Burstone line: lips and profile

The Burstone line is one of the soft tissue profile analysis lines. In general, it is drawn from the subnasale point to the soft tissue pogonion, the most forward point of the chin, and you observe where the upper and lower lips sit in relation to it. It originated in orthodontics and orthognathic surgery and was adopted into aesthetic facial analysis.

What is it for day to day?

When a patient says "my lip is thin" or "my chin disappears", the profile may tell a different story. A lip that looks under-projected may be positioned normally in a profile with a recessed chin. The line helps separate these hypotheses.

It talks to other well-known references, such as the Steiner S line, the Holdaway H line, and the Ricketts line. Each uses different points and produces its own readings; the professional usually picks one and keeps the same criterion throughout follow-up.

How to use it with caution

Profile lines were described in specific populations, and reference values vary. Today, facial analysis recognizes ethnic, age, and sex differences, as well as aesthetic trends. For this reason:

• use the line as an observation guide, never as a numeric goal;
• read it together with the nasolabial angle and the lip proportion;
• confirm with the in-person view, because a profile photo is distorted by lens and distance;
• record the photo with the head level so you can compare before and after treatment.

How does it connect to planning?

In the facial profile, the useful question is: what sits behind the line, what sits in front of it, and what does that change in the harmony of the whole? Sometimes the gain in naturalness comes from an adjustment at the pogonion or the chin, not in the lips. Each decision rests with the qualified professional, after assessment, with guidance on the risks and limits of the result. To compare with another profile reference, see the Merrifield line.

In Harmy

The app's projection uses a frontal photo, so the profile is neither analyzed nor simulated. The Lips and Chin points of the marking simulate the result seen from the front, always as an illustrative simulation. Profile analysis is done by the professional, outside the app.

Also called: soft tissue subnasale-pogonion line.