The topic of today’s article is low cheekbones, and the effect they have on an overall attractiveness of an individual.
Nowadays, it seems as though looks is everything; we are continually being “told,” by the ads we see on TV, magazines or the internet, that the world belongs to the “pretty ones!”
And one huge aspect of that beautiful face is high cheekbones!
It is a common belief that low cheekbones are a trademark of an immature person, a person that has not even fully developed yet and is not as desirable.
On the other hand, high cheekbones seem to show all these qualities, and more! Which is why they are highly desirable and sought after.
Before we dig deeper into the difference between high and low cheekbones, we want to take the time and talk a bit more about the “science behind a pretty face,” in other words, what make a face beautiful!
Table of Contents:
The Science Of A Beautiful Face
There has been a lot of research, trying to determine why we find some faces more beautiful than others.
This may come as a surprise to most of you, but one of the more recent studies from Japan showed that the two main rules of attractiveness are:
- “Averageness” and
- Facial symmetry
Averegeness:
I can already see you saying “What? Averageness? What does that even mean?”
You see, from an evolutionary standpoint, our most important goal is to reproduce, to find someone we will have kids with. The main criteria for this search is not the most beautiful mate, but the HEALTHIEST one!
We are looking for a healthy partner to produce healthy offspring. Now comes the averageness part.
On a subconscious level, we are programmed to deem a person “unhealthy” if their face seems “unusual.”
So, in our mind, the more “average” the person looks, the more desirable he/she is!
Face Symmetry
Face symmetry is a well-known trait of a beautiful face. But is it just an assumption or is it scientifically backed up?
Gillian Rhodes, a professor at the University of Western Australia, co-authored a study in 1998 called “Facial symmetry and the perception of beauty” in which they tested facial symmetry and its effect on attractiveness.
They manipulated with the symmetry of the faces that were involved in the study and conclusively showed that the attractiveness increased, each time the symmetry of the face was increased.
Other Traits Of A Beautiful Face:
The traits differ between men and women so we will divide them accordingly.
Main Characteristics Of A Beautiful Female Face:
- Narrower facial shape
- Full lips
- Thin eyebrows
- Narrower nose
- Slightly larger eye distance
Main Characteristics Of A Beautiful Male Face:
- Narrower facial shape
- Less facial fat
- Full, symmetrical lips
- Promminent low jaw
- Broader upper section of the face, compared to the lower
High Cheekbones
Cheekbones, also called malar or zygomatic bones, are some of the main facial (skull) bones located below the eyes.
The main difference between high and low cheekbones is their exact location:
- High cheekbones – are in a high position, located just below the eyes. In these individuals, the cheeks sometimes dip below the cheekbones, making them that much more prominent.
- Low cheekbones – are set lower, in line with the lower section of the nose. They are much less prominent and, if there is more facial fat present, they may even be unnoticeable.
Why Do We Find High Cheekbones Attractive?
We do this instinctively while looking at a face, judging its attractiveness based on the characteristics we are hardwired to spot.
But what makes a person with high cheekbones attractive on a psychological level?
Here are some of the key takeaways:
- Sexual maturity – we already said before that we find individuals with low cheekbones sexually immature. Large, prominent cheekbones suggest to our brains that the person is an adult and capable of giving birth to healthy children.
- Trustwortyness – a study from a team of psychologists at New York University done in 2014 showed just that, that we find people with higher cheekbones trustworthy! Another interesting conclusion that the study showed was that there was no correlation between those traits study participants perceived, and the personality of the test subjects.
- Evolutionary choice – there was an interesting study done in 2004 where researchers postulated a theory that women selected partners with broader face (with higher cheekbones) as opposed to those with large canine teeth. The reason being, mates with large canines, were more aggressive and less attractive and less reliable than those with higher cheekbones.
Is There A Cure For Low Cheekbones?
Of course, this is a silly question to be asked since low cheekbones are not a medical condition; you will not be diagnosed with a “lower cheekbone syndrome.”
No, your genes dictate the position of your cheekbones entirely. Of course, the position will also depend on the race, and the sex of an individual – women tend to have lower cheekbones then men (they are just better at hiding it).
In this day and age, everything’s possible, even altering the perceived position of your cheekbones. This can be done in several different ways:
Implants For Low Cheekbones
The exact surgical procedure is called cheek augmentation (enlargement), where a surgeon will insert an implant over the cheekbone to make it appear more prominent.
The commonly used material is solid silicone, which comes in three general shapes. Three most common cheek implant shapes are:
- Malar – this is the most common shape, designed to be placed directly over the bone to make your low cheekbone more prominent.
- Submalar – as the name suggests, this implant is placed under the cheekbone to add volume to person’s cheeks (for those with a sunken look).
- Combined – this is a combined implant designed to add volume to the cheeks as well as make the cheekbones more prominent.
Though this procedure is not particularly dangerous, it can lead to some complications. These complications include severe swelling, bleeding and the formation of blood clots, or a temporary sensation loss.
Dermal Fillers
Also known as soft tissue fillers or injectible implants, are relatively easy to apply (using injection as opposed to surgical cutting), but not as long-lasting as surgery since our body absorbs them over time.
Some fillers are natural while others are synthetic, and their effectiveness and duration will depend on just that.
Though this procedure is less intense then surgery, there is still some risk involved – bruising, pain and swelling.
Invasive Low Cheekbone Procedures – Risks And Rewards
“Treating” low cheekbones using surgery or injectable implants will cause stress to the skin and the surrounding tissue.
Nowadays, the equipment is state of the art, and the health risks are minimal, but our advice is to think this through before going “under the knife.”
Many young men and woman decide to “correct” their low cheekbones just for the immediate gains of popularity, Instagram followers and facebook likes.
But you need to take a step back and look into the future; 1, 2, 3, five years from now, is it worth it altering your face just to get a few more people drooling over your latest selfie?
A much better idea would be to rebuild your character and confidence so that your “low cheekbones” won’t even bother you.
But I digress. If you are still interested in making your low cheekbones more prominent without surgery or expensive procedures, we have some tips for you down below:
Using Cosmetics For More Prominent Cheekbones
Disclaimer: contouring and highlighting your cheekbones is not for everyone, sometimes you need that artistic flair you will only get in a specialized beauty salon. But if you are interested in giving it a go, we have some tips you can follow.
- Suck in your cheeks, this will make your cheekbones more prominent, so you know where to apply the product
- Grab a brush and a bronzer that is 2-3 shades darker than your skin
- Apply the bronzer to the cheekbones in a linear fashion, starting at the nose and sweeping up and to the side towards your hairline
- Optional: you can apply bronzer across your jawline to add a bit more definition to your face
- At the end, grab a new, clean brush to blend the bronzer. Otherwise, it may look unnatural
You can also watch the video below, for a quick routine on making your low cheekbones more prominent:
The “Problem Of Flat Cheeks”
Most of you who already have low cheekbones know what we are talking about here.
Flat cheeks tend to go hand in hand with low cheekbones and make the situation just a little bit worse.
So, why do they appear? – Well, they are mostly connected to aging, they lose volume and become less defined then they used to be.
How can we fix this? The most cost-effective method is to engage in cheek exercises.
Here are some of the exercises to firm up sagging cheek skin:
- While standing in front of the mirror, make an over exaggerated smile and maintain the position for up to 10 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Fill your mouth full of air and puff your cheeks, as much as you can. Now start to move the air around your mouth for around 10 seconds. Repeat 5-10 times.
- Make a letter “O” with your mouth, slightly tilt your head back and start closing and opening your mouth using your lower haw. Repeat 10-15 opening and closing per set, and complete five sets.
- Massage your cheeks with the tips of your fingers, moving in a steady circular motion. Do this for as long as you feel comfortable.