Zygos bones: what the word means

Zygos bones is forum shorthand for the zygomatic bones, the cheekbones on each side of the face. The word appears in threads about high zygos, wide zygos and zygo projection, usually to describe how the middle of the face looks. It is slang, not an anatomy term. This guide explains which bones the word covers, what each popular phrase tends to mean, how zygos bones relate to FWHR and the midface, and why a photo can make the same bone look very different.

Which bones are the zygos bones?

Each zygomatic bone is a small curved plate that forms the prominence of the cheek and part of the eye socket's floor and outer edge. It joins the upper jaw, the frontal bone beside the brow, and a bridge of bone that runs back toward the ear, the zygomatic arch. Forum posts about zygos bones usually mean the plate and the arch together.

From the front, the arches mark the widest part of the face. From above, the arch pushes the cheek outward at the sides. Adult bone changes very little, so the framework under the word is largely set. What you see in a mirror is that framework plus fat, muscle, skin and light. For the practical side of showing it, see defining cheekbones.

High zygos, wide zygos and zygo projection

Three phrases cover most talk about zygos bones, and they describe different things.

• High zygos. The fullest part of the cheek sits just under the lower eyelid. Posters often mean what they see rather than the bone, since the height of a shadow depends on fat and light. The page on how to get higher cheekbones separates the two meanings.
• Wide zygos. The cheekbones are far apart relative to the rest of the face. Measured, this is bizygomatic width, the distance between the outer edges of the two arches, and it is judged against the jaw and forehead.
• Zygo projection. How far the zygos bones stand forward from the face, best judged from the side. A side photo alone cannot tell bone from soft tissue.

None of the three has an agreed cut-off. One poster's high zygos is another's average, so read the phrases as opinions about a picture.

Zygos bones and FWHR

FWHR is the facial width-to-height ratio, and the width in it is cheekbone width, which makes the zygos bones its main input. The fwhr ratio tool takes estimated cheekbone width and divides it by brow-to-upper-lip height. A wider cheek span raises the number, and a taller upper face lowers it.

So wide zygos and a high FWHR are connected but not the same. Broad zygos bones with a tall upper face can give a modest ratio. The ratio also moves with a small head turn, a raised brow or a lens held close, so treat it as a description of one photo, not of the bone alone.

Zygos bones and the midface

The midface is the area between the brow and the upper lip, and the zygos bones are its frame. Posts about midface length often blame or credit them: strong projection is said to make the middle of the face look compact, weak projection to make it look long or flat.

The midface ratio on this site is narrower than that. It compares pupil spacing with the drop from the pupil line to the upper lip, so it does not read cheekbone depth at all. Do not use it as a verdict on your zygos bones. The jaw, teeth and nose also change how the midface reads, as the face structure guide describes.

How a photo changes the way zygos bones look

Most claims about someone's zygos bones come from one image, and several things in it have nothing to do with bone.

• Light. Bone shows through shadow, and shadow needs angled light. In flat, even light the same zygos bones seem to vanish.
• Angle and distance. A turn to the side shows projection and hides width, and a phone at arm's length enlarges the nose and narrows the sides of the face.
• Body fat. Fuller cheeks cover the plate, so the bone seems lower. Weight changes across a year can move your own result a lot.
• Expression. A smile lifts the cheek and bunches fat over the bone. A neutral mouth gives the clearest read.

Before comparing two faces, or one face over time, match all of these. The photo guide lists a setup that holds distance and light steady.

What can change how zygos bones look

You cannot move the bone, and no popular method does. What you can adjust is what surrounds it, at low risk: overall body fat, which changes over months with rest, exercise and food; a haircut with weight at the cheekbone; a clean upper beard line (see beard shapes); and contour, light and camera angle for photos.

Claims that face workouts, gum chewing, massage or mewing reshape adult bone have not held up in good studies; the mewing face guide looks at them one by one. This page does not recommend injectables, implants or operations; ask a qualified professional about their risks.

Why zygos bones are not a score

Online, high zygos is often treated as a prize and flat zygos as a flaw. The mapping is much looser than the talk suggests. Cheekbone shape varies among people of all backgrounds and ages, and a cheek that looks flat in one photo looks sculpted in another taken a minute later.

If you notice that you check your zygos bones in every mirror, avoid photos or feel worse after each thread, step away from the forums and talk to someone you trust or a health professional. For one overall view, facial harmony looks at the whole face, and a PSL rating describes a photo in written notes, not a verdict on one feature.

Zygos bones FAQ

What are zygos bones?

Forum slang for the zygomatic bones, the cheekbones, and often the arch that runs back toward the ear.

What does high zygos mean?

A cheekbone that seems to sit close under the eyes. It is judged from a picture, so light and body fat count as much as bone.

Is zygo projection the same as width?

No. Width is how far apart the zygos bones are, seen from the front. Projection is how far they stand forward, seen from the side.

Do zygos bones affect FWHR?

Yes, because cheekbone width is the numerator. The ratio only describes one photo, and head angle changes it.

Can exercises or mewing change zygos bones?

Not reliably. Adult bone does not respond to them.