Brazilians judge facial beauty differently than North Americans

October 4, 2009

Standard ideals of facial beauty and harmony may differ depending on geographic location, with a specific difference between North American beauty ideals and those of Brazilians.

In a paper presented at the 2009 American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF) Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO in San Diego, researchers studied the preferences of a group of health professionals who work with facial esthetics, a group of artists and sculptors, and a group of general citizens. They were asked about their esthetic impression of three nasal root height variations, produced with computer imaging from the profiles of six women between the ages of 18 and 30 years.

The low position of the nasal root, between the upper eyelid crease and the pupil level, was considered the most beautiful by the Brazilian health professionals, artists, and lay public (53%), followed by the regular position (36%). When asked about the worst profile, the high level was chosen (73%).

The researchers note that it is very important for health professionals who work with esthetics to know the preferences and standards of their patients, as the main goal of facial plastic surgery is subjective satisfaction. Much of the literature on the theme is written by researchers from North America and Europe, regions where the cultural and ethinic background is different from the population of Brazil, where the research was conducted. This new research provides a refined view of the preferences among Brazilians, and can help surgeons to tailor strategies to meet their patients' needs more accurately.

Source: American Academy of Otolaryngology