Comparative Values of External Nose Measurement with Photograph According to Sex and Age in Korean Adults

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Rhinoplasty has been frequently performed for correction of injured nose or cosmetic reasons. Korean standard values are insufficient, and most reference values are based on Caucasian ones. We measured Korean values of external nose with photographs according to sex and age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred forty seven subjects without past history of operation or trauma were included in this study. With scaled instrument for head fixation, frontal and profile views were taken. On frontal view, physiognomic face height and nasal width were measured. On profile view, midface height, nasal height, alar height, glabellar depth, nasion depth, nasal dorsum depth, nasal tip depth, nasal depth, nasofrontal angle and nasolabial angle were measured. And location of nasion and shape of nasal dorsum were also classified. RESULT: Physiognomic face height decreased with age in both men and women groups. Nasofrontal angle increased with age in men. Nasion was located between upper end of upper eyelid and lateral canthus in most cases. On classifying the shape of nasal dorsum, straight type was the most in both men and women groups. CONCLUSION: We could know average measurements of external nose and differences of those according to sex and age in Korean adults. And it is thought that these data will be useful to facial plastic surgery including rhinoplasty.