# Nasolabial Angle

Harmony · Side view · Nose · https://www.faceiqlabs.com/support/harmony/nasolabial-angle

The angle between the underside of the nose and the upper lip at the nose base.

## What is measured

Calculation: Angle: columella → subnasale → upper-lip landmark

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

Evidence: 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.

## 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.

## How to read your result

Do not interpret it as nose rotation alone. A posed upper lip or smiling expression changes one of its arms.

## Research & further reading

These sources explain the history or related evidence. FaceIQ’s score weights and reference ranges are model settings; the papers do not collectively validate the scoring system.

- Biller & Kim (2009). [A contemporary assessment of facial aesthetic preferences](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19289680/). Compared 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.
- Tavakoli et al. (2023). [Ideal Nasal Preferences: A Quantitative Investigation with 3D Imaging in the Iranian Population](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37564715/). Asked 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.

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Source: https://www.faceiqlabs.com/support/harmony/nasolabial-angle · FaceIQ Labs overview for AI assistants: https://www.faceiqlabs.com/llms.txt