What are Ogee Curves (& How Do They Affect Face Shape)?

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Surgical and non-surgical ways to get the ideal face shape

Co-authored by Ellen Turner and Hunter Rising

Last Updated: September 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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What are ogee curves?

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How They Affect Face Shape

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Natural Ways to Get Them

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Cosmetic Procedures

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FAQ

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Expert Advice

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Video

If you want to have a younger looking face, high cheekbones and ogee curves are a key part of your face shape. Ogee curves have been used in various designs over time, but they are also the perfect example of ideal facial aesthetics. Keep reading, and we’ll explain ogee curves and how to get one. We also spoke to board-certified dermatologists for additional advice on keeping your face and skin looking youthful.

Ogee Curves Explained

Ogee curves are elongated S-shapes that refer to the shape of your cheekbones and cheeks in a three-quarter view. Ogee curves give your face a more youthful appearance, but they disappear as you age. To get or restore ogee curves, use dermal fillers in your cheeks.

Section 1 of 6:

What is an ogee curve?

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Ogee curves are S-shapes that create an ideal and youthful face profile. An ogee curve is an elongated S-shape that’s been considered the “line of beauty” since the 1700s.^{[1]
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Trustworthy Source

Nature
Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal

Go to source} When you look at someone in ¾-profile, an ogee curve starts just above their cheekbones. The ogee curve follows the convex arc of the cheekbones and smoothly flows down to a concave arc that accentuates hollow cheeks.^{[2]
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- Does everyone have an ogee curve? Some people don’t have pronounced ogee curves even if they’re young. Ogee curves depend on your genetic face structure, so if you have higher cheekbones or a longer face, you’re more likely to have a naturally forming ogee curve.
- Ogee curves are also really common in art, architecture, and design, but they’ve recently been more prominent in beauty and facial aesthetics.

Section 2 of 6:

How do ogee curves affect facial aesthetics?

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“You have to see the young face as an inverted triangle,” says board-certified dermatologist Ellen Turner. She continues that on a youthful face, the top of the triangle aligns with your cheekbones and narrows to a point at your chin.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Ellen Turner
Double Board-Certified Dermatologist

Expert Interview} Ogee curves naturally accentuate the inverted triangle shape, so they give your face a distinct profile and a more youthful appearance.
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Ogee curves flatten out and disappear when you get older. As you age, the fat in your cheeks starts to lose volume and your facial muscles atrophy. When this happens, the fat from your midface starts to drift down and creates sagging skin or more pronounced jowls. The volume shift makes your cheekbones less defined so your ogee curves flatten out and and make you appear older.^{[4]
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- The triangle of youth flips upside-down as you age because looser skin on your face can make your chin appear wider.
- Even if you don’t have or have lost your ogee curves, you can still naturally get one or restore it through cosmetic surgery.

Section 3 of 6:

How to Get an Ogee Curve Naturally

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Massage your face below your cheeks. Massaging your face and cheeks helps reduce puffiness and relax your muscles, so it can help your natural ogee curve reappear. Find a quiet, relaxing place where you can do the massage, and repeat each of the following steps 3 times for the best effects.^{[5]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
- Press your fingers into your chin, and move your hands slowly back along your jawline until you reach your ears.
- Pinch along your jawline, starting at your chin and ending just below your ears.
- Place your fingers underneath your cheekbones and gently press up. Then, gently rub your cheeks in a circular motion.^{[6]
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- Massage slow circles around your temples.
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Try mewing and other facial exercises. Mewing has become a popular social media trend that claims to change your jawline and facial structure, and some people believe the exercises can naturally give you an ogee curve. To mew, place the tip of your tongue just behind your front teeth and gently bring your tongue to the top of your mouth. Hold the position for 20 seconds before relaxing your tongue again.^{[7]
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Trustworthy Source

Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
- While it is trendy, there still isn’t a lot of research on whether mewing is effective or not.^{[8]
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  Research source} Mewing may also cause jaw tension or teeth misalignment if you do it improperly.

Section 4 of 6:

Cosmetic Procedures to Get an Ogee Curve

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Get dermal filler injections to add volume to your cheeks. Dermal fillers are small injections in your skin that add volume and remove wrinkles temporarily. Dr. Turner mentions that putting fillers around your cheeks can restore volume loss to help accentuate your ogee curve.^{[9]
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Expert Source

Ellen Turner
Double Board-Certified Dermatologist

Expert Interview} Schedule an appointment with a licensed cosmetologist who specializes in dermal fillers, and they will add enough fillers to complement your face and other features.^{[10]
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- Dermal fillers usually last a few months or up to a year before you need them reinjected.
- Dermal fillers typically cost $500-1,500 USD.
- Fillers are usually the best and most affordable options because they can tighten your skin and reduce the look of jowls as well.
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Try a thread lift if you're struggling with sagging. A thread lift is a minimally invasive procedure done where dissolvable thread is inserted into your skin to lift areas that are loose or sagging. When you get a thread lift around your cheeks, it can help firm up your jowls and give you a more youthful profile.^{[11]
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- Thread lifts usually last around 1-3 years before you need them redone.
- Thread lift costs can vary between providers and how much work you need done, so schedule a consultation with a cosmetologist for an accurate estimate.
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Opt for cosmetic surgery for a long-lasting solution. If you want your ogee curve to be more permanent, then getting intensive cosmetic surgery is your best option. Consult with a plastic surgeon to see what they recommend for your face proportions and what options you have available. While cosmetic surgery is pricier, it’ll make an ogee curve the most pronounced.^{[12]
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- Surgeries like deep plane facelifts are usually the best option if you need to reconstruct uneven bone structure, realign your jaw, or correct a facial injury.
- Some cosmetic surgeries, like rhinoplasties, can help add more definition to your nose and profile so your ogee curve is more accentuated.
- Cosmetic surgery isn’t the right option for everyone, so always talk with a certified professional to see what the best next steps are for you.
EXPERT TIP

Edward S. Kwak, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon
Edward S. Kwak, MD is a Dual Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and the Owner of ESKMD Facial Plastic Surgery based in New York City. After earning an MD from the Indiana University School of Medicine, Dr. Kwak completed an Otolaryngology (Head and Neck Surgery) residency at The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and a fellowship in Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery under Dr. Russell Kridel at the University of Texas Medical Center in Houston. He is a member of the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and a Diplomate of the American Board of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery. Furthermore, Dr. Kwak is board certified by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Board of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Kwak has been awarded a Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor, Newbeauty Top Beauty Doctor, New York Super Doctor, NY Top Doc, and an Expert Injector award.

Edward S. Kwak, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Good cosmetic outcomes should look natural. While you may be worried about plastic surgery looking fake or unnatural, your surgeon will work to achieve balance and harmony between your facial features. Go to a few consultations with plastic surgeons before choosing one for your procedure to see what they recommend and learn more about the full process.

Section 5 of 6:

Ogee Curve FAQ

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Why are ogee curves attractive? Ogee curves are natural lines of beauty that are just more pleasing to the eye than straight lines.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source

Nature
Respected Multidisciplinary Scientific Journal

Go to source} Ogee curves give your cheeks more definition and make your face narrower by your chin when you’re turned in profile, so it also makes your skin look tight and youthful.^{[14]
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Do other features affect how ogee curves look? Ogee curves look their best when they’re proportionate to other parts of your face, typically called the “golden ratio.” Cosmetologists or cosmetic surgeons will let you know if you need to balance out your ogee curves based on your face shape and structure.^{[15]
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Section 6 of 6:

Expert Advice to Maintain a Youthful Face

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Wear SPF 30 sunscreen. Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD, a board certified dermatologist, recommends, “wearing an SPF 30 titanium- or zinc-containing sunscreen every day, even if it's snowing or raining outside.” He mentions sunscreen helps protect the natural collagens in your skin that help keep it looking tight and youthful.^{[16]
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Expert Source

Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist & Dermatopathologist

Expert Interview}
Use retinoids on your face. Retinoids are a vitamin A serum that can help protect collagen and firm up your skin.^{[17]
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Research source} Dr. Mudgil mentions that prescription retinoids from a dermatologist are the most effective, but over-the-counter products also work for anti-aging skincare.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Adarsh Vijay Mudgil, MD
Board Certified Dermatologist & Dermatopathologist

Expert Interview}
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Eat a diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Board certified dermatologist Asmi Berry, FAAD notes “eating plenty of nutrient-rich foods” as well as “vitamins and minerals can keep you looking young.” Some recommended vitamins and some common foods that contain them include:^{[19]
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Expert Source

Asmi Berry, FAAD
Board Certified Dermatologist

Expert Interview}
- Vitamin A: carrots, spinach, sweet potatoes
- Vitamin C: tomato, oranges, bell peppers
- Vitamin E and folic acid: raw avocado or olive oil
- Biotin: Brazil nuts, almonds, avocados
- Antioxidants: fresh berries or an apple