FORMA FEATURE / EYES & ORBITCanthal Tilt: How It Is Measured and What Studies Find
The slope from the inner to the outer eye corner. Positive tilt means the outer corner sits higher when the head is level. This page separates published measurements from interpretation, preference experiments, and community speculation.
What canthal tilt means
Draw inner-to-outer canthus, then measure its angle to a level horizontal reference. Correct for head roll and measure both eyes separately.
Facial measurements only become comparable when the view, head position, soft-tissue landmarks, and endpoint definitions are held constant. A number copied from a profile photograph is not interchangeable with a value measured from a clinical scan or a front-facing portrait.
Official measurements, ratios & competing claims
≈ 5–8° Numbers debated in forums
One discussion of Jeremy Meeks estimates his tilt variously around 5–6° and 8.1°.
Forum claim: Unstandardized photos and disagreement between posters. These are unverified estimates, not measurements of the person or validated ideals. Discussion of Jeremy Meeks’ canthal tilt
Practical takeaway
A modest upward outer corner is a useful reference.
The selected male sample supports a positive tilt as a reference appearance. Read tilt together with the entire eyelid contour rather than chasing the steepest angle.
What changes the answer
Head roll, lower-lid shape, eye opening, and brow position change the impression. A tilted photograph can add or subtract several apparent degrees; level the head first.
Use these ranges to ask a better question about proportion—not to grade a face or choose a procedure by number alone. A qualified clinician still needs to examine function, tissue, skeletal structure, and your goals in person.
Connected facial features
Read or start canthal tilt discussions · Explore the interactive atlas