Cephalic, Facial, and Nasal Indices in Young Turkish Adults: Sexual Dimorphism and Its Relevance to Facial Feminization Surgery

Sexual dimorphism of the craniofacial skeleton plays a central role in gender perception and forms the anatomic basis of contemporary facial feminization surgery (FFS). Despite extensive global research, population-specific normative data remain limited for Turkish adults, particularly for measurements relevant to FFS planning. This study aimed to provide sex-stratified linear anthropometric reference values for young Turkish adults and to examine the distribution of cephalic, facial, and nasal index categories in relation to sex. A total of 187 (102 women, 85 men) healthy adults aged 18 to 25 years (mean age: 21.18±1.52) were evaluated using standardized anthropometry. Cranial, facial, and nasal dimensions were measured between defined osteological and soft-tissue landmarks using a digital caliper, and cephalic, facial, and nasal indices were calculated. Males exhibited significantly greater head breadth, occipitofrontal distance, facial width, morphologic facial height, total nasal length, and nasal width than females (all P