Canthal Tilt Test

Canthal tilt is the angle of the line that runs from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner, measured against a horizontal line. The corners have names: the inner corner, next to your nose, is the medial canthus; the outer corner is the lateral canthus. "Canthal" just means "of the canthus".

The angle is written in degrees. If the outer corner sits higher than the inner corner, the tilt is positive. If the two are about level, it is neutral. If the outer corner sits lower, it is negative. Each eye has its own angle, and it is normal for the left and right eye to differ by a degree or two.

The term comes from oculoplastic and cosmetic surgery, where surgeons describe the position of the outer corner before eyelid and canthal procedures. It spread online through looksmaxxing communities, which treat the tilt as one of the features that make eyes look sharp or tired.

This test sorts the average of your two eyes into three groups. The cut-offs are a convention, not a medical standard — the angle itself is the useful number.

• Positive tilt (above +4°) — the outer corner sits clearly higher than the inner corner. It is often described as alert, youthful or "cat-eye", and it is common in models' headshots.
• Neutral tilt (0° to +4°) — the corners are roughly level or the outer corner is only slightly higher. This is the most common look in adults, and many attractive faces fall here.
• Negative tilt (below 0°) — the outer corner sits lower than the inner corner. Eyes can look softer, sadder or more tired, especially in photos taken from above.

The fastest way is the test at the top of this page. Upload a straight-on photo and it does the following, all in your browser:

1. Finds 478 facial landmarks, including the exact inner and outer corner of each eye.
2. Estimates your head's 3D angle and rotates the landmarks back to a level, straight-on view. A head tilted a few degrees sideways would otherwise add those degrees straight to one eye and subtract them from the other.
3. Measures the angle from inner to outer corner for each eye, averages the two and labels the result.

To measure it by hand, open a straight-on photo in any editor that shows angles. Draw a horizontal line through the inner corner of one eye, draw a second line from the inner corner to the outer corner, and read the angle between them. Do the same for the other eye. Before you measure, rotate the photo so that a line through both inner corners is perfectly horizontal; most hand measurements go wrong at this step.

For a fair number, use a photo taken at eye level from arm's length, with a relaxed face and eyes looking straight ahead. Smiling pushes the lower lids up and squinting changes the corners, so both make the tilt read higher than it is.

No. A negative canthal tilt is a normal variation, not a defect, and plenty of actors and models have one. In looksmaxxing forums it is treated as a big flaw, but the tilt is one small part of how eyes read. Eye spacing, the amount of visible upper eyelid, brow position, under-eye hollows, skin and expression all matter as much or more.

What a negative tilt does is change the impression the eyes give. A downturned outer corner can look gentle and friendly, or tired and sad, depending on the rest of the face and the lighting. Photos taken from above, harsh overhead light and lack of sleep all exaggerate it, which is why some people only notice their tilt in selfies.

Your eye tilt also tends to change with age. The tissues that hold the outer corner in place loosen over time, and the lower lid can sag slightly, so the outer corner often sits a little lower in later decades than it did in your twenties.

The bone and tendon position behind the outer corner does not change with exercises, facial yoga or "mewing". What you can change is how much of a tilt people see.

• Eyeliner and shadow. Winging liner and shadow upward from the outer corner, and keeping the lower lash line light at the outer third, makes the eye read more upturned. This is the most searched fix for a negative tilt, and it works well in photos.
• Brows. Grooming the tail of the brow so it lifts rather than drops pulls the eye area upward visually.
• Sleep, puffiness and posture in photos. Under-eye swelling and shooting from above both make the outer corner look lower. A camera at eye level or slightly above, not far above, is the quickest change.
• Medical options. Surgeons can reposition the outer corner with procedures such as canthoplasty or canthopexy, and thread lifts are marketed for a temporary "fox eye" look. These carry real risks, results vary, and they are not reversible in the way makeup is. Talk to a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon, not a forum, before considering them.

Canthal tilt is a small angle, so small changes in the photo move it. The most common causes are a head tilted to one side, which shifts one eye up and the other down; a smile or squint, which lifts the lower lid; a camera held above or below eye level; and lens distortion from holding the phone very close. The photo check under your result flags tilted heads, smiles and closed eyes.

This test corrects for head angle before measuring and always returns the same number for the same photo. If you want a number you can compare over time, use the same setup each time: same distance, camera at eye level, neutral face, even light.

Curious how your eyes fit the rest of your face? The eye shape detector uses the same landmarks to classify almond, round, upturned and downturned eyes, the hunter eyes test combines tilt with eye height and brow position, and the attractiveness test puts your eyes in context with symmetry, proportions and jawline.