Upload your photo to measure your philtrum-to-lower-face ratio. Find out if you have a short, ideal, or long philtrum — and how it affects the appearance of your lips.
Upload a front-facing photo
JPG, PNG or WEBP · Max 10MB · Front-facing, no tilt
The philtrum is the vertical groove that runs from the base of your nose to the top of your upper lip. It's bordered by two small ridges, called the philtral columns, and ends at the dip in the middle of your upper lip known as the Cupid's bow. Almost everyone has one — it forms early in development, where the left and right sides of the upper lip join.
Its length has a surprisingly large effect on how the lower face looks. A short philtrum keeps the upper lip close to the nose and is widely seen as youthful and attractive. A long philtrum puts more distance between nose and mouth, which can make the upper lip look thinner and the lower face longer.
This free philtrum ratio calculator measures your philtrum as a proportion of your lower face and tells you whether it's short, ideal, average or long.
Philtrum length on its own doesn't mean much — a tall face naturally has a longer philtrum. So the calculator measures it as a ratio:
Philtrum ratio = philtrum length ÷ lower third height
Philtrum length runs from the base of your nose to the top of your upper lip, and the lower third runs from the base of your nose to the bottom of your chin. Both are measured with landmarks placed by Google's MediaPipe Face Mesh, which runs in your browser — your photo isn't uploaded.
| Philtrum ratio | Result |
|---|---|
| Under 0.18 | Very short philtrum |
| 0.18–0.25 | Ideal short philtrum |
| 0.25–0.32 | Average philtrum |
| 0.32 and over | Long philtrum |
The score out of 100 peaks at a ratio of about 0.22 — the philtrum taking up a little over a fifth of the lower third — and drops the further you are from it in either direction.
A short philtrum keeps the mouth close to the nose. It makes the upper lip look fuller and shows a little of the upper teeth when the lips are relaxed, both of which are associated with youth. It's one reason a short philtrum is so valued in beauty and looksmaxxing circles.
A long philtrum stretches the space between nose and mouth. The upper lip can look flatter and thinner, the upper teeth tend to be hidden at rest, and the lower face can look longer. A long philtrum is very common and not a flaw — it's simply one of the features people most often ask about.
A very short philtrum can have the opposite effect: the lips may look crowded under the nose, or the upper lip may not fully cover the teeth at rest. That's why this calculator doesn't simply reward "shorter is better".
What counts as a long philtrum? On this calculator, a ratio of 0.32 or more — the philtrum taking up about a third of the lower face — is classed as long.
Yes. As we age, the upper lip gradually lengthens and thins as skin loses elasticity and the soft tissue descends. That's why a long philtrum is associated with an older look, and a short, defined philtrum with a younger one. The philtral columns also tend to become flatter over time.
A flat philtrum — one with faint or barely visible ridges — is a normal variation for many people. In combination with a thin upper lip and small eye openings, a smooth philtrum is also one of the facial features doctors look for when assessing fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). On its own, a flat philtrum doesn't mean anything is wrong. If you have concerns about a child's development, talk to a paediatrician.
There's no natural way to shorten a long philtrum — exercises and mewing don't change it. What does change it:
The philtrum is the vertical groove between the base of your nose and the top of your upper lip, bordered by two small ridges called philtral columns. It ends at the Cupid's bow in the middle of your upper lip.
Almost everyone does — it forms during early development where the two halves of the upper lip join. Its length and how defined its ridges are vary a lot from person to person.
On this calculator, a philtrum that takes up 32% or more of the lower third of the face — measured from the base of the nose to the chin — is classed as long. The ideal range is about 18–25%.
Generally, yes. A short philtrum keeps the upper lip close to the nose and makes it look fuller, which is associated with youth. A very short philtrum can crowd the lips, though, so moderate is best.
Not necessarily. It's very common and many attractive people have one. It can make the upper lip look thinner and the lower face longer, but how the whole face is balanced matters more.
Yes. The upper lip slowly lengthens and thins with age as the skin loses elasticity, so the philtrum tends to get longer and flatter over time.
Only with a procedure. A subnasal lip lift surgically shortens the philtrum, and lip filler can make it look shorter by adding volume to the upper lip. Exercises and mewing don't change philtrum length.
Yes. It's free, needs no signup, and analyses your photo in your browser.