Harmony · Side view · Facial Profile
Facial Convexity (Glabella)
The profile relationship from brow prominence through nose base to chin.
What is measured
The calculation
Oriented angle: glabella → subnasale → pogonion
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
Using the glabella includes brow prominence in the profile reference. It can differ from nasion-based convexity even if the nose base and chin are unchanged.
- Below 180°: a convex relationship at the nose base.
- Above 180°: a concave relationship; nearer 180° is straighter geometrically.
Where the idea comes from
Clinical reference
Clinical soft-tissue analyses examine the profile as a set of related contours. This version uses the glabella as its upper anchor rather than the nasal root. [1]
A worked example
Moving only the brow prominence changes this angle while leaving the nasion-based version unchanged.
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] Holdaway · 1984
A soft-tissue cephalometric analysis and its use in orthodontic treatment planning. Part IIExplains how lip, chin and skeletal relationships must be considered together, with a range of profiles compatible with balance.