[Note: this is not yet complete]
Like most people, I always believed that they eyes are the most important feature for beauty and attractiveness. “The eyes make the face” is a common adage to express this importance.
Only recently did I learn that this is not entirely the case. Though the eyes still are essential, one facial structure is even more important to attractiveness (at least according to some). You might be wondering Which structure could possibly be more important than the eyes? It probably will surprise you; it definitely surprised me.
It is the lower jaw.
I never even noticed or understood the jaw’s contribution to facial attractiveness until I stumbled upon this fact by accident. Becoming aware of it was—if you will pardon the pun—an eye-opening experience.
This blog post is a basic introduction to the aesthetic properties of the jaw. It will
- mention the jaw’s most important contours
- use before and after photos to demonstrate how significant the jaw’s shape is
- present some of the cosmetic procedures that can alter the shape of one’s jaw.
I will make much use of existing photos and videos from a variety of content creators. These images will do most of the talking. By the end, you, like me, might be in awe of the jaw—at least in regards to how much it influences the appearance of the face.
Let me begin with one of the videos that brought the lower jaw to my attention. This video is actually an excerpt. Watch the full video here.
Features and Contours
Like the eyes, the lower jaw has numerous special contours and features. Each of them has its own aesthetic qualities.
The Mandible
Let’s start with the underlying skeletal structure that defines the jaw’s shape. It is a single bone, called the mandible. The structures of importance are
- The ramus: the portion of the mandible that extends downward from the jaw joint, at the rear of the bone. Each jaw has a left and right ramus (plural is rami).
- The body: the U-shaped or V-shaped part that is mostly parallel to the ground and holds the lower teeth.
- The gonion, or gonial area: the area where the rami and the mandible body meet.
- The chin
For those who are interested, the Wikipedia article on the mandible dives into much more detail.
The Jawline
Perhaps the most important contour of the jaw for aesthetics is the jawline. It is nothing more than the bottom edge of the mandible. Some people include the rear edge of the ramus. Ideally, this edge should be quite visible, distinct, and straight. Many tissues attach to and cover the mandible. They can obscure its lower edge, making it softer and less distinct—even invisible. This is undesirable for beauty.
I believe that all professional models—both male and female—have sharp, highly visible jawlines. I would be astonished if a professional model exists who lacks such a jawline.
Additionally, comic book artists always draw their heroes (and quite a few villains) with such prominent jawlines. They are well aware of how this contour makes a person look dominant—like a force to be reckoned with.
This is one reason why obesity is detrimental to attractiveness: the fat deposits obscure or completely hide this crucial feature. A messy looking jawline is also an unfortunate consequence of aging. Fortunately, both of these can be corrected (or at least improved).
The Ramus
The most important quality of the ramus is whether its length is in the ideal range. For males, a long ramus is preferable.
Gonial Angle
The ramus and the body of the mandible form a distinct angle. This angle is noticeable only in profile.
Watch this video for more details.
The Chin and Forward Projection
A common defect in the jaw’s appearance is the forward projection of the chin. Like the length of the ramus and gonial angle, it has an ideal range. If the chin is behind the range, the chin looks recessed and sickly; if it is too far forward, it again looks peculiar.
Differences between Male and Female Mandibles
The lower jaw is one of several dimorphic structures of the face, which means that its size and shape are different for males and females. Male jaws tend to be larger, wider, and more square than those of females. An outward flaring gonial region is also associated with the male jaw.
Before and After
There is no better way to demonstrate the importance of the lower jaw than with before-and-after photos of people who have had their jaws altered (either with or without surgery). Are you ready to be absolutely astonished? Note that all of these examples are males.
This video showcases several male patients. Watch the video.
This man’s cosmetic procedures also included some liposuction. Watch the video.
Cosmetic Procedures to Improve the Jaw
The industry of cosmetic medicine has devised many procedures and products that can enhance the appearance of a person’s lower jaw. Most of these procedures require surgery, but non-surgical options exist, too. The non-surgical procedures spare the person from the recovery phase of surgery, but they are not permanent.
No one should be surprised to hear that these procedures are quite popular.
Chin Implant
The most common plastic surgery procedure for the jaw is the chin implant. The implants are small U-shaped pieces of a flexible plastic-like material. They are placed directly onto the front of the mandible, where they become a permanent part of the bone. They can make the chin wider, taller, and (most importantly) project forward more.
This video is a piece from the mainstream media (rather than a plastic surgeon or blogger) about chin implants.
If I had $7,000 to $10,000 to spare, I would get a chin implant in a heartbeat.
Other Implants
The chin is not the only area that can be reshaped with an implant. Someone might want his or her jaw to flare out at the gonion, or to have a longer ramus, or to change the gonial angle. The plastic surgeon in this video specializes in these implants.
Full Lower Jaw Augmentation
Some people might benefit from a single, large implant that fits along the entire bottom edge of the mandible. This full mandibular augmentation is usually for someone who wants a dramatic difference. This implant is sometimes called a wraparound implant.
Watch this video for an example.
Genioplasty
This surgery is an alternative to a chin implant. The chin’s forward projection is increased without inserting a foreign object onto the mandible. Instead, a wedge-like portion of the front of the bone of the mandible is sawn off and placed in a more forward position.
A common question is why someone would choose a genioplasty over a chin implant. The plastic surgeon in this video explains how to decide which is more suitable for a particular person.
Face Lift, Neck Lift, and Liposuction
Face lifts and neck lifts exist mainly to undo the effects of aging on the face and neck. One of the areas that is drastically affected by age-related sagging of facial tissues is the jawline. The face lift and neck lift can restore the jawline remarkably well, as you can see from this video.
Fat deposits between the throat and the bottom of the jaw area (sometimes forming a double chin) are another impairment of the jawline. This can be improved with liposuction, which removes the fat permanently.
Non-surgical procedures
If someone does not want to endure the downtime and recovery of surgery, then he or she can choose to have fillers injected into and around the jaw area. The results are immediate. However, all fillers gradually dissolve away; like Cinderella, the person will return to normal. The injections must then be repeated.
Watch this video to see how effective filler injections can be for jaw augmentation.
The plastic surgeon in this video explains an unusual (and disheartening) reason why fillers might be preferable to chin implants in the long run.
Are You Impressed With the Jaw Now?
I have highlighted only the basics of the lower jaw here. Plastic surgeons and makers of jaw implants go into much more detail, naturally. Nonetheless, you should now have a better appreciation for this facial feature.
I have a confession: My newfound understanding of the jaw’s significance has changed how I interact people. Before, I never noticed people’s jaws. Now I study them in detail all the time. I do try to be discreet; but it’s a distraction, especially when I am talking to someone.
Yet I can’t help it. I am totally captivated by my new knowledge.
I apologize if this now happens to you.
