Summary
Philtrum length, defined as the distance from the the bottom of your nose to the upper lip, has been the focus of several studies. Shin et al. (2014) measured the philtrum length in 251 healthy Korean adults, finding a mean length of 14.3 mm in females. Hasibuan et al. (2024) reported an average philtrum length of 13.86 mm in 53 female participants, with a range of 8.30 mm to 17.60 mm. A study at Kathmandu Medical College found a mean philtrum length of 12.45 mm in Nepalese females. Ding (2021) suggested an ideal philtrum length for females is 12-15 mm, contributing to a youthful appearance, with elongation over time indicating aging. Growth patterns of philtrum length show a peak during adolescence, a decline in early adulthood, and an increase after age 30, with the first peak around age 12 in females.
Research
According to Zankl et al. (2002), Philtrum length is defined as the distance from the subnasale landmark (i.e., the bottom of your nose) to the labiale superius landmark (i.e., the upper lip).
A study by Shin et al. (2014) titled “Morphometric Analysis of the Upper Lip in Koreans” measured the philtrum length in a total of 251 healthy Korean young adults (170 males and 81 females; mean age, 23.8 years; range, 20–35 years) who have never experienced any plastic surgery or injury to the upper lip. As per this study, the mean length of philtrum is 14.3 mm in females.
Similarly, another study by Hasibuan et al. (2024) highlights the average Philtrum length among females. For this study, there were 100 participants and 53 of them were women. According to this study, average Philtrum length was 13.86 ± 2.32 mm in women. Moreover, the study also provides the range of philtrum length in women which is 8.30 mm to 17.60 mm.
Another cross sectional study involving 400 medical students aged 17-25 years (200 males and 200 females) at Kathmandu Medical College Nepal intended to determine the average philtrum length among males and females. As per this study, the mean philtrum length is 12.45 mm for Nepalese females.
Likewise, another study by Ding (2021) highlights the ideal philtrum length in females is typically considered to be between 12-15 mm. This optimal length contributes to a balanced and youthful appearance. Moreover, the study suggests that with age, the philtrum tends to elongate to approximately 18-20 mm indicating that women with shorter philtrum length are perceived younger.
Additionally, there is a study that discusses the growth charts for philtrum length among other craniofacial measurements. According to this study, the philtrum length has a distinctive growth pattern with a peak during adolescence, followed by a decline in early adulthood, and then an increase after the age of 30. For females, the first peak of philtrum length occurs around the age of 12.
Reference
Zankl, A., Eberle, L., Molinari, L., & Schinzel, A. (2002). Growth charts for nose length, nasal protrusion, and philtrum length from birth to 97 years. American journal of medical genetics, 111(4), 388-391. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajmg.10472
Shin, K. J., Gil, Y. C., Song, W. C., Koh, K. S., & Choi, H. G. (2014). Morphometric analysis of the upper lip in Koreans. Facial Plastic Surgery, 30(05), 587-592. https://sci-hub.wf/10.1055/s-0034-1393698
Hasibuan, L. Y., Prasetyo, A. T., & Pramono, G. N. T. W. (2024). Enhancing Aesthetic Harmony: Comprehensive Anthropometric Lip Measurements in Youthful and Attractive Indonesian Adults for Precision Cosmetic Procedures. JPRAS open, 39, 198-206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpra.2023.12.014
Yadav, S. K., Malla, B. K., Srivastava, A. K., Timsina, R. P., Srivastava, N., & Kumar, A. (2018). Anthropometric Study of Philtrum (Face) and other nasal parameters in Nepal. International Journal of Modern Anthropology, 2(11), 163-180. https://doi.org/10.4314/ijma.v2i11.8
Ding, A. (2021). The ideal lips: lessons learnt from the literature. Aesthetic plastic surgery, 45, 1520-1530. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00266-021-02190-x