D
Deleted member 25938
. . .
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2023
- Posts
- 6,221
- Reputation
- 7,712
This thread will define the features and some surgeries concerned with the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the face. This list will not include terms that are already commonly used in everyday language, such as "hairline" or "jawline," instead focusing on more obscure and PSL-specific terms.
This list will also be incomplete and/or have errors, so any (important) corrections or additions are welcomed.
Hope this'll help the newbies here with getting acquainted with the jargon being thrown around here.
Upper Third
dolichocephalic - "long skull," a cranium that is long sagittally (front to back). Corresponds to a cephalic index of under 74.9. Often referred to as dolicho.
mesocephalic - "medium skull," a cranium that is of average sagittal length. Corresponds to a cephalic index of 75 - 79.9.
brachycephalic - "short skull," a cranium that is short sagittally. Corresponds to a cephalic index of 80 or higher. Often referred to as brachy.
neurocranium - The upper portion of the skull, made up of 8 different cranial bones.
frontal bone - the bone comprising the forehead, supraorbital ridge, and the top part of the nasal bone.
temporalis - the muscles located on the temples, above the temporal bone. Responsible for absorbing the force of mastication. Prone to hypertrophy, messing up the proportions of the face
temple peaks - the corner where the hairline meets the sideburn. Ideally, temple peaks are sharp, with a clear difference between the sideburn and the rest of the hairline.
monobloc - surgery involving the advancement and reshaping of the anterior portion of the cranium. Usually used for deformed, diseased patients.
Middle Third
splanchnocranium - the lower portion of the skull, made up of 14 different bones.
supraorbital ridge - the elevated bony mass surrounding the upper portion of the eye area. Often referred to as supras.
glabella - the smooth, elevated bony mass located in the middle of the supraorbital ridges, right above the nose.
glabellar notch - from prominent depression resulting from an enlarged glabella / browridge relative to the forehead. A good example of this would be Brock Lesnar.
@Lorsss already created a glossary for most of the eye area and eye-adjacent terms:
looksmax.org
However, I'd like to add some more definitions:
limbal ring - the darker colored ring around the iris. A thick, dark limbal ring is an indicator of youth and is considered more attractive.
epicanthus or epicanthic fold - the fold of skin covering the medial canthus, commonly found in East and Southeast Asians.
aegyo sal - pronounced fat deposits under the lower eyelid.
infraorbital rim - synonym for "lower orbital rim." Often referred to as infras.
lateral canthus - the outer canthus of the eye. How angled and how recessed the lateral canthus is can affect the attractiveness of the eye area.
orbicularis oculi - the primary muscle responsible for eye control.
ptosis - drooping of the upper eyelid. Usually occurs asymmetrically.
crow's feet - fine wrinkles that occur on the skin under and outside the eye area.
Continuing past the eye area:
nasal bridge - the upper, bony part of the nose.
septum - the thin wall separating the nostril chambers. Asymmetry of this wall is known as a deviated septum.
septoplasty - surgery meant to straighten the septum.
maxilla - the bone that forms the majority of the midface. Often cited as one of the most important features for aesthetics.
midface hypoplasia - condition where the maxilla, cheekbones, and lower eye area exhibit severe recession or stunted growth.
LeFort fractures - fractures of the skull, used by PSL autists to reshape the maxilla to be more aesthetic. There are 3 types of fractures, LeFort 1, LeFort 2, and LeFort 3.
dorsal hump - a bony protrusion of the middle of the nose found in some individuals. Sean O'Pry is a good example of someone with a dorsal hump.
ala - the soft tissue surrounding the nostrils. When the ala is proportionately too wide it is referred to as alar flare.
anterior nasal spine - the protrusion of bone connection the bottom of the nose to the lower maxilla. @thecel made a very insightful thread on the aesthetic importance of this feature.
looksmax.org
vomer - bone located within the interior of the nose. The straightness of this bone can have a huge impact on nasal and overall facial aesthetics, as @Korea once made a thread on.
looksmax.org
zygoma - bone forming the cheek and part of the eye area. Also known as the malar bone. Often referred to as cheekbones or zygos.
zygomatic arch - bone bridging the temporal bone to the maxilla.
malaris - a small and thin muscle in the cheek region. Has gained recent traction as developing this muscle can possibly make cheekbones look more prominent, as well as serve as a possible anti-aging agent.
ogee curve - the curve formed when the cheekbones meet the lower part of the cheek. Generally, prominent ogee curves are youthful and more attractive than flat ogee curves. Also referred to simply as ogee.
canine fossa - depression of the part of the maxilla forming the zygomatic arch / ogee curve. @thecel made a thread suggesting how the morphology of this feature can change the appearance of hollow cheeks.
looksmax.org
otoplasty - surgery intended to change the size, shape, or position of the ears.
nasolabial folds - lines that form from the lower nose to the outer corners of the mouth. Can possibly be a sign of maxillary recession. Often referred to as nasolabials, and colloquially known as smile lines.
philtrum - the groove in between the nose and the upper lip. On men, a strong philtrum is more attractive.
vermillion border - the defined boundary of the reddened lips and the skin of the face.
alveolar process - ridge of the maxilla containing the dental sockets.
palate - the process of the maxilla forming the roof of the mouth, separating the nose and mouth. Has an important role in mouth and lower third aesthetics.
Lower Third
mandible - the bone making up the lower third. Also known as the jawbone. Very important component of facial aesthetics; remember that jaw is law.
mandibular body - the longer, sagittal portion of the jawbone.
ramus - the shorter, vertical component of the jawbone.
gonion - the point at which the mandibular body and the ramus meet. The angle formed by these two parts is called the gonial angle. Everted (outwards-facing) gonions are more masculine and generally more attractive on males. @the next o'pry made an insightful thread on the topic of gonial eversion.
looksmax.org
antegonial notch - an indent of the mandibular body, found in some individuals. Its aesthetic value is controversial, as it can influence whether one possesses a more "prettyboy" aesthetic as opposed to the traditionally "masc" or "masethetic" one. The antithesis to the antegonial notch is the rocker jaw.
banana jaw - refers to a jaw that lacks a defined gonion, and as a result, a defined ramus. I.e., a jaw that is curved like a banana.
bimaxillary surgery - surgery involving the correction of both the maxilla and mandible, allowing for improved overall aesthetics. Also known as double jaw surgery or bimax.
masseter - the muscle located on the sides of the jaw. The primary masticatory muscle. Although masseter hypertrophy is generally seen as better for jaw aesthetics, it is still important to take into account how it plays with the proportions of the whole face.
pterygoid - another masticatory muscle found inside the jawbone. There are two components to this muscle, the medial and the lateral.
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - the sliding hinge joint connecting the mandible to the rest of the skull. Inflammation and pain of this joint is known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD), but is often (erroneously) referred to as TMJ.
orbicularis oris - the primary muscle responsible for mouth control.
buccinator - the muscle adjacent to the orbicularis oris. Plays a significant role in chewing and swallowing.
buccal corridor - the space between the back teeth and the corner of the lips. Wide buccal corridors are considered a failo for smile aesthetics.
buccal fat - fat deposits located in between the cheek and jaw. Buccal fat can be both caused by genetic and environmental factors. Buccal fat removal has become increasingly popular over the past few years as it helps to create the effect of hollow cheeks.
Marionette lines - wrinkles that occur at the corners of the mouth, going down to the chin. Can be caused by lower third recession, improper tongue posture, and decreased skin elasticity. Named after the archetypal Marionette puppet possessing those same lines.
genioplasty - surgery intended to correct receding chins or other chin misalignments. Often referred to as genio.
chin wing - surgery that can increase chin protrusion, as well as mandibular width.
mentolabial fold - the line evident between the lower lip and the soft tissue of the chin. Generally, the less pronounced the mentolabial fold, the more attractive the chin is from the side.
mentalis strain - when the chin is recessed and the lips cannot close properly (lip incompetence), the mentalis (chin) muscle has to compensate in closing the mouth by overworking itself, causing unattractive creases / indents in the chin area. Sometime referred to as strawberry chin.
hyoid bone - the U-shaped bone sitting at the base of the back mandible, attached the spine. A high positioned hyoid is seen as youthful and more attractive.
submental - referring to anything occurring directly below the chin. An example would be submental fat, the fat responsible for creating the "double chin."
This list will also be incomplete and/or have errors, so any (important) corrections or additions are welcomed.
Hope this'll help the newbies here with getting acquainted with the jargon being thrown around here.
Upper Third
dolichocephalic - "long skull," a cranium that is long sagittally (front to back). Corresponds to a cephalic index of under 74.9. Often referred to as dolicho.
mesocephalic - "medium skull," a cranium that is of average sagittal length. Corresponds to a cephalic index of 75 - 79.9.
brachycephalic - "short skull," a cranium that is short sagittally. Corresponds to a cephalic index of 80 or higher. Often referred to as brachy.
neurocranium - The upper portion of the skull, made up of 8 different cranial bones.
frontal bone - the bone comprising the forehead, supraorbital ridge, and the top part of the nasal bone.
temporalis - the muscles located on the temples, above the temporal bone. Responsible for absorbing the force of mastication. Prone to hypertrophy, messing up the proportions of the face
temple peaks - the corner where the hairline meets the sideburn. Ideally, temple peaks are sharp, with a clear difference between the sideburn and the rest of the hairline.
monobloc - surgery involving the advancement and reshaping of the anterior portion of the cranium. Usually used for deformed, diseased patients.
Middle Third
splanchnocranium - the lower portion of the skull, made up of 14 different bones.
supraorbital ridge - the elevated bony mass surrounding the upper portion of the eye area. Often referred to as supras.
glabella - the smooth, elevated bony mass located in the middle of the supraorbital ridges, right above the nose.
glabellar notch - from prominent depression resulting from an enlarged glabella / browridge relative to the forehead. A good example of this would be Brock Lesnar.
@Lorsss already created a glossary for most of the eye area and eye-adjacent terms:
Eye Area Glossary
EYE COLOR Eye laser: ## under construction, we are collecting sources ## EYE SHAPE PFL, Palpebral fissure length: the horizontal length of the eye Eye canthuses: The corners of the eye where upper and lower eyelid meet Medial Canthus: The inner canthus of the eye. An attractive medial...
looksmax.org
However, I'd like to add some more definitions:
limbal ring - the darker colored ring around the iris. A thick, dark limbal ring is an indicator of youth and is considered more attractive.
epicanthus or epicanthic fold - the fold of skin covering the medial canthus, commonly found in East and Southeast Asians.
aegyo sal - pronounced fat deposits under the lower eyelid.
infraorbital rim - synonym for "lower orbital rim." Often referred to as infras.
lateral canthus - the outer canthus of the eye. How angled and how recessed the lateral canthus is can affect the attractiveness of the eye area.
orbicularis oculi - the primary muscle responsible for eye control.
ptosis - drooping of the upper eyelid. Usually occurs asymmetrically.
crow's feet - fine wrinkles that occur on the skin under and outside the eye area.
Continuing past the eye area:
nasal bridge - the upper, bony part of the nose.
septum - the thin wall separating the nostril chambers. Asymmetry of this wall is known as a deviated septum.
septoplasty - surgery meant to straighten the septum.
maxilla - the bone that forms the majority of the midface. Often cited as one of the most important features for aesthetics.
midface hypoplasia - condition where the maxilla, cheekbones, and lower eye area exhibit severe recession or stunted growth.
LeFort fractures - fractures of the skull, used by PSL autists to reshape the maxilla to be more aesthetic. There are 3 types of fractures, LeFort 1, LeFort 2, and LeFort 3.
dorsal hump - a bony protrusion of the middle of the nose found in some individuals. Sean O'Pry is a good example of someone with a dorsal hump.
ala - the soft tissue surrounding the nostrils. When the ala is proportionately too wide it is referred to as alar flare.
anterior nasal spine - the protrusion of bone connection the bottom of the nose to the lower maxilla. @thecel made a very insightful thread on the aesthetic importance of this feature.
The Falio of a Recessed Anterior Nasal Spine
A sharp angle transition point between the columella and the philtrum is a subhuman trait: It's due to a recessed anterior nasal spine: Caucasoid’s skulls have the sharpest, most projecting anterior nasal spines of all the races: A concave philtrum and a columella...
looksmax.org
vomer - bone located within the interior of the nose. The straightness of this bone can have a huge impact on nasal and overall facial aesthetics, as @Korea once made a thread on.
Caucasoid Skulls vs African & Asian Skulls and how they influence your features.
TLDR: IDEAL SKULL HAS CAUCASIAN ORBITS, AFRICAN or CAUCASIAN VOMER BONE, AFRICAN MAXILLA and A CAUCASIAN MANDIBLE. In today's lesson, we're talking about whether your life began or not. As you can see, these are the 3 different skulls of African, Asian, and European (Caucasian). They each...
looksmax.org
zygoma - bone forming the cheek and part of the eye area. Also known as the malar bone. Often referred to as cheekbones or zygos.
zygomatic arch - bone bridging the temporal bone to the maxilla.
malaris - a small and thin muscle in the cheek region. Has gained recent traction as developing this muscle can possibly make cheekbones look more prominent, as well as serve as a possible anti-aging agent.
ogee curve - the curve formed when the cheekbones meet the lower part of the cheek. Generally, prominent ogee curves are youthful and more attractive than flat ogee curves. Also referred to simply as ogee.
canine fossa - depression of the part of the maxilla forming the zygomatic arch / ogee curve. @thecel made a thread suggesting how the morphology of this feature can change the appearance of hollow cheeks.
Canine Fossa and the 2 Types of Hollow Cheeks
Have you ever noticed there're 2 kinds of hollow cheeks? It isn't just lighting; it's all a matter of canine fossa. How deep the canine fossa is. Here's the range of canine fossa depths from shallow (left) to deep (right): Shallow canine fossa hollow cheeks: Deep canine fossa hollow...
looksmax.org
otoplasty - surgery intended to change the size, shape, or position of the ears.
nasolabial folds - lines that form from the lower nose to the outer corners of the mouth. Can possibly be a sign of maxillary recession. Often referred to as nasolabials, and colloquially known as smile lines.
philtrum - the groove in between the nose and the upper lip. On men, a strong philtrum is more attractive.
vermillion border - the defined boundary of the reddened lips and the skin of the face.
alveolar process - ridge of the maxilla containing the dental sockets.
palate - the process of the maxilla forming the roof of the mouth, separating the nose and mouth. Has an important role in mouth and lower third aesthetics.
Lower Third
mandible - the bone making up the lower third. Also known as the jawbone. Very important component of facial aesthetics; remember that jaw is law.
mandibular body - the longer, sagittal portion of the jawbone.
ramus - the shorter, vertical component of the jawbone.
gonion - the point at which the mandibular body and the ramus meet. The angle formed by these two parts is called the gonial angle. Everted (outwards-facing) gonions are more masculine and generally more attractive on males. @the next o'pry made an insightful thread on the topic of gonial eversion.
It’s Hard to be GL with Inward Gonions (Topic of Gonial Eversion)
Gonial eversion: At gonion, male crania tend to have rugose muscle attachments that curve outward, or evert from the surface of the mandible. Females more often lack this eversion or may even invert toward the midline. a) inverted (inward gonions commonly found in females) b) straight...
looksmax.org
antegonial notch - an indent of the mandibular body, found in some individuals. Its aesthetic value is controversial, as it can influence whether one possesses a more "prettyboy" aesthetic as opposed to the traditionally "masc" or "masethetic" one. The antithesis to the antegonial notch is the rocker jaw.
banana jaw - refers to a jaw that lacks a defined gonion, and as a result, a defined ramus. I.e., a jaw that is curved like a banana.
bimaxillary surgery - surgery involving the correction of both the maxilla and mandible, allowing for improved overall aesthetics. Also known as double jaw surgery or bimax.
masseter - the muscle located on the sides of the jaw. The primary masticatory muscle. Although masseter hypertrophy is generally seen as better for jaw aesthetics, it is still important to take into account how it plays with the proportions of the whole face.
pterygoid - another masticatory muscle found inside the jawbone. There are two components to this muscle, the medial and the lateral.
temporomandibular joint (TMJ) - the sliding hinge joint connecting the mandible to the rest of the skull. Inflammation and pain of this joint is known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD), but is often (erroneously) referred to as TMJ.
orbicularis oris - the primary muscle responsible for mouth control.
buccinator - the muscle adjacent to the orbicularis oris. Plays a significant role in chewing and swallowing.
buccal corridor - the space between the back teeth and the corner of the lips. Wide buccal corridors are considered a failo for smile aesthetics.
buccal fat - fat deposits located in between the cheek and jaw. Buccal fat can be both caused by genetic and environmental factors. Buccal fat removal has become increasingly popular over the past few years as it helps to create the effect of hollow cheeks.
Marionette lines - wrinkles that occur at the corners of the mouth, going down to the chin. Can be caused by lower third recession, improper tongue posture, and decreased skin elasticity. Named after the archetypal Marionette puppet possessing those same lines.
genioplasty - surgery intended to correct receding chins or other chin misalignments. Often referred to as genio.
chin wing - surgery that can increase chin protrusion, as well as mandibular width.
mentolabial fold - the line evident between the lower lip and the soft tissue of the chin. Generally, the less pronounced the mentolabial fold, the more attractive the chin is from the side.
mentalis strain - when the chin is recessed and the lips cannot close properly (lip incompetence), the mentalis (chin) muscle has to compensate in closing the mouth by overworking itself, causing unattractive creases / indents in the chin area. Sometime referred to as strawberry chin.
hyoid bone - the U-shaped bone sitting at the base of the back mandible, attached the spine. A high positioned hyoid is seen as youthful and more attractive.
submental - referring to anything occurring directly below the chin. An example would be submental fat, the fat responsible for creating the "double chin."
Last edited:
