Nasolabial angle
The angle between the base of your nose and your upper lip.
Why it matters
This angle sets whether the nose tip looks rotated up or droopy; it differs by sex (sharper in men).
The angle between nose and lip
The nasolabial angle opens up between the base of the nose and the upper lip. In profile it is read from the columella (the small strut of tissue between the nostrils) down to where the nose base meets the philtrum of the upper lip.
A larger angle means the nose tip appears rotated upward, showing a little more of the nostril; a smaller angle means the tip points more downward, toward a droopier look. This is one of the few profile metrics with a clearly documented sex difference, which is why the tool applies separate bands for men and women.
Why tip rotation reads strongly
The set of this angle is one of the first things the eye registers in a profile, because it governs whether the nose tip lifts or drops. A drooping tip can age a profile and is a common reason people seek tip work, while an over-rotated tip can look upturned.
The convention reported here is simply that a tip neither markedly drooped nor over-rotated reads balanced, and that the comfortable range differs by sex. It is a preference about contour, not a statement about worth.
The range, and the honest sex difference
The general band runs about 94 to 108 degrees, averaging near 100. The tool then splits it: roughly 90 to 100 degrees for men (a sharper angle) and 96 to 108 degrees for women (a more open one). This rests on Armijo et al. (2012), who set out to define the ideal nasolabial angle and found it sharper in men than in women, with Powell & Humphreys (1984) and Naini (2011) as supporting references.
Two caveats: this is a documented dimorphism, but it remains an aesthetic preference recorded in particular study samples, not a universal target, and it varies with ethnicity and with lip posture. As with every profile metric here, mesh accuracy in profile is limited, so read the figure as indicative.
Interpreting and adjusting it
Lip posture has an outsized effect on this reading: a relaxed mouth and a tightened one can produce different angles from the same face, so a neutral expression and a true side-on photo matter.
The angle is set by the cartilage at the nose base and the position of the upper lip, both structural and fixed without intervention. The honest levers are mostly photographic and expressive: a relaxed mouth, a level camera, even lighting. Non-surgically, a small amount of filler or a muscle-relaxing injection near the base can subtly rotate a drooping tip for a few months. Surgically, tip rhinoplasty sets rotation permanently. These are noted as options that exist, neutrally.
Typical range
~94-108°
Angle between the base of the nose and the upper lip. Measured from the profile photo.
What your reading means
- Typical
- Your nose-to-lip angle sits in the flattering range for your sex.
- Less common
- Your nasolabial angle is close to the preferred range.
- Distinctive
- Your nose tip reads droopy or over-rotated versus the preferred range.
How we measured it
From your side photo, the angle from the nose tip through the nose base to the upper lip.
The evidence
Sex-specific: sharper in men (~95-100°), more obtuse in women (~100-108°) (Armijo 2012; ♂105/♀109 photogrammetric). Profile mesh accuracy is limited.
References
- Armijo, B. S., Brown, M., & Guyuron, B. (2012). Defining the ideal nasolabial angle. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 129(3), 759-764. Found the ideal nasolabial angle is sharper in men (~93.4-98.5 degrees) than women (~95.5-100.1 degrees).
- Powell, N., & Humphreys, B. (1984). Proportions of the Aesthetic Face. New York: Thieme-Stratton.
- Naini, F. B. (2011). Facial Aesthetics: Concepts and Clinical Diagnosis. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell.