Heart-shaped face: features and assessment
Quick facts
- Main feature
- Wider forehead and cheekbone area, with a jaw and chin that narrow.
- Visual clues
- Finer or pointed chin; hairline sometimes in a widow's peak.
- How it is measured
- Comparing the widths of forehead, cheekbone and jaw on a frontal photo.
- Attention in facial harmonization
- Balance of the lower third; take care not to accentuate the contrast.
- Reminder
- Descriptive classification, with no ideal or correct face.
A heart-shaped face is one where the upper part is wider and the lower part narrows, ending in a finer chin. The forehead and cheekbone area are wider than the jaw. It is a description of shape used to organize the assessment, not a standard of beauty.
How to recognize it?
The facial index and the facial biotype complete the description. The eye also travels across the upper third and the lower third, because the relationship between the two defines the shape.
What to consider in facial harmonization?
In a heart-shaped face, the usual reasoning is to balance the lower third with the upper one, without increasing the contrast. That can mean looking carefully at the jaw, the chin and the temples, and avoiding accentuating midface volume if that narrows the perception of the chin even further. It is a line of reasoning, not a rule.
| Area | Assessment question |
|---|---|
| Temples | Is there volume loss that accentuates the wide forehead? |
| Cheekbone | Is the volume already sufficient, or is the midface well projected? |
| Jawline | Does the jaw have definition that balances the forehead? |
| Chin | Is the chin overly projected or pointed for the whole face? |
In Harmy
Mark the desired areas (Temple, Cheekbone, Jawline, Chin) and use the projection as support for the conversation. The projection changes only what was marked.
Also known as: cordiform face, inverted V face.
Frequently asked questions
How do you identify a heart-shaped face?
On a frontal photo, the forehead and cheekbone area are the widest parts, and the face tapers toward a narrower chin. There may also be fuller temples and a jaw that is not well defined.
Is a heart shape the same as an inverted triangle?
In practice, similar terms are used. The heart usually has a softer transition, with full cheeks and a finer chin, while the inverted triangle may be described in a more angular way.