Facial measurement terms,in plain words.

A

alar

Relating to the wings of the nose (the flared sides of the nostrils). how it is measured →

B

bigonial

The width across the jaw at its two back corners (the gonial angles). how it is measured →

bizygomatic

The width across the face at the cheekbones — the widest bony point. how it is measured →

brow apex

The highest point (peak) of the eyebrow arch. how it is measured →

C

canthal

Relating to the corners of the eye (canthi).

canthal tilt

The angle of the line between the inner and outer corners of your eye. Positive = outer corner higher. how it is measured →

canthus

The corner of the eye. The inner one is the medial canthus, the outer the lateral canthus — the two points canthal tilt is measured between. how it is measured →

chin projection not measured from a photo

How far the chin comes forward. The real measurement is millimetres on a calibrated lateral; from a profile photograph Canthion reports the direction against the lower lip and says which it is. why not →

commissure

The corner of the mouth, where the upper and lower lips meet. how it is measured →

E

E-line not measured from a photo

Ricketts' aesthetic line, from nose tip to chin, used to judge lip position. It has norms in millimetres and needs a calibrated lateral radiograph; a photograph gives the direction only. why not →

erythema

Redness of the skin from blood vessels near the surface. how it is measured →

F

facial fifths

The face split into five equal-eye-width columns across, a classical proportion guide. how it is measured →

facial harmony

How well proportions agree with one another rather than any single one being ideal. It is the largest of the four parts of the Canthion score.

facial thirds

The face split top-to-bottom into three parts (hairline→brow, brow→nose base, nose base→chin). how it is measured →

Fitzpatrick type not measured from a photo

A scale of how skin responds to sun exposure. It is a history, not a colour, so no photograph can assign it — Canthion reports measured lightness and undertone instead. why not →

fWHR not measured from a photo

Facial width-to-height ratio: cheekbone width divided by the height from brow to upper lip. Widely quoted as a masculinity marker; the effect in the literature is much smaller and less consistent than forum posts suggest. why not →

G

golden ratio (face) not measured from a photo

The claim that an attractive face matches the ratio 1.618. There is no good evidence that faces cluster on it, and any face can be made to fit by choosing which points to measure between. why not →

gonial angle

The angle at the back corner of the jaw (bone). From a photo Canthion reports its visible equivalents — jaw taper and jaw definition — with the method stated. how it is measured →

H

hunter eyes

Forum term for deep-set eyes with a low, hooded upper lid and a positive canthal tilt. The canthal tilt part is measurable from a photo; the rest is a description, not a metric. how it is measured →

I

infraorbital

The area just below the eye (the under-eye).

intercanthal

The distance between the inner corners of the two eyes. how it is measured →

L

looksmaxxing

Deliberately improving how you look. Most of what works is grooming, skin, hair, body composition and photography — the parts a report can actually give you a plan for.

M

menton

The lowest point of the chin.

mewing not measured from a photo

Holding the tongue against the palate, claimed to reshape the jaw. There is no controlled evidence of skeletal change in adults; nothing in this report measures or endorses it.

mogging not measured from a photo

Forum slang for visibly outclassing someone in appearance. Not a measurement and nothing in this report reports it.

N

nasal index

Nose width divided by nose height, as a percentage — a shape descriptor, not a size. how it is measured →

nasion

The dip at the top of the nose bridge, between the eyes.

O

ogee curve not measured from a photo

The S-shaped cheek contour seen in three-quarter view. It is a lighting and surface read, not a distance a flat photograph can measure. why not →

orbital vector not measured from a photo

Whether the eye sits ahead of or behind the cheek in profile — "positive" or "negative" canthal support. It needs a true lateral and a depth reference a photograph does not carry. why not →

P

palpebral fissure

The eye opening itself — corner to corner. how it is measured →

percentile

The share of the reference group that falls below your value. 50th = exactly typical.

periorbital

The area around the eye. how it is measured →

philtrum

The vertical groove between the base of the nose and the top of the upper lip. how it is measured →

PSL score not measured from a photo

A forum convention (from the PSL boards) for rating a face out of 10 by eye. It is a rater consensus, not a measurement, and no published scale defines it. Canthion scores distance from reference proportions instead, and says so.

S

standard deviation

A measure of how spread out a group's values are around the average.

subnasale

The point where the base of the nose meets the upper lip.

T

trichion

The hairline at the middle of the forehead.

V

vermilion

The reddish part of the lip — the lip proper, as opposed to the skin around it. how it is measured →

Z

z-score

How many standard deviations your value is from the group average. 0 = average.