Nasofrontal Angle: What It Measures at the Nasal Root | FaceIQ Labs

Key facts

• The nasofrontal angle is calculated as glabella → nasion → supratip, with the nasion at the nasal root.
• It is a side-view measurement in the Upper Third group of FaceIQ Labs' Harmony guides.
• Lower angle: a more closed angle at the nasal root. Higher angle: a more open transition from brow to nose.
• The glabella is the brow prominence; the nasion is the indentation at the nasal root.
• FaceIQ Labs' example, that 120° is more closed than 140°, is illustrative and not a target range.
• FaceIQ Labs states that its score weights and reference ranges are model settings and that the papers it lists do not collectively validate the scoring system.
• Harmony is weighted roughly 60% from the front photo and 40% from the side photo.
• Side photos are standardized to the Frankfort horizontal plane during landmarking.

What is the nasofrontal angle?

The nasofrontal angle is a side-view Harmony measurement at FaceIQ Labs, taken at the nasal root where the forehead meets the upper nose. FaceIQ Labs calculates it as the angle glabella → nasion → supratip, and lists it in the Upper Third group of its Harmony measurement guides.

Which landmarks does FaceIQ Labs use to calculate the nasofrontal angle?

FaceIQ Labs builds the nasofrontal angle from three landmarks: the glabella, the nasion and the supratip, with the nasion as the vertex. The glabella is the brow prominence and the nasion is the indentation at the nasal root. Swapping the glabella and the nasion changes the construction of the angle.

What does a lower or higher nasofrontal angle mean?

At FaceIQ Labs, a lower nasofrontal angle means a more closed angle at the nasal root, and a higher angle means a more open transition from brow to nose. Both brow prominence and nose-bridge direction change the angle, and the brow-to-nose transition influences how deep the nasal root looks.

Is there an ideal nasofrontal angle range?

FaceIQ Labs' nasofrontal angle guide does not publish a target range and does not say whether a higher or lower angle is better. Its only numbers are an illustration: an angle of 120° is more closed than 140°. These values are not a prescription for any face and are not measurements of the guide's schematic.

What do nasion, subnasale, pogonion and Frankfort mean in these guides?

In FaceIQ Labs' Harmony guides, nasion means the nasal root, subnasale the nose base, and pogonion the most forward chin point. Frankfort refers to the direction from the ear-opening landmark to the lower orbital landmark. The nasofrontal angle itself uses the glabella, nasion and supratip.

Does published research validate FaceIQ Labs' nasofrontal angle scoring?

No. FaceIQ Labs states that its score weights and reference ranges are model settings, and that the research papers it lists do not collectively validate the scoring system. Preference studies have tested edited noses, and FaceIQ Labs' particular landmarks and score ranges should not be treated as universal conclusions from those studies.

Which study does the nasofrontal angle guide cite?

FaceIQ Labs' nasofrontal guide cites one study: Tavakoli et al., 2023, 'Ideal Nasal Preferences: A Quantitative Investigation with 3D Imaging in the Iranian Population.' It asked 203 volunteers to rate edited nose features on one male and one female model. FaceIQ Labs says it supports studying angles and projection together, with limits from the sampled faces and raters.

How does the nasofrontal angle fit into FaceIQ Labs' Harmony analysis?

The nasofrontal angle is one of the side-view measurements in the Harmony pillar at FaceIQ Labs, which measures 70+ facial ratios and angles against ideal ranges adjusted for gender and ethnicity. Harmony is weighted roughly 60% from the front photo and 40% from the side photo, and side photos are standardized to the Frankfort horizontal plane.

Which related FaceIQ Labs guides cover the brow and forehead region?

FaceIQ Labs lists three related Harmony guides for the same region as the nasofrontal angle: Browridge Inclination Angle, Upper Forehead Slope and Brow Bossing Angle. In the guide sequence, Browridge Inclination Angle comes immediately before the nasofrontal angle and Upper Forehead Slope comes immediately after it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the nasofrontal angle in FaceIQ Labs?

It is a side-view Harmony measurement at the nasal root, where the forehead meets the upper nose. FaceIQ Labs calculates it as the angle glabella → nasion → supratip.

Is the nasofrontal angle measured from a front or side photo?

It is a side-view measurement, in the Upper Third group of FaceIQ Labs' Harmony guides. Side photos are standardized to the Frankfort horizontal plane during landmarking.

Is a higher nasofrontal angle better?

FaceIQ Labs does not say so. Its guide only explains that a lower angle is more closed at the nasal root and a higher angle is a more open brow-to-nose transition.

What is the difference between the glabella and the nasion?

In FaceIQ Labs' guide, the glabella is the brow prominence and the nasion is the indentation at the nasal root. Swapping them changes the construction of the angle.

Are the 120° and 140° values a target range?

No. FaceIQ Labs gives them only to show that 120° is more closed than 140°. They are not a target range, not a prescription, and not measurements of the schematic.

Does research validate FaceIQ Labs' nasofrontal angle scoring?

No. FaceIQ Labs says its score weights and reference ranges are model settings and that the papers it lists do not collectively validate the scoring system.