Glossary · Harmony
Midface ratio
The midface ratio compares the height of the middle of the face, roughly pupil to upper lip, with its width across the eyes. A compact midface reads as shorter and wider; a long midface as taller and narrower. It is set by the maxilla and is structural. Camera height changes how it reads. BecomeTen reports a directional band.
Also called: long midface, compact midface, midface length
What is the midface ratio?
The midface is the middle third of the face, from the eyes down to the top of the upper lip. Its ratio puts that height against the distance between the pupils. A low ratio is a compact midface: eyes close above the mouth, a wide, short read in the middle. A high ratio is a long midface: more distance between eyes and mouth, a taller, narrower read. The maxilla sets the height and the eye sockets the width. It is one of eight harmony traits, a subdivision of the facial thirds.
"Long midface": forum talk vs what a photo shows
On forums "long midface" is a diagnosis handed out from a single selfie, usually one taken from below, and "compact midface" is the ideal. The photo rarely supports either verdict. Camera height alone moves the read: a lens above eye level looks down on the face, foreshortens the distance from eyes to mouth and makes the midface read compact; a lens below eye level stretches the nose and upper lip and makes the same face read long. Most self-diagnosed long midfaces are a low phone. So BecomeTen reports a band, compact, balanced or long, only when the capture supports it.
Is the midface ratio workable or structural?
Structural. Maxilla height and position do not change in adults without surgery. The trait is tagged structural, the plan does not target it, and the potential image is forbidden from shortening or widening the midface.
One photo. Then stop guessing.
Free score and tier. Harmony bands are in the full report.
What actually changes how the midface reads?
- Camera height. Eye level, always. Above shortens it, below lengthens it. The photo quality guide shows the setup.
- Lip fullness and philtrum. A thin upper lip and long philtrum push the mouth down and lengthen the read; fuller lips shorten it.
- Body fat. Cheek fullness adds width, lowers the apparent ratio and makes a midface read more compact. Leaner faces read longer.
Questions
Is a long midface a dealbreaker?
No. It is one of eight harmony traits, and harmony is one of five areas. A clearly long midface shows up as a structural note in the breakdown and stops there; the plan moves on to the workable traits around it, which usually cost more points anyway. Plenty of upper-tier faces have a midface that reads long.
Where should the camera be so the midface reads honestly?
At eye level, straight on, at least an arm's length away and ideally further. The lens must not look up at the nose or down at the forehead. Rest the phone on a shelf at the height of your eyes rather than holding it.
Does the potential score assume my midface will change?
No. Potential is capped per area at what is reachable without surgery, and the midface ratio contributes nothing to that gap because nothing non-surgical moves it. Harmony's potential comes from soft-tissue traits and body composition. The potential image keeps bone geometry exactly as it is.