Harmony & facial ratios
Nose: the three measurements
3 min read · Updated November 1, 2026
Three measurements describe the nose from the front: how wide it is at the base against the bridge, how it compares with the gap between the eyes, and the angle it makes with the eye area.
How these fit together
Nose length and tip projection need depth, which a front photo doesn't give, so they aren't measured here: this group describes width and angle only. Camera distance changes it more than most things. A close photo makes the middle of the face and the nose look larger, so stand back about 1.5 metres and keep your head level.
Nose Bridge to Nose Width
The width of the nostrils compared with the width of the nasal bridge.
What it is
This compares the widest part of the nose, across the nostril wings, with the width of the bridge higher up. It describes how much the nose flares out from the bridge to the base.
How it's measured
Nose width is taken across the alar sidewalls, and bridge width across the sides of the nose at mid-bridge, averaged on both sides. The value is nose width divided by bridge width, so a higher number means a wider flare relative to the bridge. On a well-proportioned nose it is about 2.
Definition: the width of the nose across the nostril sidewalls, divided by the width of the bridge, taken at two points midway up the nose and averaged.
How it's read
A bridge that looks clearly slimmer than the nostrils gives a defined, refined nose, and ranges are set separately for men and women. A ratio near 1 means a broad bridge, and a very high one an unusually narrow bridge with flared nostrils.
What affects it
Nostril flare changes with breathing and expression, and a camera too close exaggerates the nose. Hold a neutral face, breathe normally and shoot from a distance.
Intercanthal-Nasal Width Ratio
The width of the nose compared with the gap between the inner corners of the eyes.
What it is
A traditional rule says the nose should be about as wide as the space between the eyes. This ratio checks that: the widest part of the nose divided by the distance between the inner eye corners.
How it's measured
Nose width is the span across the outer alar wings. The eye gap is the distance between the inner corners of the eyes. A value near 1 means the nose is about as wide as the gap.
Definition: the width across the outer nostril wings, divided by the distance between the inner eye corners.
How it's read
Values close to 1 are the classical fit. A higher figure means a nose wide for the eye gap, a lower one a narrow nose. This pairs naturally with the One Eye Apart test, since both use the same gap.
What affects it
Nostril flare and a camera that's too close change the nose width in a photo. Stay relaxed, shoot from about 1.5 metres and look straight ahead.
Ipsilateral Alar Angle
The angle at the base of the nose between lines running up to the outer corners of the eyes.
What it is
The ipsilateral alar angle (IAA) is a front-view angle that links the nose to the eyes. Its vertex is the base of the nose, and its arms run up to the outer end of each eye. It describes how wide the eyes sit as seen from the nose base.
How it's measured
The angle between the two lines from the nose-base point to the outer end of each upper-lid hood, calculated in a levelled frame.
Definition: an angle in degrees at the base of the nose, between lines running to the outer end of each upper-eyelid hood.
How it's read
It is read alongside the jaw frontal angle rather than on its own: faces where the two angles are close read as harmoniously tapered from midface to jaw. The raw angle on its own is a descriptive number, not a quality in itself.
What affects it
Because it depends on the nose-base point and both eye ends, a tilted head or squinting eyes will move it. Keep your head level and eyes fully open.
See it on a full report
Open the sample report to see every measurement, score and highlight on a real example.