Measurements · By FaceFluent editorial · Published
The ratio that studied behavior, not beauty
fWHR is the most studied single ratio in face perception research. Almost none of that research asked whether a face was attractive.
What the ratio compares
Cheekbone-to-cheekbone width divided by the height of the upper face, measured from the brow line down to the top of the upper lip. Both distances come from the same photograph, so the result is unitless and does not depend on how large the face sits in the frame.
Read the original question
The work that made this ratio well known linked it to judgements people make about behaviour, and those findings have been contested since. It was never a measure of attractiveness, and it cannot tell you anything about a particular person’s temperament. A page that presents it as a beauty metric has changed the subject.
Expect it to move with the camera
Weight changes the soft tissue over the cheek, and camera distance stretches or compresses apparent width. A wide-angle selfie and a photograph taken from two metres away will not agree about the same face. A difference between two images is usually a difference between two photographs.
Cheekbone-to-cheekbone width divided by the height of the upper face. It is the most studied single ratio in face perception research, and also the most over-read one.
How facial width-to-height ratio is measured, and what it cannot tell youSources and editorial scope
Read the methods or service reference. This reference provides context for the topic; it does not validate every planning suggestion or establish a personal benefit from a haircut or assessment.
Published by FaceFluent, which offers the product described here. These guides are educational and editorial content, not individual advice from a named stylist or clinician. Read our editorial scope or report an error.
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