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Scarlett Johansson (pictured) has the perfect nose, according to new research by U.S. plastic surgeons

She has been voted the sexiest woman alive, but now it emerges that one reason may be that Scarlett Johansson apparently has the perfect nose.

Plastic surgeons have analysed the ideal shape for a woman's nose and found it should be slightly upturned.

Measured from the lip up, the optimum angle of rotation at the nasal tip - the amount the nose is turned up - should be 106 degrees to enhance a woman's looks, says new research.

A nose that is rotated less than 90 degrees to the face looks droopy, long and masculine.

U.S. plastic surgeons behind the research claim there has been no universally accepted standard that defines the most aesthetic combination of nasal features until now.

Dr Omar Ahmed, of New York University, said attempts to capture the ideal shape have been 'elusive and ongoing for decades.'

He said: 'Throughout history artists and scholars have been engrossed in the pursuit of capturing what constitutes beauty.

'Dating back to ancient Egypt artists idealised facial proportions in their works.'

In a bid to 'design' the most beautiful nose for a young woman, the researchers tested public reaction to a range of different angles and rotation.

They used digital portraits of young white women aged 18 to 25 years, which were ranked online by almost 4,000 men and women drawn from the same age group.

They were asked to compare photos of women with noses 96, 101, 106, 111 and 116 degrees to their face.

The study used focus group and online social network participants and 106 degrees is consistent with previous research stipulating 104 and 108 degrees as being highly favourable angles.

U.S. plastic surgeons behind the research claim there has been no universally accepted standard that defines the most aesthetic combination of nasal features until now. A stock image of a woman with surgical pen marks is pictured

Dr Ahmed said 'To our knowledge this is the first population-based study to attempt to simultaneously determine the ideal NTP - nasal tip projection - and rotation. A rotation of 106 degrees was found to be the most aesthetic.'

Charles East, of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, one of the most experienced and sought after specialists in rhinoplasty, or nose jobs, said there were classical features involved in creating the perfect nose.

He said the study's verdict meant the slightly upturned nose of American actress Scarlet Johansson – hailed for performances in Lost In Translation and Girl with a Pearl Earring – had the ideal shape.

Mr East does get asked by patients to replicate Ms Johansson's nose, 'but the commonest request is to look like Kim Kardashian'.

However, he says surgeons always strive to get the perfect look for the individual, rather than sticking to a textbook formula.

Measured from the lip up, the optimum angle of rotation at the nasal tip - the amount the nose is turned up - should be 106 degrees to enhance a woman's looks, according to the new study. This is similar to Scarlett Johansson's nose. The actress is pictured promoting her new film

'There is a range of rotation that's usually applied, which is 90 to 100 degrees for men and 95 to 110 degrees for women – this study has ended up somewhere in-between' he said.

'In the past there was a stigma attached to having surgery on the nose, largely because they all ended up looking the same.

'Today we are making a nose that is best for that face, so people compliment them on their lovely smile or beautiful eyes as the face as a whole looks good. The angle of the nose is only one of the variants used in a personalised approach,' he added.

The study, published online in JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery journal looked only at young white women and researchers said the finding was not necessarily applicable to men, or other ethnicities.