Low cheekbones are considered less attractive than high cheekbones. However, that does not mean people who have low cheekbones are unattractive. Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp still look fantastic with low cheekbones. Cheekbones can be improved with mewing, fillers, and implants.
Consider one of our custom facial reports if you’re interested in an in-depth analysis of your cheek area and overall facial structure.
Why Do High Cheekbones Matter?
High cheekbones are a symbol of both sexual maturity and youth. If you’ve lost your baby fat on your cheeks, it’s likely your cheekbones are visible. High cheekbones have a better chance of creating hollow cheeks because there is less mass under the cheekbone itself:
Besides, cheekbones sink with age. So high cheekbones indicate that you’re sexually mature, yet simultaneously not too old. For more info on how the skeletons and cheekbones change with age, check out our video on the subject:
Some Asian cultures also believe that people with high cheekbones are determined, courageous, and powerful. People with pronounced cheekbones also appear more trustworthy (Todorov et al., 2008).
How to Tell if You Have Low or High Cheekbones
So, are you wondering if you have low cheekbones or high cheekbones? Here is a quick way you can tell which kind you have.
High Cheekbones
While moving from the ear to the nose, use your fingers to touch your cheekbone gently. If your cheekbone is right under your eyes, you have high cheekbones.
High cheekbones will start above the medial canthus of the eye. You can sometimes tell if you have high cheekbones when the ogee curve length (above) is more than half of your midface.
Low Cheekbones
While moving from the ear to the nose, use your fingers to gently locate your cheekbone. If your cheekbone is near the lower part of your nose, it means you have low cheekbones.
Low cheekbones will start by the middle of the nose. You can sometimes tell if you have low cheekbones when the ogee curve length (above) is less than half of your midface.
Low cheekbones can be noticeable on some people if they are prominent. However, low cheekbones can be hard to spot if a person has large cheeks. To give you a better idea, some examples of celebrities who have low cheekbones are Mads Mikkelsen, Johnny Depp, and Angelina Jolie.
Why Do I Have Low Cheekbones?
Cheekbone height depends on genetics and ethnicity. Note that cheekbone height and cheekbone prominence are not the same things, however.
In general, nobody has perfect cheekbones. But having prominent cheekbones is more important than having high cheekbones.
Genetics
Your genetics can play a huge part in why you have low cheekbones. If one or both of your parents have low cheekbones, then there is a good chance you got it from them.
Ethnicity
Ethnicity could also impact what kind of cheekbones you have. For instance, Africans, East Asians, and Native Americans usually have high cheekbones. West Asians usually have lower cheekbones.
How You Can Modify Your Cheekbones
If you have low cheekbones, you should focus on making your cheekbones prominent. Here are some things that you can try.
Mewing
Mewing is a new concept where you use force created by your jaw and tongue position. 
Mewing is a technique used to get a more defined jawline, prominent cheekbones, and reduce the appearance of a double chin. It could also improve the alignment of your chin and nose. Research even suggests that mewing can help people with sleep apnea because it encourages people to breathe from the nose rather than the mouth.
Mewing is often more effective in younger people because their bones are more malleable and still developing. However, if you are 20 years old and above, you can still see results after a few years of mewing. If you want to know more about mewing and how to do it, see our guide. To see some of the scientific research surrounding concepts related to mewing, click here.
Keep in mind, however, that mewing is not a quick fix to get high cheekbones. Getting better cheekbones from mewing will take years. It may take longer if you are over 18 years old.
Cheek Fillers
Cheek fillers are a non-invasive procedure that gives you higher cheekbones. The fillers are a gel made from hyaluronic acid or collagen, which are both naturally present in your body.
Cheek fillers can last for as long as 12-14 months, depending on what kind you chose. However, some types can last for two years.
So, what happens to the cheek filler after some time passes? The dermal filler slowly dissolves, then metabolizes into the skin tissue. If you are not happy with your dermal filler results, you can have the fillers immediately dissolved.
Therefore, cheek fillers can be good for people who are not sure about getting permanent work done. Plus, you can ask your surgeon to slightly modify your cheeks after the injection process if you want more volume.
Your surgeon will simply inject the gel into the desired area to create more volume. Most people only feel a minor sting during the injection process. This process is very simple, and it takes around 20-60 minutes. You will immediately see the results after the procedure. However, you need to avoid strenuous activity and touching your face for a few days to let the fillers settle into your face. You should not lie on your cheeks while you sleep, either.
Cheek fillers are an excellent way to get high cheekbones. However, they may not be ideal for everyone. The gel used for cheek fillers are soft, so it cannot give you very sharp features if your goal is to get sharp cheekbones.
The above before/after photo, for example, was taken right after injection. While it looks good at that point, it usually doesn’t stay that way.
Cheek Implants
Cheek implants, or cheek lifts, is a type of procedure that uses implants to raise your cheekbones. Cheek implants help highlight the cheek and cheekbones.
Your surgeon will create cheekbone implants using a material like solid silicone. Your surgeon will then insert it on the sides of the mouth. You will be under general anesthesia.
There are typically three shapes for cheek implants, which are:
- Malar
The implants are put directly on your cheekbones to make them stick out more. - Submalar
These implants go under the cheekbone and help make your cheeks look more massive, thus filling out your cheeks. - Combined
This type enhances both the cheeks and cheekbones.
If your goal is to get high cheekbones, then you may need to get infraorbital malar rim implants, which also augment the undereye area.
What Should I Expect from Cheek Implant Surgery?
You may experience scarring, but it will be very minimal. That is because the incisions created by the surgery are on your lower eyelid, or inside your mouth.
You may experience mild bruising and swelling after the surgery, but that is a normal post-operative side effect. Most of the symptoms go away after a few weeks, especially with proper post-operative care.
Your surgeon may prescribe pain medication for you to take for a few days after your surgery. You may also be discouraged from doing any strenuous activity until you fully recover.
