Dex·Midface
Cheekbone height
Community canon
High cheekbones are a community staple, but the term smuggles three separate things: height (vertical position of the malar apex), projection (forward push), and flare (lateral width). High alone means little without flare. The canonical look pairs high apex with wide arch.
Clinical canon
The malar apex is the most lateral and superior point of the zygomatic body. In aesthetic studies it sits roughly under the lateral canthus, slightly lateral and inferior. Vertical position relative to the nasal tip and lip line predicts perceived youth and dimorphism.
How it's measured
Frontal photo. The cheekbone apex should sit just lateral to and slightly below the lateral canthus. Mark with a finger or by photo annotation.
Perceptual effect
High cheekbones lift the midface, shorten the perceived lower third, and create the diamond-shape face that both male and female aesthetics reward.
Improvement paths
Filler at the malar apex projects and lifts. Implants permanently reshape. Cheekbone reduction is only relevant for excessive width. Buccal fat removal makes the cheekbone read higher by hollowing below it.
Interacts with