There are basic differences between male and female faces, but the degree of masculinity or femininity varies. Females have a more pointed chin and less nasal prominence, for example. The forehead differs in the areas of the brows and the mid forehead, and the skull’s shape affects the drape and contour of the skin. No particular feature makes a face look more male or female. Instead, it is the number of masculine or feminine features that characterizes the face. Below are differences between male and female faces to help guide those exploring facial feminization.
· Overall Shape
An attractive female face tends to be heart shaped. It has rounded corners from the hairline down to a single point at the chin. Male faces have a more square appearance and an “M” shaped hairline coming down to a wide, square cornered jaw at the bottom. The lower third of the male face is usually longer because of a long top lip and tall chin. In profile, the female face tends to be flat while the male forehead slopes backwards, with the lower half of the face protruding forward.
· Hairline
The male hairline is usually higher than the female’s and tends to have an “M” shape that recedes at the temples.
· Forehead
This is one of the more apparent gender markers. The bone ridge running across the forehead above the eyes, known as brow bossing, is more pronounced in males. Females have almost no discernable brow bossing because their foreheads are more rounded with a fairly flat front. In profile, female foreheads are more vertical instead of backward sloping.
· Eyebrows
Male eyebrows are fairly straight and thick and sit on or just under the orbital rims. Female eyebrows generally sit higher and are more arched.
· Nose
The female nose is smaller, shorter. It has a narrower bridge and nostrils, often has a more concave profile, and tends to be blunter at the tip. Also it has a greater angulation between the lip and the tip of the nose (points upwards more).
· Cheeks
Female cheeks tend to be fuller and more rounded, and cheekbones are a little higher and further forward. Men often have hollow cheeks, because of flatter cheekbones and their tendency to carry less fat.
· Lips
The distance between the nose’s base and lip’s top is usually longer in males When a female mouth is relaxed and slightly open, it usually shows a bit of her top teeth, which lends a youthful appearance to the face. The area between the top lip and nose often has a more backward slope in females.
· Chin
Female chins are rounded. Male chins are wider, have a flat base and have two corners that form a square shape. Male chins are taller and heavier and are more likely to have a vertical cleft in the middle.
· Jaw
The male jawbone is usually heavier built and tends to be wider, because the muscles attached to the corners of the jawbone are much bigger. Female jaw lines run in a gentle curve from the earlobe to the chin. In males it tends to drop down straight from the ear and then turn at a sharp angle towards the chin giving a square appearance.
· Adam’s Apple
The Adam’s apple is usually visible and very prominent in males, but rarely visible in females.
· Eyes
The eyes in a woman appear larger. This is in part because of the shape of the bony rim above and the forehead, and partly because of the cheek bones. The combination of bone shapes create relatively larger eyes which is considered both feminine and attractive.