Three-dimensional facial morphological features of young Han Chinese women: A preliminary study

Objective To explore the feasibility of our method on assessing the three-dimensional facial morphological features based on three-dimensional surface imaging techniques. Methods According to the admission criteria, three-dimensional facial images of 34 attractive young Chinese women and 172 healthy reference young women were selected from the three-dimensional facial images database of our department. For those images, anthropometric facial measurements including facial height, width, the degree of convexity and concavity were computed using three-dimensional surface imaging techniques combined with three-dimensional coordinate system. The variance between attractive group and reference group was analyzed and the facial morphological features of each group were preliminarily summarized. Results Both groups met the criteria of mesoprosopy, not the " vertical facial trisection and rule of fifths" . The attractive group had a relatively narrow anterior facial frame, a more rounded and full upper face compared with the reference group. They also had smaller intercanthal width compared with the reference group. Moreover, the attractive group showed more prominent nose, more full and prominent medial cheek. In addition, the attractive group shared less protruded upper lips and less retruded chin compared with the reference group. Conclusions Assessing facial morphology using three-dimensional surface imaging techniques is a convenient and feasible method. The evaluation of sagittal facial convexity and concavity is an indispensable part of facial morphology features assessment. Key words: Imaging, three-dimensional; Anthropometry; Face; Coordinate system; Sagittal position