Does Beauty Really Follow The Math Ratio of Phi?

What do mathematics have to do with a beautiful face? Isn't a face either instantly very attractive or it isn't?

Apparently, some experts believe beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but that beauty is based on key factors like the Phi ratio, or the golden ratio of 1.618:1, which ultimately equals balance and harmony. This golden ratio is found everywhere on the planet----in flowers, music, architecture, birds, etc.

And although, we as individuals, all have different races, nationalities, ages, sexes, and features, according to the MBA or Marquardt Beauty Analysis, a beautiful face will still conform to this one Phi ratio.

Huh?

Dr. Stephen R. Marquardt, a maxillo-facial surgeon from California, has been studying human attractiveness for years. And he developed a beauty mask overlay. The mask, seen above in the photo, uses the pentagon and decagon as its foundation, which embody the Phi ratio in all its dimensions. In other words, beautiful faces will conform most to the measurements in the Marquardt mask.

For all you math genuises out there, there are golden sections that lead to the golden ratio in the composition of our facial features. The golden ratio is thought by many to represent a ratio of natural beauty.

Then what is a golden section? Christian at http://www.thetanooki.com/, had a better explanation than we can give you:

"Well, it’s the point determined by the Golden Ratio, approximately 0.618. When you mark a line at this point, the shorter segment has the same relationship to the larger segment that the larger segment has to the whole line.
Another way to look at it is through the Fibonacci series of numbers. It’s the series of numbers where you add the two previous numbers to get the next one. The ratio between one number to the next just happens to be the so-called Golden Ratio. "

Some plastic surgeons and orthodontists use this mask's dimensions, to help their patients through surgery, become more attractive people. The closer your facial features fit the mask, the more attractive you are, according to the MBA. And yes, your smile and mouth are part of this theory.

On the other hand, there are plastic surgeons and orthodontists who are against using the Phi ratio when performing surgery on patients. Many believe surgery is designed to make an individual look better, but not fit an universal mold, or one mathematical proportion.

Still, it is fascinating to think, that beauty, no matter how individual, still conforms to a universal theory of proportion.

Check out Dr. Marquardt's educational and wonderful website: http://www.beautyanalysis.com/. You can even download a copy of the mask, and slip your own photo underneath it, to see how your own facial measurements conform.