Harmony · Side view · Nose
Nasolabial Angle
The angle between the underside of the nose and the upper lip at the nose base.
What is measured
The calculation
Angle: columella → subnasale → upper-lip landmark
Side view / Measurement guide
Follow the measurement
Dots mark the landmarks. Lines show how the measurement is taken.
In these 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.
Why it matters
It connects two neighboring contours. A change in upper-lip projection can change the angle even when nasal rotation stays the same, which is why both arms deserve attention.
- Lower: a more closed nose–lip junction.
- Higher: a more open nose–lip junction.
Where the idea comes from
Clinical reference
This is a long-used clinical nose–lip measure. Biller and Kim and later nasal preference studies tested related nose shapes, while stressing the role of the full face and the specific sample. [1] [2]
A worked example
A 100° junction is more closed than a 115° junction. Either nose-underside rotation or upper-lip direction can cause the difference.
Example values explain the calculation. They are not a target range and are not measurements of the schematic above.
Research & further reading
The sources below explain the history or related evidence. FaceIQ’s score weights and reference ranges are model settings; these papers do not collectively validate the scoring system.
[1] Biller & Kim · 2009
A contemporary assessment of facial aesthetic preferencesCompared ratings of edited brow and nose features on four female models. The authors emphasized individual facial harmony; this is context for feature relationships, not a test of every brow metric.
[2] Tavakoli et al. · 2023
Ideal Nasal Preferences: A Quantitative Investigation with 3D Imaging in the Iranian PopulationAsked 203 volunteers to rate edited nose features on one male and one female model. Supports studying angles and projection together, with limits from the sampled faces and raters.