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Convex, straight and concave profiles explained
A facial profile is classified by how three points line up in side view: the forehead, the base of the nose, and the chin. The angle they form usually sits around 165° to 175°, which reads straight to mildly convex. Below about 160° the chin reads set back and the profile convex; above about 180° the chin leads and the profile reads concave. Jaw position is fixed in adults short of surgery.
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VerdictRoughly 165°–175°
Verdict
Roughly 165°–175°Forehead, nose base and chin usually meet at roughly 165° to 175°
Do your facial analysis: Side profile analysis →How the three classes are defined
Orthodontists connect a point on the forehead to a point at the base of the nose, then a second line from the nose base to the chin, and read the angle between them. Around 180° is a straight profile. An angle below that, with the chin falling behind the forehead-to-nose line, is convex. An angle above it, with the chin projecting past the line, is concave.
Soft-tissue values for this angle commonly land around 165° to 175° in adults, so mild convexity is the norm rather than the exception. Convex profiles are typically associated with an upper jaw sitting forward relative to the lower, and concave with the reverse. The classification describes the bones plus the soft tissue over them, and the nose pulls hard on the impression.
Checking your own profile
True side view, camera at eye height, head level, teeth lightly together, lips relaxed and closed. Lay a straight edge against the photo touching the forehead and the base of the nose, then see where the chin falls relative to it. That gives you the class without arithmetic; the side profile analysis tool gives you the angle.
Head angle wrecks this measurement more than any other. Lifting the chin rotates the mandible forward and straightens a convex profile on camera, and dropping it does the reverse. Self-taken profile photos are almost always chin-up, which is why people are routinely surprised by a profile photo somebody else takes of them.
How much is too much, and what it costs
Between roughly 165° and 175° a profile reads straight to mildly convex and nobody classifies it. Below about 160° the convexity is visible: the chin reads set back, the nose reads larger than it measures, and the lips often sit ahead of the chin. Below about 150° the lower face reads retruded and the neck angle goes with it. Those are the profiles orthodontists describe as Class II patterns.
Above about 180° the chin leads the profile and it reads concave; the lower jaw reads heavy and the midface flat, the pattern described as Class III. Both directions past their threshold usually come with a bite that does not meet normally, which is a functional question for an orthodontist rather than a cosmetic one. A profile that has changed in adulthood, or jaw pain with it, is a reason to see one.
What actually changes it
In a growing child, orthodontic appliances can influence jaw relationships. In an adult, changing the skeletal relationship means orthognathic surgery, typically with orthodontics before and after, planned with imaging by an orthodontist and a maxillofacial surgeon. Posture routines and tongue exercises do not reposition adult jaws; any change they appear to produce is head angle.
Short of that, the levers are the reference points themselves: rhinoplasty changes nasal projection, and a chin implant or genioplasty moves the third point forward, which straightens a mildly convex profile by several degrees without touching the jaws. Reducing submental fat sharpens the chin-to-neck line. Measure yours with the side profile analysis tool from a true side view; the SkinPal app tracks the same angle over time.
Measure it on your own photo
- Side profile analysisFacial convexity and the E-line, measured from your profile photo.
- Get every measurement at onceHow attractive am I? A face rating from measured geometry, out of 100 and on the 1 to 10 scale.
- Put a number on the measurementsYour measured facial geometry placed on the 1 to 8 PSL scale, with the full tier chart.
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FAQ
Common questions
What is a convex facial profile?+
One where the chin sits behind a line drawn from the forehead through the base of the nose, so the forehead-nose-chin angle falls below about 180°. Mild convexity, around 165° to 175°, is typical. Below about 160° it is visible as a set-back chin.
How convex is too convex?+
Below about 160° the chin reads set back and the nose reads larger; below about 150° the lower face reads retruded. Above about 180° the profile reads concave and the jaw heavy. Past either threshold the bite is often affected, which is an orthodontist’s question.
How do I check my profile at home?+
Take a true side photo at eye height with your head level and bite relaxed, then lay a straight edge from the forehead through the nose base and see where the chin falls. Head tilt is the main error source.
Can you change a convex profile without surgery?+
Not the skeletal relationship. In adults that requires orthognathic surgery planned with an orthodontist and maxillofacial surgeon. Rhinoplasty and chin augmentation move the reference points and can straighten a mildly convex profile by several degrees without moving the jaws.