The rule of thirds: Determining the ideal areolar proportions

Abstract

Background: Breast surgery often requires changing the diameter of the areola. Recommended areolar size is commonly based on population averages, or surgical judgement. An ideal areola size has not been previously been described. We hypothesized that the ideal areolar diameter would be proportional to two breast measurements not commonly altered during breast surgery: the nipple diameter and breast base width. Methods: ‘The Sun’ newspaper (London, UK) publishes photographs of topless models which are selected based on the aesthetic appeal of their non-operated breasts. The publication's archive, from March 2014 to January 2017, was independently reviewed by three authors to identify photographs that presented a clear anterior view of the breast. The base width, nipple diameter and areolar diameter were measured independently by each reviewer. Measurements were pooled, and the mean was included for analysis. Ratios of the areolar diameter to the base width and the nipple diameter were calculated. Results: The photographs of 58 models were eligible for inclusion. The average areolar diameter to base width was 0.29 (SD = 0.05). The average nipple to areolar diameter was 0.29 (SD = 0.06). Conclusions: In aesthetically pleasing breasts, the areolar diameter is proportional to both the breast base width and nipple diameter. Breast base width is commonly measured preoperatively in aesthetic breast procedures, and is not typically modified. Breast base width can therefore be used to determine the ideal areolar size using the ratio of areola:base width ratio of 0.29 identified in this study. Keywords: Areola, Nipple-areolar complex, NAC, Breast surgery, Aesthetic surgery