Scientists reveal what kind of face is considered “mathematically beautiful” and why

Scientists have used Reese Witherspoon’s face as an example of a face that is considered beautiful mathematically.

According to the scientists, if you have a heart-faced shape like the Hollywood star’s own, then you can class yourself as “mathematically beautiful”. They went on to list the qualities that make a face desirable. One of such qualities is having cheekbones that are as wide as your eyebrows. Researchers have discovered that such a face is the most desirable type.

The conclusion was derived after analysing the average facial measurements from photographs of 55 beautiful female models. Following the analysis, scientists at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia were able to quantify the exact idealistic facial proportions.

They revealed that the “average inter pupillary distance”, that is the distance between the model’s eyes, was a strict 59.2 mm. While the vertical distance between your eyes and your cheekbones below should be 13.1mm if you want to class yourself as attractive. Those measurements add up to a “heart-shaped” face, which can act as a guide to help cosmetic surgeons design perfect looks through fillers or facelifts.

Led by Dr Gary Linkov, the researchers used a measurement called WIZDOM, which stands for “Width of the Interzygomatic Distance of the Midface”. WIZDOM calculates the horizontal distance between the most prominent point of each cheek bone. However, they admitted the WIZDOM measurements can be manipulated with the use of highlighter makeup and blush. They then used this horizontal line as a base to analyse distances to other parts of the face, for the study published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal. Some 13 distances were measured, but only eight were found to be statistically significant in terms of attractiveness.

For the study, cosmetic surgeon Dr Allan Wulc, a senior author of the study, selected fifty-five stock photographs of female models from Shutterstock after typing in the phrase “beautiful young woman not smiling”. The result of the study was published in Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

Writing in the journal, researchers said: “The notion of ‘mathematical beauty’ implies the existence of ideal facial contours, dimensions, and ratios that, when present, create a harmonious, balanced, and attractive face.

“A heart-shaped midface is the quintessential symbol of youth and remains the overarching goal of mid facial rejuvenation. However, few objective criteria exist to describe mid facial position, whether in the ideal or aged state. We felt that these parameters might be useful to clinicians looking to find means of quantifying ageing changes, as well as postoperative improvements.”

The researchers added: “Interestingly, brow length and WIZDOM measurements were found to be nearly identical, without a statistically significant difference. Therefore, the zygomaxillary points should ideally lie vertically below the tail of the corresponding eyebrow.”

Dr Gary Ross, a facial cosmetic surgeon based in Manchester has welcomed the findings.

He told MailOnline: “The face and neck can droop with age, as the skin loses its elasticity and the face appears to lose volume. This equation essentially points out that enhanced volume in your face can make you look more aesthetically pleasing, scientifically speaking. While we’ve always known this, it’s the first time anyone has sought to put an exact parameter on a ‘beautiful’ mid face.”