Jaw and lower face

Jawline: what it is and how to define it

Your jawline is the outline of your lower face, from ear to chin. A sharp, angular one is highly sought after, in men and women alike. It depends partly on bone, but much of what makes it visible can be worked on. 💪

Updated November 7, 2026 · By Julien Rayes · Version française

What a jawline is

Your jawline is the lower edge of the jawbone, from the angle below the ear to the chin. Having a great jawline means having a sharp, visible contour, clearly separated from the neck.

What makes a jawline stand out

• The jaw angle below the ear: the sharper it is, the more structured the face looks.
• A chin that projects forward and pulls the line taut.
• Little fat under the chin and on the cheeks, so the bone shows.
• A clear angle between neck and jaw, which posture influences a lot.

How to make your jawline more visible

• Lower your body fat. For most people this is the main lever.
• Straighten your head posture. A head pushed forward hides the contour.
• Cut back on salt and alcohol, which make the face puffy.
• For men, a short, clean beard that follows the jaw and defines it even when the bone is subtle.
• A haircut with volume on top, which lengthens the face and sharpens the angles.

Chewing gum, devices, exercises: what they're worth

⚠️ Hard "jawline" chewing gum and bite devices work the masseters, the chewing muscles. They can make them a bit bigger, but they don't change the bone, and heavy use can strain the jaw joint. In adults, there is no solid evidence that mewing changes bone structure.

Minimally invasive options, with a doctor

Hyaluronic acid injections at the jaw angle and chin can reshape the contour; botulinum toxin in the masseters does the opposite and slims a lower face that is too wide. These are medical procedures: discuss them with a qualified doctor. GlowUpTogether never recommends surgery. 🩺

Jawline before/after: watch the photos

Many "before/after" shots play with camera angle, lighting and posture: chin pushed forward, camera held high, light from the side. Always compare two photos taken in the same conditions, from the front and in profile.

Measuring your jawline

The GlowUpTogether scan measures your jaw definition and the angle between your neck and chin on your photos, rates them out of 10, and ranks the actions that would help most in your case.

What our measurements show

Across 78 adult faces, the jaw averages 89% of cheekbone width in men and 87% in women. The jaw angle seen from the front is almost the same in both groups (110° median).

A sharp jawline therefore depends less on how wide the bone is than on the fat under the jaw and neck posture, two things you can work on. 📏

Measured on November 3, 2026 by the GlowUpTogether engine on 78 compliant front-facing photos (out of 102) from the Face Research Lab London Set (DeBruine and Jones, CC BY 4.0 license): 34 women and 44 men, median age 25. Method and limits (in French).

Frequently asked questions

What does jawline mean?

It's the outline of the face from ear to chin.

How do I get a jawline quickly?

Posture (chin tucked, head aligned) changes how you look right away. For a real change, you mostly need to lose fat, which takes several weeks.

Does chewing gum give you a jawline?

It can enlarge the chewing muscles a little without changing the bone. Heavy use tires the jaw, so the benefit is small.

Is a jawline different in women?

The criteria are close: a sharp contour separated from the neck. In women, a finer jaw and a softer angle are often preferred, and posture and body fat matter just as much.