Medium nose width

A medium nose has a width between 70% and 85% of its height. Anthropologists call it mesorrhine. It is the middle of the scale, and a very common result.

Medium nose width at a glance
Nasal index	70 to 85
Term	Mesorrhine
Looks	Taller than wide, but not slim
Example	38 mm wide, 49 mm tall, index about 78
Borderline	Results near 70 or 85 can switch between photos
Common profiles	All twelve

What does a medium nasal index mean?

Your nose is noticeably taller than it is wide, but not slim. A nose 38 mm wide and 49 mm tall, for example, has an index of about 78.

The nasal index ignores the side view. A medium nose can be straight, curved, scooped or flat in profile.

How the measurement works

The nose shape analyser finds 468 points on your face. It measures the width across the nostril wings and the height from the root between the eyes to the base of the nose.

It measures in a frame lined up with your eyes and head, so a slight tilt does not change the result. Every value is a ratio, so photo size and distance do not matter.

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.

Why medium is so common

Medium sits between the climate extremes. Across studies of nasal index, populations from temperate regions cluster here, and most other groups overlap it heavily.

It is also where the two neighbouring bands meet. Small changes in lighting or expression can move a result near 70 or 85 across the line, so treat a borderline medium as a range.

Is a medium nose average?

It is in the middle of the scale, but there is no global average to compare with. Published nasal index means vary widely between populations and between methods of measurement.

What medium tells you is proportion. Your width and height are in a balance that most people would call neither slim nor wide.

What to do with a medium result

Look at the other three rows on your result: bridge width, tip width and nostril flare. Two medium noses can differ a lot in these.

Then take a side photo to find your profile shape. Medium width combines with every profile, from Greek to Bumpy.

Questions about the medium nose

What is the most common nasal index?

There is no reliable world figure. Medium, 70 to 85, is common in many populations, and the broad band is common in others.

Can my result change between photos?

Slightly. Expression and a strong head turn can move the index by a point or two. If you are near 70 or 85, try two photos in even light.

Does medium mean my nose is normal size?

It describes width relative to height, not size. A large nose and a small nose can both be medium.

All four widths: Narrow, Broad, Very broad. Or see every type of nose on one page.

Medium nose width

What does a medium nasal index mean?

How the measurement works

Why medium is so common

Is a medium nose average?

What to do with a medium result

Questions about the medium nose

Related nose types

Narrow nose

Broad nose

Fleshy nose

Measure your own nose