FORMA FEATURE / MOUTH & LIPSPhiltrum & upper lip: measurements, ratios, and research
The philtrum is the central groove between the nose and upper vermilion. Skin length, groove definition, and upper-lip fullness are different measurements. This page separates published measurements from interpretation, preference experiments, and community speculation.
What philtrum & upper lip means
Cutaneous upper-lip length: subnasale to upper vermilion border. Subnasale to stomion includes the upper red lip. Do not substitute one for the other in a ratio.
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
2.0–2.25 : 1 Forum chin-to-philtrum target
A forum ratio guide proposes this chin-to-philtrum interval.
Forum claim: Speculation with ambiguous endpoints: some posters include the lower lip in “chin” height. It is not equivalent to the clinical lower-third division. Ideal facial ratios and proportions
Practical takeaway
Balance skin length with upper-lip height.
Start with the study’s vermilion-to-skin comparison, then check how the entire upper-lip segment fits the lower face. A shorter philtrum is not the only route to a balanced appearance.
What changes the answer
The same skin length looks different with a thin versus full upper lip, a rotated nasal tip, or a taller chin. Distinguish skin-only length from nose-to-closed-lip-line height.
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 philtrum & upper lip discussions · Explore the interactive atlas