Background
Aesthetic norms fluctuate over time and often result in generational differences in preferred ideal nasal aesthetics. While some traditional concepts in ideal nasal aesthetic have been suggested in our literature, there is no study to date which has identified contemporary preference across different age groups.
Objectives
To understand the general population’s current perception of ideal nasal profiles.
Methods
Two dimensional (2D) images of female noses (n=10) of varying ethnicities were simulated to alter either the radix height or nasolabial angle (NLA) independently. Radix height was manipulated by increasing or decreasing the height by 5 mm relative to baseline. For NLA, 3 images were created with the following measurements: (1) 90, (2) 100, and (3) 110 degrees. Groups were categorized by generation and age at the time of completing the study: Generation Z (age 18-23), Millennial 20s (age 24-30), Millennial 30s (age 31-39), and Generation X (age 40-55). Each figure consisted of either 3 variations in radix height (n=10) or 3 variations in NLA (n=10). Within each figure, volunteers were asked to choose their preferred nose.
Results
The younger generations, Generation Z (Gen Z) and Millennial 20s and 30s, preferred a more augmented radix compared to Generation X (Gen X) which preferred baseline radix height. Gen Z, Millennial 20s, and Gen X preferred a 90-degree NLA while Millennial 30s preferred a NLA of 100-degrees.
Conclusions
The authors found that younger populations (Gen Z, Millennial 20s, and Millennial 30s) preferred a more augmented appearance to the nasal radix and, on average, a more acute NLA than published data suggests.
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