[Facial aesthetics part I - the significance of the triangle of yarbus].

Abstract

When humans observe a face, the eyes, mouth and nose regions are the preferred targets of the centre of gaze, with the outlines of eye position recordings approximating a triangle with vertices located in the centre of the eyes and mouth [31]. We studied the significance of cutaneous asymmetries inside and outside the Yarbus triangle on the basis of the assessment of digitally-manipulated images by 201 independent judges. We show that certain facial variations (such as naevi) are more attractive when asymmetrical than symmetrical (p<0,001). They appear more attractive when located laterally rather than medially, particularly so when located outside the Yarbus triangle as compared to inside it (p<0,001). The significance of facial symmetry increases significantly when approaching the Yarbus triangle or the midline, respectively.