The Mandible

People are often attractive because they DON'T conform to statistical norms.

Each of these four photos was posed by the photographer to highlight the wide jaw characteristic of the beautiful female face.
This type of jaw may be more common in males, but in females it is a highly prized feature.

 Because the less common mandibular shape is the one found on beautiful women, reliance on statistical prevalence of sexually determined features can lead to unnecessary or irrelevant changes.

Diminishing the angularity of the mandible may make a more typical woman, but it is unlikely to make a more attractive one.

 The contribution of the "masculine" mandible to the beauty of countless women is hard to underestimate.

Why do transgender patients consider surgery to "feminize" the mandible?

 Would anyone suggest Gwenyth Paltrow "feminize" her jaw?

The "feminine" mandibles shown here on the unnamed man and well-known woman compare poorly with the Gwenyth's "masculine" mandibular angles.

Male-to-female transexuals are likely to have the coveted "masculine" jaw shape. While this shape may be more uncommon in the general female population, it is one of the components of exceptionally attractive women.

The wide mandible is attractive in men or women regardless of its statistical prevalence between the sexes.

Surgery should not be used to "normalize" features that contribute to beauty.

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