Facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) is cheekbone width divided by the height of the upper face. It's typically around 1.7–2.0.
fWHR became popular because a body of research linked higher ratios to *perceived* traits like dominance and, in some studies, behavior. It's a genuinely interesting measurement — but the literature is mixed, effect sizes are small, and much of the perception is driven by soft tissue and expression, not just bone.
How to read your own number:
- It's a descriptive ratio, not a score of attractiveness.
- Soft-tissue coverage (body fat) meaningfully changes apparent width.
- Expression and camera angle shift it too.
We report fWHR because it's reproducible and informative, and we're explicit that conformance to a norm is not the same as desirability.