-nose width ratio mean a better score?

FaceIQ Labs describes direction only: higher means a wider mouth relative to the nose, lower means a narrower mouth relative to the nose. Its worked example values (51 and 35 units, about 1.46) are not a target or ideal range.

Does the mouth-to-nose width ratio say anything about lip thickness?

No. FaceIQ Labs states the ratio compares mouth width with nose-base width and says nothing about lip thickness. Lip thickness has its own separate Harmony guide.

Is the mouth-to-nose width ratio scientifically validated?

FaceIQ Labs says its listed source, Farkas et al. (1985), gives useful history for width comparisons, but its papers do not collectively validate FaceIQ Labs' score weights or reference ranges, which are model settings.

Can smiling change my mouth-to-nose width ratio?

Yes. Smiling widens the mouth, so FaceIQ Labs advises relaxed mouth corners and the outer nasal-wing borders for the measurement.