Nubian nose

What is a Nubian nose?

The bridge is long and fairly straight. Unlike a Greek nose, it gets wider toward the bottom. The nostrils open outward, and the base is broad compared with the height.

The name refers to Nubia, the region along the Nile in today's Sudan and southern Egypt. Like the other labels on this site it describes a shape, and people of every background have it.

Nubian noses and the nasal index

The nasal index is the width of the nose divided by its height, times 100. A Nubian nose usually lands in the broad band (85 to 100) or the very broad band (over 100).

That makes it the easiest profile type to confirm from the front. Upload a photo to the nose shape analyser and look at the first row of the result. If it says broad or very broad and your bridge is long, Nubian is a good fit.

The width of your nose is the part a front photo can measure. Our nose shape analyser gives you that in seconds; the profile is for your side photo.

Why some noses are wider

Nose width is strongly inherited. It also follows climate. In 1923 Thomson and Buxton showed that nasal index rises with temperature and humidity across populations.

A 2017 study in PLOS Genetics by Zaidi and colleagues tested this with modern measurements. Nostril width tracked the temperature and humidity where a person's ancestors lived. Cold, dry air seems to favour narrower noses, which warm and moisten the air better.

The spread within any group is large. A single nose tells you little about where someone comes from.

Nubian nose vs flat nose

Both are often broad. The difference is height off the face. A Nubian nose has a long, defined bridge that projects. A flat nose sits low, with the bridge close to the line between the eyes.

Glasses and makeup

Look for frames with a wider bridge measurement, the middle number on the arm, and adjustable nose pads. Frames that are too narrow pinch the sides and slide down.

For makeup, people who want a slimmer look shade the sides of the nostrils with a matte contour and keep highlight to a thin line on the bridge. Many prefer to leave the width alone. Both choices are fine.