Current Trends in Ideal Nasal Aesthetics Shows a Preference Towards Longer Augmented Noses in Younger Populations
Anmol A. Patel, BA, BS, Alexandra R. Gordon, MS, Donald Salisbury, BA, BS, Jinesh Shah, MD, Oren M. Tepper, MD
Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Background: There are various options for nasal refinement, including surgical and nonsurgical; to achieve reduction, augmentation, or some combination of both. While classical ideals for nasal aesthetics have been described, no study to date has identified the contemporary ideal nasal profile among different age groups. Our group surveyed the general population to understand the current day perception of ideal nasal profiles among ethnicities and across age groups; considering the radix height and nasolabial angle (NLA).
Methods: 2D images of ten female noses of varying ethnicities were simulated using Adobe Photoshop to alter the radix height and NLA. The authors recruited volunteers from the general population to complete a survey via electronic mail. They were asked to identify the most attractive radix height (increased 5mm, baseline, decreased 5mm) and most attractive NLA (90, 100, 110 degrees). Correlations between aesthetic preferences were made based on demographic data. Statistical significance was determined by the Pearson chi-square test, t-test, and multivariate analysis.
Results: 177 completed survey responses were recorded. Age groups were categorized by generations; Generation Z 18-23 (16.4%, n=29), Millennial 20s 24-30 (44.6% n=79), Millennial 30s 31-39 (22%, n=39), and Generation X 40-55 (17%, n=30). Among the 10 female volunteers, the average nasal height was 39.9 ± 3.2 mm. Generation Z and Millennial 20s preferred a NLA of 90 degrees and 5mm increased radix height (p<0.01, p=0.02; p<0.01, p=0.03 respectively). The next advanced age group, Millennial 30s demonstrated preference towards the same radix height (p=0.05) but differed in their choice of a more obtuse angle (100 degrees, p<0.01). Lastly, Generation X preferred a similar 90-degree angle to the younger population (p<0.01), but an unaugmented radix (p=0.03).
Conclusion: In terms of overall nasal profile, our younger groups (Generation Z, Millennial 20s, and Millennial 30s) preferred a more augmented appearance to the nasal radix and dorsum. This may be a cultural shift that, in part, is due to the recent trends of nonsurgical rhinoplasty with fillers. Three of our four groups identified an ideal nasolabial angle of 90 degrees, which differs from conventional ideal nasal aesthetics, suggesting additional trends towards a longer and less rotated tip aesthetic.
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