Forehead size is one of the facial features that are important for facial harmony. If your hairline is too high, it could look like you have a huge forehead. Placed too low, and it will cause problems as well. In the same manner, the slope of the forehead is also something that many concern themselves about. This article will go through the differences between a sloping forehead and a straight forehead.
A recessed or sloping forehead is a normal trait in some people. It could be due to a prominent brow ridge in men, causing a slope. Or it could be due to a higher hairline in females. The average forehead is posteriorly sloped at 10° ± 4° for men and 6° ± 5° in women.
In women, the standard forehead is much more vertical than it is in men. Sometimes, their foreheads can even lean a little bit anteriorly. These minor discrepancies will have little effect on overall appearance. We can attribute the more posterior slope of men’s foreheads to prominent brow ridges.
A prominent brow ridge is a trait present in men, meaning it’s sexually dimorphic. Ancient humans, for example, have very prominent eyebrows. Because of that, the forehead usually slopes a bit more in men than women.
The Forehead
The forehead is not a very interesting part of the face. Unlike the lips or the eyes, it is just a blank space. Despite that, the forehead can contribute a lot to facial harmony. No one wants a forehead that looks too sloped, or they would look like a Neanderthal. For other people, the problem is the size of their forehead.
The average forehead height in men is 57 ± 7mm. In women, it is a bit less at 53 ± 6mm. These numbers are in the acceptable range; forehead height anywhere between those ranges will look okay. A little bit above or below those ranges will likely look fine as well. But excessive variations could cause problems in most cases.
Additionally, the height is only one aspect of the picture. A good, reasonable height would mean little if your face is too short or too long. Another metric is that the forehead height should be around 1/3 of the face’s total length. That is already well within the acceptable standard. It is a loose measurement, so if you go a bit below or above that, it’s not much of an issue.
Usually, a forehead has a bit of convexity to it. As previously mentioned, women are more likely to have vertical foreheads, which you can see in the photos below.
While the normal slope of the forehead is posterior, women’s foreheads can even lean anteriorly.
Sloping Forehead
It isn’t normal for all foreheads to be completely vertical or straight without any curves. While a slope is acceptable to a certain degree, it can look unattractive, especially when paired with a receding hairline. Some people suffer from a sloped forehead that could hamper their self-esteem and the way they view themselves. Let’s take a look at a couple of factors that contribute to a sloping forehead.
Brow Ridge
The brow ridge is the area of your eyebrows. In men, the brow ridge is usually more prominent. If your forehead slope is above 14 degrees or below 6 degrees, chances are it will not look proportional. This appearance is what gives off an image of a sloping forehead. A recessed forehead is only made worse by a brow ridge that sits right below the slope. As you can imagine, it will make the slope look worse than it really is.
Receding Hairline
A receding hairline is yet another reason for a sloped forehead. Some people have decent foreheads, but their hairlines make their forehead look worse. While a receding hairline is a symptom of age, some people just have a naturally recessed hairline. This is the case in some women. While it is true that women have a decreased slope, they could have a naturally high hairline that gives off the appearance of a sloped forehead.
Straight Forehead
The ideal forehead appearance bears a close resemblance to a straight forehead. A straight forehead does not have to mean that the forehead is completely vertical. A vertical forehead would look odd since there should be at least a little bit of a curve or angle. A straight forehead is most common in women. You probably will not find a man with a straight forehead, though it’s certainly possible.
What is the Most Attractive Forehead?
The most attractive forehead for men is one that’s sloped but with a low hairline. The most attractive forehead for women is a forehead that’s almost vertically straight and with a low hairline.
Plenty of people can make completely vertical foreheads work for them. Some women even have anteriorly-sloped foreheads and look attractive. Rihanna, for example, has an anteriorly-sloped forehead. Yet, she rocks her look:
What you want to avoid is a very sloped forehead. Take a look at this photo of an extremely sloped forehead. It’s at an angle that looks very intimidating. And as expected, it does not look that great. You don’t want to look like a caveman; you want to look like how humans look today.
But even if your forehead is off from the ideal, don’t worry too much. Chances are, you look just fine. The forehead is an important part of the face, yes. There are other features that you can bank on to take away attention from your forehead.
How to Improve the Forehead
Fortunately, there are many ways that you can fix your forehead. Some of these solutions are just surface-level, while others are more complex.
Hairstyle
The easiest way to get a better-looking forehead is to get a hairstyle that perfectly suits you. Getting a good hairstyle is already essential, even if you have a decent forehead. But one that frames your face perfectly could drastically improve your self-esteem at a minimal cost.
Unlike other cosmetic procedures, hair grows back easily if you don’t like the hairstyle you picked. Take, for example, people with high foreheads. Wearing bangs will eliminate the height of their foreheads, even though it’s just a light fringe. You can experiment with it as much as you like, and the possibilities are close to endless.
Forehead Contouring
Forehead contouring involves rearranging the brow ridge and removing some areas to smooth out the ridge. It is a surgical procedure. Another term for forehead contouring is brow bossing. The result of the surgery is a more feminine appearance. Forehead contouring eliminates one of the main problems of a sloping forehead for women: the prominent brow ridge.
Without a prominent brow ridge, a forehead will look more even. Forehead contouring is usually interchangeable with forehead reduction. Remember that this is a surgical procedure and comes with risks. Although satisfaction is high, the surgery carries the risk of alopecia and scarring (Salgado et al., 2018).
Custom Forehead Implants
These implants are like other implants. They are made from an inert silicone and are outfitted onto your skull by the surgeon. These can even be custom-created just for you.
Forehead implants can fix sloped foreheads in women and create a prominent brow ridge or more sloped forehead for men.
