A reference for facial features, obscure anatomy, and related surgical procedures.
This glossary focuses on rarely-known or medically-technical terms rather than everyday terms like “hairline” or “jawline.”
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This glossary focuses on rarely-known or medically-technical terms rather than everyday terms like “hairline” or “jawline.”
UPPER THIRD
Skull Shape (Cephalic Index)
- Dolichocephalic — “long-headed,” skull is long front-to-back; cephalic index < 74.9.
- Mesocephalic — medium sagittal length; cephalic index 75–79.9.
- Brachycephalic — “short-headed,” skull is short front-to-back; cephalic index ≥ 80.
Major Structures
- Neurocranium — upper portion of the skull, made up of 8 cranial bones.
/attachments/1764639692563-png.10537/?hash=3b68b709b30e772ffd59818f7cfcf0ea - Frontal bone — forms the forehead, supraorbital ridge, and upper nasal bridge.
- Temporalis — muscle over the temples; hypertrophy can affect upper face proportions.
- Temple peaks — point where the hairline meets the sideburns; sharp peaks are considered aesthetically favorable.
Surgeries
- Monobloc advancement — moves the frontal bone and midface forward, typically for craniofacial deformities.
MIDDLE THIRD
General Bone Structures
- Splanchnocranium — lower portion of the skull (facial skeleton), made up of 14 bones.
- Supraorbital ridge — elevated bony ridge above the eyes.
- Glabella — smooth, elevated area between the brows.
- Glabellar notch — depression behind a strong browridge.
Eye Area
- Limbal ring — dark ring around the iris; thick rings are associated with youthfulness.
- Epicanthus (epicanthic fold) — skin fold covering the inner corner of the eye; common in East and Southeast Asian populations.
- Aegyo sal — fat deposits under the lower eyelid.
- Infraorbital rim — lower edge of the eye socket (“infras”).
- Lateral canthus — outer corner of the eye; angle and depth affect eye aesthetics.
- Orbicularis oculi — primary muscle controlling eyelid movement.
- Ptosis — drooping of the upper eyelid.
- Crow’s feet — fine wrinkles radiating from the outer corners of the eyes.
Nose & Midface
- Nasal bridge — upper bony portion of the nose.
Septum — wall dividing nostrils; asymmetry is called a deviated septum. - Septoplasty — surgery to straighten the septum.
- Maxilla — central midface bone; critical for overall facial aesthetics.
- Midface hypoplasia — underdeveloped maxilla and cheekbones.
- LeFort fractures — surgical fractures of the midface used to reposition the maxilla (types 1–3).
- Dorsal hump — bony nasal protrusion.
- Ala — soft tissue surrounding nostrils; wide alae = alar flare.
- Anterior nasal spine — bony projection at the base of the nose; recessed or prominent variants affect the philtrum.
- Vomer — internal nasal bone affecting septal straightness.
- Zygoma (malar bone) — cheekbone; contributes to midface width.
- Zygomatic arch — bony bridge connecting temporal bone to maxilla.
- Malaris — small cheek muscle; development can enhance cheekbone prominence.
- Ogee curve — cheekbone contour meeting lower cheeks; more pronounced curves appear youthful.
- Canine fossa — depression between cheekbone and upper lip; affects hollowness of cheeks.
- Otoplasty — surgery to alter ear shape or position.
- Nasolabial folds — lines from nose to mouth corners; indicate maxillary projection.
- Philtrum — groove between nose and upper lip; pronounced philtrum is masculine.
- Vermillion border — boundary between lips and surrounding skin.
- Alveolar process — ridge of maxilla housing teeth.
- Palate — roof of the mouth; impacts oral and facial proportions.
LOWER THIRD
Mandible & Chin
- Mandible — jawbone; primary component of lower third aesthetics.
- Mandibular body — horizontal portion of the mandible.
- Ramus — vertical portion of the mandible.
- Gonion — point where ramus meets body; gonial angle affects masculinity.
- Antegonial notch — indentation along mandibular body; can alter “prettyboy” vs. masculine appearance.
- Banana jaw — rounded jaw lacking a defined gonion or ramus.
- Bimaxillary surgery — surgical correction of both maxilla and mandible; also called double jaw surgery.
Muscles
- Masseter — primary chewing muscle; hypertrophy can widen the lower face.
- Pterygoid — internal chewing muscles; medial and lateral portions.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) — hinge connecting jaw to skull; dysfunction = TMD.
- Orbicularis oris — primary mouth muscle.
- Buccinator — cheek muscle; assists chewing and swallowing.
Soft Tissue & Cosmetic Terms
- Buccal corridor — space between teeth and corner of lips; narrow corridors are ideal.
- Buccal fat — cheek fat; removal creates hollow cheeks.
- Marionette lines — lines from mouth corners to chin; associated with aging and lower face recession.
- Genioplasty — chin surgery for protrusion or recession.
- Chin wing — surgical augmentation of chin projection and width.
- Mentolabial fold — groove between lower lip and chin; subtle folds are preferred.
- Mentalis strain — chin muscle overcompensating for lip incompetence; creates creases (“strawberry chin”).
- Hyoid bone — U-shaped bone at jaw base; higher positioning appears youthful.
- Submental area — region beneath the chin; submental fat causes “double chin.”
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