Comparative evaluation of facial divine proportions in males and females with average growth pattern

Facial beauty of an individual depends on proportion and its relationship to various facial parts which varies in each individual. The values of measured proportion in beautiful faces are likely to approximate divine proportion and may show variation with ethinicity, sex, growth pattern. Hence, aim of the study was to evaluate and compare vertical and horizontal parameters of facial divine proportions in male and female subjects with average growth pattern. 30 subjects (18-30 yrs age) with average growth pattern (based on cephalometric measurements FMA, Yaxis, GoGn-SN and facial axis angle) were divided into two groups as Group I (Male subjects, n=15) ; Group II (female subjects, n=15). Standardized frontal facial photographs of all the subjects were obtained. Nine vertical and four horizontal parameters were measured on all the facial photographs using IC Measure software and were used to evaluate horizontal and vertical facial proportions and then compared to divine proportions considering 1.618 as 100%. Horizontal and Vertical facial proportion in males were higher than females. Group I showed that three of seven vertical facial proportions were close to divine proportion (1.618) whereas only one vertical facial proportion in Group II were close to divine proportions. Horizontal facial proportions in both the groups deviated more from divine proportion (1.618). There was difference between males and females for the vertical and horizontal facial proportions with values being larger in males. This should be considered as an accessory guideline in planning orthodontic or orthognathic treatment.