Lips · Side photo

Lower lip to H-line

Holdaway line

Holdaway's line. The lower lip normally touches it.

How it's measured

Distance of the most forward point of the lower lip (labrale inferius) from the line from the chin (pogonion) touching the upper lip (labrale superius), as a percentage of face height (nasion to menton). Positive means in front of the line, negative behind it. One decimal, because 1% is only about 1.2 mm.

Reference range

Male reference

−0.8 to +0.8%

Female reference

−0.9 to +0.9%

Source: Holdaway RA. A soft-tissue cephalometric analysis and its use in orthodontic treatment planning, part I. Am J Orthod 1983;84:1-28: lower lip on the line or within about 1 mm of it (community formula top range: touching). Range 1 mm either side, converted to % of face height.

In the score

Counts toward the score with weight 5 (Community formula point table: Holdaway H-line, 5 points).

What changes it

• Typical values differ between populations, so the reference range fits some faces better than others.
• Measured on the skin outline, so muscle and soft tissue affect it as well as bone.

One number, one feature

One measurement describes one detail in one photo. Pose, lens and expression move it, and every reference range is an average from limited samples.