FORMA FEATURE / MIDFACEMidface & maxilla: measurements, ratios, and research
The maxilla supports the upper teeth and contributes to the central midface. “Midface length” means different things in clinical anatomy and forum guides. This page separates published measurements from interpretation, preference experiments, and community speculation.
What midface & maxilla means
Clinical middle third: glabella to subnasale. A common forum midface ratio uses IPD divided by vertical pupil-line-to-upper-lip distance. State the exact endpoint before comparing values.
Facial measurements only become comparable when the view, head position, soft-tissue landmarks, and endpoint definitions are held constant. A number copied from a profile photograph is not interchangeable with a value measured from a clinical scan or a front-facing portrait.
Official measurements, ratios & competing claims
0.95–1.05 A proposed compact-midface range
A forum guide recommends a midface ratio near 1:1, giving 0.95–1.05 as an ideal interval.
Forum claim: User-created speculation with inconsistent landmark conventions; not a validated skeletal measure or male attractiveness optimum. 38 facial ratios and proposed measurements
36% The eye-to-mouth result
In Pallett’s female-face experiment, preferred eye-to-mouth distance was about 36% of face length.
Study: Different landmarks from the forum ratio. It cannot establish maxillary position or support a surgical decision. New “Golden” Ratios for Facial Beauty
Practical takeaway
Assess compactness and forward support separately.
For visual compactness, compare eye-to-upper-lip height with eye spacing using explicitly chosen landmarks. Assess the profile separately when the question is forward maxillary support.
What changes the answer
Wider pupil spacing increases the forum ratio even if facial height stays fixed. Nose length and upper-lip length can also alter the impression of a long central face; the ratio alone does not locate the maxilla.
Use these ranges to ask a better question about proportion—not to grade a face or choose a procedure by number alone. A qualified clinician still needs to examine function, tissue, skeletal structure, and your goals in person.
Connected facial features
Read or start midface & maxilla discussions · Explore the interactive atlas