Facial Symmetry Test: How Symmetrical Is Your Face?
A facial symmetry test compares the left and right halves of your face across a line down the middle. No face is perfectly symmetric. Most people have one eye a little higher, one brow a little more arched, or a nose that leans slightly. This page shows you how to check your symmetry on a photo, region by region, and what the differences mean. In the Lookist app you get a symmetry score and a facial harmony score, each with a written note, as part of 15 feature scores.
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How to test your facial symmetry yourself
Flipping a selfie shows you that your face is not perfectly even, but not how much or where. A few lines drawn on a photo tell you more.
- Take a photo straight on, at eye level, with a neutral face and even light from the front.
- Zoom in and draw a vertical line from the middle of your forehead, through the bridge and tip of your nose, to the middle of your chin. That is your midline.
- Draw a level line through both pupils. Check whether one pupil sits higher than the other.
- Compare the distance from the midline to each outer eye corner, each mouth corner and each jaw corner.
- Check your brows: is one higher or more arched? Check your nose: does the tip lean to one side?
- Make a left-left and a right-right face: copy one half, mirror it, and join it to itself. Do the same for the other half.
- Write down the region that looks least even. Repeat with a second photo to see if it stays the same.
What a facial symmetry test looks at
A symmetry check compares pairs of points that should match across the midline, like the two outer eye corners or the two mouth corners. Looking region by region tells you more than one overall number.
Overall symmetry percentage
One number for the whole face. 100% would mean each point on your left side lands exactly on its twin when mirrored. No real face scores that.
Eyes
The outline of both eyes and the pupils. Eye height, eye size and how open each eye is all show up here.
Eyebrows
The upper and lower edge of each brow. Brows move a lot with expression, so a raised brow lowers this score fast.
Nose
The sides of the nose, the nostrils and the nose base. The nose sits on the midline, so it often scores as the most symmetric region.
Lips
The outer and inner lip lines. A lopsided smile is the classic cause of a low lip score, so keep your mouth relaxed.
Jaw and face outline
The outer edge of your face from the forehead down to the chin. It's the region most affected by a turned head and by hair over the face, so it's often the least symmetric. Check your head angle before reading much into it.
Left-left and right-right faces
Split your photo at the midline and mirror each half. One image is your right side twice, the other is your left side twice. If they look like two different people, your face has visible asymmetry, which is normal.
What a symmetry percentage means
Apps and tools that give a symmetry percentage each use their own formula, so numbers do not carry over between them. Use these bands as a rough guide, and compare your own photos with the same tool over time.
| Symmetry | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| 95% to 100% | Very close match between sides. Small differences only. |
| 90% to 95% | Common for a straight-on photo. Differences you notice only side by side. |
| 80% to 90% | Visible differences in one or two regions, or a slight head turn. |
| Below 80% | Large differences. Check for a turned head, a lopsided expression or hair over one side first. |
Why no face is perfectly symmetric
Both sides of the face grow from the same plan, but they don't grow in perfect lockstep. Small differences in bone growth, teeth and the soft tissue on each side add up. Most people have one eye a little higher, one brow a little more arched, or a nose that leans slightly to one side.
Life changes the soft parts of the face too. Expressions you make often, dental work, injuries and weight changes can all show up as small differences between sides. Faces also change with age.
Photos add a layer on top. Unless you line it up, your phone camera sits a little to one side of your nose. Light from one side puts half your face in shadow. Those differences show up in the score even when your face is the same.
How to read each region
Start with your least symmetric region and look at the photo for a cause. Here is what to check for each region.
- Eyes low: check whether one eye was more open than the other, or you were squinting into light.
- Eyebrows low: check whether one brow was raised. Brows move with tiny expressions.
- Nose low: a nose that leans slightly is common. A turned head also shifts the nose against the midline.
- Lips low: relax your mouth. Uneven smiles are the usual cause.
- Jaw and face outline low: look for hair over one side, a turned head or one side in shadow.
When the same region stays lowest
If the same region comes out lowest across several careful photos, that's probably your face and not the photo. That's useful to know. It can help you pick a side part, shape your brows or choose the side you like for photos. It isn't something you need to fix.
If you want to see whether symmetry changes over time, for example after dental work, take your photos the same way each time: same light, same distance, same neutral face. Then compare each region, not only the overall look.
How to make your face look more balanced
You cannot exercise your way to a more symmetric skeleton, but you can change how balanced your face looks in person and in photos. Most of these work by drawing the eye away from the uneven area or evening out the soft parts.
- Brows: shape them so both arches sit at the same height. A brow that sits higher on one side is one of the most visible differences, and it is the easiest to adjust.
- Hair: a side part toward your fuller side, or a fringe, can balance a forehead or brow difference.
- Facial hair: a beard can even out a jaw that is wider on one side. Keep the neckline and cheek line level.
- Skin: even skin tone and less redness on one side reduce how much the eye notices small shape differences.
- Sleep and puffiness: sleeping on one side every night can leave that side puffier in the morning.
- Photos: find your better side and face the camera a few degrees toward it.
Get a symmetry score in Lookist
The Lookist app scores your symmetry and your facial harmony from one front photo, each with a written note. Symmetry compares your two sides. Facial harmony describes how well your features fit together. The two often differ, and the notes explain why.
Both sit inside a report with an overall score out of 10, a potential score, a percentile chart, and 13 more feature scores, from jawline and cheekbones to skin and hair. Scan history keeps past reports, so you can compare photos taken the same way.
Limitations of a facial symmetry test
A photo measures symmetry in two dimensions, from one angle, at one moment. A head turned by a few degrees makes one side look narrower. A camera held off to one side does the same. Expressions are rarely even, so a smirk or a raised brow lowers the score without saying anything about your face at rest.
Symmetry does relate to attractiveness in research. A 1994 study by Grammer and Thornhill found that more symmetric computer-made faces were rated as more attractive. Later reviews describe the effect as real but modest, and faces that are made perfectly symmetric by mirroring often look odd. So a higher number isn't always a better-looking face.
Mild facial asymmetry is normal and shows up in almost everyone. A photo cannot tell the difference between normal variation and a medical cause. If one side of your face suddenly droops or feels weak, get emergency care right away. For gradual changes, like a jaw that's shifting or a bite that's changed, see a dentist or doctor.
A symmetry check describes one photo. It does not measure your worth.
Tips for a fair symmetry check
Symmetry is the measurement most sensitive to the photo, so set it up carefully.
- Put the phone straight in front of your face, at eye level, not off to one side.
- Line up your nose with the center of the screen and look into the lens.
- Keep a neutral face: mouth closed, brows relaxed, no smile.
- Use light that hits both sides evenly. A window directly in front of you is ideal.
- Tuck hair behind both ears so the face outline is clear on both sides.
- Turn off mirror mode if you want to compare with older photos. Flipping makes left and right easy to mix up.
Frequently asked questions
Is 90% face symmetry good?
For most tools, 90% is a common result for a straight-on photo, with small differences you notice only side by side. Each app uses its own formula, so do not compare percentages across tools.
What is normal facial symmetry?
Nobody has a perfectly symmetric face. Small differences in eye height, brow shape, nose angle and jaw are normal. A slight head turn in the photo is the most common reason a face looks less symmetric than it is.
Is facial asymmetry rare?
No. Some asymmetry is present in almost every face. What varies is how much and where. Sudden new asymmetry is different and needs a doctor, especially if one side droops.
Can I fix facial asymmetry naturally?
Mild asymmetry from bone structure doesn't change with exercises, and claims about chewing on one side or sleeping positions don't have good evidence behind them. Grooming, brow shaping and hairstyles can balance how a face looks. For a shifting jaw or bite, see a dentist.
Are symmetrical faces more attractive?
Research finds a link, but a modest one. Studies show people slightly prefer more symmetric versions of faces. Many other things count more in real life, like skin, expression and familiarity.
Why is my jawline the least symmetric part?
The outline of the face is the most sensitive to a turned head, hair over one side and uneven light. Retake the photo dead straight with your hair back and see if it changes.
What are left-left and right-right faces?
Images made by mirroring one half of your face. They show how different your two sides are. You can make them in any photo editor by mirroring one half.
Is there an app that tests facial symmetry?
Yes. Lookist scores your symmetry and facial harmony from one front photo, each with a written note, as part of 15 feature scores. It is on iPhone.
Does a mirrored selfie change my symmetry score?
No. Mirroring swaps your left and right sides, but every pair keeps the same gap, so the amount of asymmetry stays the same. It does swap which side is which.
Can my facial symmetry change over time?
A little. Weight changes, dental work, injuries and aging can all change the soft parts of the face. To track it, take photos the same way each time and compare each region, not only the overall number.
References
- Grammer and Thornhill (1994). Human facial attractiveness and sexual selection: the role of symmetry and averageness. Journal of Comparative Psychology 108(3)
- Little, Jones and DeBruine (2011). Facial attractiveness: evolutionary based research. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 366
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