Do You Need High Cheekbones to Be a Model?

A high cheekbone is a facial feature that seems to incite a great deal of interest among the masses. In particular, it is a commonly mentioned subject in the modelling industry.

Do you need high cheekbones to model, and if so how to you get them? Read on to find out the answers these questions and more.

What Are High Cheekbones?

High cheekbones are when the bone located just beneath the eye (known as the malar bone) is fairly prominant and may even be the widest part of your face. They also give the illusion of sucked-in cheeks, creating an attractive face shape.

If you don’t know where your cheekbones are, roll a pencil up your cheek (or use your index finger) until you find the bone. Alternatively, suck your cheeks in and use your fingers to feel where the cheekbone is.

The cheekbone can naturally be quite obvious on some people, while those with a more rounded face will have a more hidden cheekbone. Those who are naturally slender with long limbs and a skinny frame tend to have prominant cheekbones, while those who have a naturally apple-shaped body are more likely to have a rounder face and their cheekbones are therefore generally less obvious.

Do You Need High Cheekbones to Be a Model?

In a word? No. You do not need high cheekbones to be a model, though many brands and agencies like them particularly on high-fashion models. However, there are plenty of top models who do not have prominant cheekbones.

Your entire face and look is taken into account by brands and agencies when looking for a model. Don’t despair if you don’t have particularly prominant cheekbones; it does not mean you don’t have a successful future in modelling ahead of you.

Models & Celebrities With High Cheekbones

– Cara Delevingne

– Angelina Jolie

– Cameron Diaz

– Naomi Campbell

– Halle Berry

​- Gisele Bundchen

– Keira Knightley

– Natalie Portman

– Michelle Pfeiffer

How Do I Get High Cheekbones?

Your cheekbones are dependant on your natural bone structure and how much fat you naturally carry on your face. This means that, aside from surgery and other cosmetic procedures, you can’t change the natural shape of your cheeks.

However, there are many things you can do to give your face the illusion of high cheekbones.

Using Make-up

Makeup is most commonly used to make cheekbones appear more defined. It is an easy, affordable and pain-free way to give yourself high cheekbones.

First, you need to create a smooth and colourless base to work on. Apply foundation and concealer (or a light BB cream/tinted moisturiser if you have good skin) to give yourself a blank canvas.

Next you need to choose the correct contouring colour to use for your skin tone. Your contour colour should look like a shadow, so avoid anything too orange or with shimmer in it. Bronzer may work if you are olive-toned, though ensure this is not too orange if you are paler.

Next, find the hollow of your cheek near your hairline and, using a tapered brush, begin to carefully and lightly buff the contour shade along this line. You should start near your ear and work your way towards the nose. Use a light hand; too much product will look like dirt or a bruise.

Use a highlighter on the tops of the cheek to really make them pop. Blush can be used high on the cheeks to finish off the look.

Weight-Loss

If you have the body type which causes excess fat to appear on the face, losing this fat will likely help to make your cheekbones pop.

However, it’s worth remembering that even naturally slender people may not have obvious cheekbones. If you are a healthy weight, losing extra will not help your cheekbones to appear higher.

Fillers

Due to Instagram models, fillers have become a mainstream way of making lips plumper and cheekbones higher.

Dermal fillers are used to plump the cheekbones (and sometimes the jawline). This can be a painful and expensive procedure and should only be done by a licensed professional when you are older than 18.

Facial Exercises

Some people swear by facial exercises to help their cheekbones pop, though it is unclear how effective this is. Some people chew gum as they believe this has a toning effect on the face, though there is no research to support this.

Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery can create cheekbones though it is a very expensive and evasive procedure and should only be considered when all other avenues have been tried.

Cheek implants can be slid under the skin by a cosmetic surgeon. They make small incisions, usually by the ear. There will be a small scar near the ear which should disappear over time if looked after properly.

Skin Care Tools

Some skin care tools help tone the skin and this may help cheekbones appear higher. These tools use microcurrents to energise the facial muscles which results in a more toned, lifted appearance.

Some salons do this pain-free procedure or you can buy your own at-home tool to use each night.

Youth

Being young and wrinkle-free means cheekbones are more visible. Aging causes our skin to wrinkle and sag which can hide high cheekbones.

Unfortunately, time can’t be reversed but there are things you can do to protect the skin from aging. These include using an SPF every day (even when it’s cloudy outside), drinking lots of water, eating healthy foods and having a good skin care routine.

Aging also leads to a loss of volume in the face. This can actually emphasise your cheekbones, but it depends entirely on your personal face shape and bone structure.

How Can I Lose Face Fat?

Many of us have baby fat in our younger years which can deplete on its own as we get older.

Unfortunately, there is no way to target fat specifically on the face (or any other part of the body). Overall weight loss is the only way to lose fat, though you should only do this if you are an unhealthy weight.

Many of us are not naturally blessed with high cheekbones, but remember that makeup is a highly effective tool at making us appear like we have.

Who Has the Best Cheekbones?

Time and time again, actress Keira Knightley has been said to have the best cheekbones in the business. It is believed her cheekbones give her an ageless beauty and make her face appear very symmetrical.

Keira’s face is one which many want to emmulate. However, there’s no need to fork out a small fortune for surgery or other evasive procedures. Try the above contouring trick and see how much it can change your face shape.