Answer · Harmony
Is the midface ratio important?
Somewhat, and much less than forums claim. The midface ratio, the height from eyes to upper lip against the width across the eyes, matters only when it is clearly unusual, because that is a departure from the average face. No study sets an ideal value, and a phone held below eye level makes a midface read long more often than bone does.
How the parts of a face relate to one another.
Explore proportionsWhy it gets so much attention
On forums "long midface" is a verdict handed out from a single selfie and "compact midface" is the ideal. The midface ratio is real: the maxilla sets the height and the eye sockets the width, and a very long or very short middle third is noticeable. But it is one proportion among several, next to the facial thirds and fWHR, and in an overall rating skin, eye area, jaw definition and symmetry usually carry more weight than any single proportion.
What changes how it reads
- Camera height. Above eye level foreshortens the midface and reads compact; below eye level stretches the nose and upper lip and reads long. Most self-diagnosed long midfaces are a low phone.
- Philtrum and lips. A thin upper lip and a long philtrum push the mouth down and lengthen the read; see can your philtrum get longer.
- Body fat. Cheek fullness adds width and makes a midface read more compact; leaner faces read slightly longer.
The bone is structural. Maxilla height does not change in adults without surgery, which BecomeTen does not recommend. Mewing is sold as a way to shorten the midface and has no clinical evidence for it in adults.
How to check yours
Rest the phone on a shelf at eye level, step back to arm's length or further, keep the head level and the mouth neutral. Then run the free facial ratios tool, which reads the midface alongside the other proportions so no single one is judged alone. If it still reads long on an honest photo, treat it as a structural note and move on to the traits that are workable. Skin, under-eye condition, body fat and grooming usually move an overall rating more than any proportion can.