History and current concepts in the analysis of facial attractiveness.
BACKGROUND
Facial attractiveness research has yielded many discoveries in the past 30 years, and facial cosmetic, plastic, and reconstructive surgeons should have a thorough understanding of these findings. Many of the recent studies were conducted by social, developmental, cognitive, and evolutionary psychologists, and although the findings have been published in the psychology literature, they have not been presented in a comprehensive manner appropriate to surgeons.


METHODS
The author reviews the findings of facial attractiveness research from antiquity to the present day and highlights and analyzes important concepts necessary for a thorough understanding of facial attractiveness.


RESULTS
Four important cues emerge as being the most important determinants of attractiveness: averageness (prototypicality), sexual dimorphism, youthfulness, and symmetry.


CONCLUSIONS
A surgeon planning facial cosmetic, plastic, or reconstructive surgery can potentially gain both profound insight and better quality surgical results by appreciating these findings.
Bashour
Mounir
M
University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. bashour@email.com
D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001154:Art; D001504:Beauty; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002508:Cephalometry; D003469:Culture; D004954:Esthetics / Q000266:history* / Q000523:psychology; D005145:Face; D005146:Facial Asymmetry; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D007989:Libido; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion; D008393:Marriage; D011627:Puberty; D044469:Racial Groups; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012015:Reference Standards; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012919:Social Behavior; D012928:Social Desirability; D012984:Software