Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 61 No. 3, 2025.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.21860/medflum2025_332186
Why We Love the Nose
Dražen Shejbal
orcid.org/0000-0001-6878-9616
; General Hospital Varaždin, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Varaždin, Croatia
*
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
With its modest surface area of only a few square centimetres of skin, the noseexerts a remarkable influence on human life. The aesthetics of the nose in Homo sapiensprimarily played a crucial role in mate selection, with the nose reflecting the genetic qualityof the individual. The appearance of the nose became part of selective evolutionaryprocesses aimed at passing on optimal genetic traits across generations. As human sociallife became more complex and culture evolved, the aesthetics of the nose assumed newroles in interpersonal relationships. The aesthetics of the human face, where the nose is themost prominent feature, has become a subject of inquiry in the context of politicalcorrectness and prejudice. Through intellectual advancement and technical innovation,Homo sapiens has mastered the ability to alter the appearance of the nose throughaesthetic surgeries, adapting it to the cultural and aesthetic demands of the modern era.Consequently, the nose, in addition to its physiological function as a respiratory organ andolfactory sensor, has become a symbol of aesthetic value, interwoven with various aspectsof human culture, sexuality, and professional success.
Keywords
aesthetics; body image; cultural evolution; facial recognition; nose; sexual selection
Hrčak ID:
332186
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2025.
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