Surgical correction of craniofacial disfigurements depends for its success on precise knowledge of the craniofacial norms of the patient's racial/ethnic groups. The norms of North American whites should be restricted to patients of Caucasian origin and not applied to members of other races. This study therefore sought to determine differences in anthropometric measurements of the craniofacial complex between African-American and North American white subjects of both sexes and of similar age (18-25 years old). The study group consisted of healthy young adult African-Americans, 50 males and 50 females. The analysis of craniofacial morphology was based on 51 anthropometric measurements: 9 cranial, 10 facial, 8 orbital, 14 nasal, 4 oral and 6 auricular. The results were compared with 51 norms previously established for North American whites in the same age group, generally based on 109 males and 200 females, fewer in comparisons of some nasal measurements (ac-ac, sbal-sbal, ac-sn, nostril axis). Highly significant differences between groups were found in every craniofacial region, especially in the orbital and nasal areas, and confirmed the need to establish separate norms for African-Americans to guide corrective surgery of the head and face.