SOFT-TISSUE EVALUATION OF CONTEMPORARY CAUCASIAN AND AFRICAN-AMERICANFEMALE FACIAL PROFILES

Previous studies suggest that esthetic Caucasian profiles exhibit full er lips than the norm for their race, while esthetic African American profiles are similar to those of esthetic Caucasians. The present stud y was undertaken to compare the profiles of female Caucasian and Afric an American models and their nonmodel counterparts. Four groups of 30 subjects were evaluated: Caucasian models [CM], Caucasian controls [CC ], African American models [AM], and African American controls [AC]. T he models' profiles were photographed from current fashion magazines, the photos were scanned, and 17 land marks were digitized. Each profil e was standardized for size and oriented along the N'-Sn' line on a Ma cintosh 6115CD computer. Control photographs were processed in a simil ar manner. Twenty-six variables were measured for each profile. Means, ranges, and standard deviations were computed along with unpaired, tw o-tailed Student's t-tests (p<0.05) to evaluate group differences. The results showed that for the AM and AC profiles, all but two of the 26 variable were similar. For the CM and CC profiles, eight variables de monstrated significant differences. Between-race comparisons demonstra ted greater numbers of parameters that were significantly different: C M/AM with 18 and CM/AC, CC/AC, and CC/AM with 22 each. Most of the dif ferences involved the lips. Vertical soft tissue proportions for the f our groups did not follow a 40/20/40 ratio. Caucasian and African Amer ican models displayed significantly different profile characteristics. The African American models and controls showed similar profile featu res, whereas greater differences were observed between Caucasian model s and controls. Based on our study, the African American profile curre ntly presented in the mass media is not ''Caucasian-like.'' In fact, i t appears that Caucasian models display more ethnic features than Afri can American models do Caucasian features, suggesting that previously held concepts of facial beauty may no longer apply.