Broad nose

What counts as a broad nose?

The nasal index is width divided by height, times 100. A broad nose scores 85 to 100. For example, 42 mm wide and 47 mm tall gives about 89.

Width is measured at the outer edges of the nostril wings, so nostril flare affects it. Height runs from the root between the eyes to the base of the nose.

Why some noses are wider

Width runs strongly in families. Across populations it also follows climate: wider noses are more common where the air is warm and humid.

Thomson and Buxton described this pattern in 1923. In 2017, Zaidi and colleagues used 3D face scans and found nostril width linked to the temperature and humidity of ancestral homelands. Warm, moist air does not need the extra conditioning a narrow nose provides.

Want your own number? The free nose shape analyser measures your nasal index from one front photo and deletes the photo once you have seen the result.

Broad noses and profile shapes

Broad is a front view measure. In profile, a broad nose can be anything. Nubian, Flat and Bulbous noses often fall here, and so do many Roman and Fleshy noses.

A broad nose with a high bridge looks different from a broad nose with a low one. A side photo completes the picture.

Makeup, glasses and photos

To make a broad nose look slimmer, people shade the outer sides of the nostrils with matte contour and keep highlight to a thin line on the bridge. Many prefer no contour at all.

For glasses, a wider bridge measurement and adjustable pads stop the frame pinching the sides. Wider frames balance a broad nose better than small ones.

In photos, a phone held close makes the middle of the face look wider. Stepping back and zooming in slightly gives a truer picture.

Can a broad nose be made narrower?

Only with surgery. Alar base reduction removes a small wedge of tissue where the nostrils meet the cheek, which narrows the base.

Nose clips, exercises and massage do not change the cartilage. Some products claim to slim the nose permanently. There is no good evidence for them.