A common question we get is what the best jawline angle is. Your jawline angle can make or break your facial appearance, depending on what exactly you consider the jawline angle to be. There are multiple ways and angles with which to measure the jaw. The most common is the gonial angle.
The best jawline angle (gonial angle) is about 120-130 degrees or less. The best jawline inclination is alignment with a line from the eye’s lateral canthus to the nasal alar. The ideal mandibular plane angle is 26 degrees.
So, what do the degrees mean, and how do you find out what your jawline angle is? Here is everything you need to know.
Also, consider one of our custom facial reports if you’re interested in an in-depth analysis of your jaw and overall facial structure.
The Gonial Angle
The mandible is your lower jaw, and the angle refers to the part of your jaw that tapers sharply towards your chin. The gonial angle is the angle of your mandible.
The ideal gonial angle for both men and women ranges from 120-130 degrees. It gives you enough of a prominent look without making you look like a mouthbreather if it is larger. If your gonial angle was less than that range, your face might look way too square.
Now that we know about the gonial angle, why does a good jawline matter?
Why a Good Jawline Angle Matters
Men grow more masculine features when they go through puberty because of the increase in testosterone, including a large jaw (Penton-Voak et al., 2004). So when a man has a defined jaw, especially at the ideal angle, it makes them look more masculine.
There is no exact ideal jaw angle that men should have. However, studies show there was a massive preference for men who had a jaw angle of 130 degrees or less (Mommaerts et al., 2016).
Sean O’Pry is an excellent example of a male with a good jawline. His gonial angle is ideal. It is prominent yet not too wide.
As for women, a good jawline angle can dramatically change their entire appearance. While other factors like the forehead height and chin can affect the appearance, the jawline angle still creates a huge impact.
For instance, Emma Watson has a gonial angle of 128 degrees. She has an oval face shape with a defined chin. She has an elegant appearance. However, she still looks striking because of her gonial angle and her defined yet thin chin.
Another example of a female with a good jawline but more prominent features is Angelina Jolie. Her gonial angle is at about 123 degrees. Angelina Jolie has a square face shape with high cheekbones, which makes her face look very symmetrical and sharp. Her forehead is at a perfect height and width as well, making her face extremely attractive.
The gonial angle determines the angle of your jawline from the side. However, there is more to your jawline than the gonial angle.
Jawline Inclination
Your jawline inclination can be measured from the frontal view. See below for reference.
Your jawline inclination is line B.
The ideal jawline inclination should be parallel to the line extending from your from lateral canthus to your ipsilateral alar. It should be within 15 degrees. If the two lines are off by 15 degrees, your jaw angle may look strange.
Normal jaw inclination is within 15 degrees.
Mandibular Plane Angle
Your mandibular plane angle is the angle of your Frankfort horizontal plane and your jawline.
Your mandibular plane angle is located in the same place as the jaw inclination.
However, you measure your mandibular plane angle from the side of your profile. The best mandibular plane angle is 26 degrees for men.
Your mandibular plane angle will determine the “length” of your face. Typically, a long face occurs because the upper and lower jaw sinks, which can distort your proportions.
If the mandibular plane angle is high, it can make your face look long. On the other hand, if your mandibular plane angle is low, it can make your face look short.
The ideal mandibular plane angle is around 26 degrees.
How to Augment Your Jawline
If you want to augment your jawline to get the best jawline angles, you can try the following procedures.
- Dermal Fillers
- Jawline Surgery
- Mewing
- Botox
Dermal Fillers
If you want a noninvasive procedure to enhance your jawline, then you can opt for dermal fillers. The type of filler that you get will depend on what you want from your jawline.
For instance, some dermal fillers help remove full jowls or double chins from fatty tissue. Other dermal fillers replace a lack of muscle or bone, making your jaw look sharper and more prominent.
The procedure may take around 40 minutes, but it depends on your specific needs. Dermal fillers usually last for 1-2 years, but it will also depend on how your body metabolizes the dermal filler.
Jawline Surgery
Jawline surgery reshapes your jaw and chin. It can make your jaw look slimmer or reshape it to add more volume. It is an effective and permanent way to change your jawline.
To reduce the jaw bone, a surgeon will shave the bone. To get a defined jaw bone, a surgeon inserts an implant to give you your desired jaw shape.
Surgeons usually make incisions in the mouth. You may experience minimal scarring, but it will not be visible.
The procedure usually takes 2-4 hours to complete. You may have to spend a few nights in the hospital to recover. You may have some facial swelling for several days after the procedure, but that is normal.
You may have to follow a specific diet while you wait to recover from your surgery fully. You will also be advised on how to sleep correctly, when you can return to school or work, what pain medication to take, etc.
Mewing
Mewing is a long-term technique that you can try to enhance your facial features. It is mainly known for helping people get a chiseled jawline along and prominent cheekbones.
To ‘mew,’ you simply flatten your tongue on the roof of your mouth and make sure your teeth are touching (not clenching). The position of your jaw and tongue creates a force that can mold your facial structure.
Click here to see our full guide on mewing.
I know the thought of merely changing your tongue and jaw position seems strange, but bones are malleable. Even adult bones have the capability of changing shape. Take a look at the picture below.
As you can see from the image above, the facial bones changed over time. So with hard chewing and correct tongue posture, you will be encouraging your bones to remodel in a specific way.
Mewing focuses on slowly molding your face to improve your look. While the results are not rapid, many people have seen significant improvement in their facial features.
Click here to see an analysis of mewing results.
Botox
If your masseter muscles are large, you can reduce it by getting Botox injections. Botox injections can help you get a smaller, more defined jawline.
Botox injections partially relax your jaw muscles. It keeps your jaw muscles from contracting as much, which helps them decrease in size. It leaves you with a slimmer, more defined jawline and can emphasize your cheekbones.
Botox injections are an ideal way to enhance your jawline if you have certain muscle conditions.
For instance, some TMD disorders and masseter hypertrophy can make your jawline look large and asymmetrical. Botox injections can help treat those conditions to reduce the size of your jawline.
For more info, you can click here to learn more about the ideal jawline and how to get it.
