How to get higher cheekbones

How to get higher cheekbones is mostly a question about illusion, because the bone itself does not move after adulthood. What you can change is the soft tissue over it, the frame of hair and beard around it, and the light and camera angle that decide where its shadow falls. This guide lists the low-risk changes that make cheekbones look higher, says plainly which popular ideas do nothing, and leaves fillers and surgery out on purpose.

What "higher" means for cheekbones

People use "high cheekbones" for two different things. One is real position: the zygomatic bone sits closer to the eye and projects forward. The other is visual: the widest point of the cheek and its shadow sit near the level of the eyes instead of near the mouth. How to get higher cheekbones is only an answerable question for the second meaning, since the first is set by your skull.

A cheek looks lower when it is full near the jaw, when hair hangs over the outer cheek, or when the light comes from below or straight ahead. It looks higher when the fullness sits above the bone and the shadow below it is clear. For a broader look at the bone and its hollow, see defining cheekbones.

How to get higher cheekbones through body fat

Fat in the lower cheek can push the visual center of the face down. When overall body fat falls, the area under the bone often shows more shadow, and the cheek seems to rise. You cannot choose where fat leaves, and no face exercise removes fat from only the cheeks. Steady training, sleep and moderate eating are the safe route.

Below a healthy weight the face tends to look drawn rather than sculpted, so there is nothing more to gain from that direction. Crash diets and dehydration are not a trade worth making. A doctor or dietitian can tell you what a healthy range is for you.

How to get higher cheekbones with a haircut

Hair is the fastest reversible tool. Ask the stylist to begin the first layer at cheekbone level and cut it to fall backward, away from the face. A fringe that ends at the brow, or sits lower, shortens the forehead and makes the cheek read higher by comparison. Side volume at the temples widens the upper face, which lifts the widest point. Heavy hair that falls over the cheek hides the bone and drags the face down.

Shorter hair works the same way. A cut that is tight at the sides and longer on top draws the line upward. The haircut depending on face shape guide shows what to ask for, and diamond face shape hairstyles covers faces whose widest point is already at the cheekbone.

Beard lines that help

A full beard that climbs the cheek can flatten the hollow and make the face look wider at the bottom. Keeping the upper cheek line clean, a finger or two below the bone, leaves the hollow visible. Short stubble that fades out gradually at the cheek is usually better than a sharp line drawn high, which looks artificial. For outlines that suit each face shape, see beard shapes.

Makeup and contour

For one evening or one photo, makeup is the quickest option for how to get higher cheekbones. Place a soft contour in the hollow below the bone, starting at the ear and stopping before the middle of the eye, then blend it upward and back instead of down. Highlight goes on the crest of the bone, nudged a little up and out. Blend until you cannot see where the contour starts, since a visible edge reads as makeup instead of bone. Powder or cream both work; try it in daylight before you go out.

Light and camera angle

Turn so a window sits a little above you and off to one side, and the cheek gains a shadow line under it. Light straight on the face flattens that line. A camera a little above eye level, with a small turn of the head toward the light, shows a clearer cheek line than a straight selfie from below. Two photos of the same face can look like two different cheekbones. For fair comparisons over time, use the same distance and light, as the photo guide explains.

What does not work

Face yoga, massage, chewing gum, cheek-lifting devices and "cheekbone exercises" have little or no good evidence for changing bone or lifting the cheek, and nobody should promise otherwise. Mewing is covered in the mewing face guide, with the same caution. Injectables and operations exist, but they are medical decisions with real risks, and this guide leaves them out. Anyone who is considering them should talk to a qualified professional first. Hitting or pressing the face to reshape bone causes injury and does nothing useful.

Measuring instead of guessing

If you want a number for the width of the cheek area, the fwhr ratio tool puts a number on cheek width relative to upper-face height, read from a front photo. The number describes the picture, not a target. The face structure guide explains how the skull shapes the way the cheek reads, and a PSL rating puts the whole face in context.

How to get higher cheekbones FAQ

Can you really learn how to get higher cheekbones?

You can make them look higher with fat, hair, contour and light. The bone itself does not rise.

Do face exercises raise cheekbones?

There is no reliable evidence that they do. They do not move bone and do not reliably reduce fat in one place.

Which haircut makes cheekbones look higher?

Layers that start at the cheekbone, volume at the temples and a lower fringe usually help. A stylist can adapt them to your hair.

How to get cheekbones if my face looks flat?

Start with light and angle, then hair and facial hair, then body fat if it is in a healthy range. Compare photos taken the same way.

Is contour enough on its own?

For photos, often yes. It washes off, and it looks best when it is soft and blended.

Should I consider fillers or surgery?

This guide does not advise it. If you are thinking about it, speak with a qualified professional about the risks first.