title: Changes in esthetic standards since 1940.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goals of this study were to investigate differences between the most popular female and male faces, past and present, and to determine whether they had changed over time and, if so, to what extent.
  
  
  METHODS
  Internet film databases were searched for photographs of men and women who were considered attractive between 1940 and 2008. Images meeting defined inclusion criteria were compared. Measurements were taken on a minimum of 20 images per sex per decade. Intersex facial differences were grouped by decades, and we examined whether these differences remained stable or whether and how they changed over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The women had fuller and more protrusive lip profiles than did the men, particularly during the first decade of the 21st century. Significant sex-specific developments were noted over time with respect to chin lengths, frontonasal angles, and total face angles. The men had decreases in chin size and length, but a small opposite trend was observed in the women's faces. During the observation period, female and male faces considered highly attractive became slightly more similar in terms of chin position and size.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Notions of facial attractiveness might be influenced by developments in society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthodontics, University of Tübingen, Osianderstrasse 2-8, Tübingen, Germany. mirjam.berneburg@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berneburg
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Niederle
authors.forename: Gernot
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Göz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002508:Cephalometry / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002680:Chin / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004955:Esthetics, Dental / Q000266:history*; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005138:Eyebrows / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005546:Forehead / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D009970:Orthodontics / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D010781:Photography; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult