Hunter eyes: what they are, how to measure yours, and what you can change
Last updated: September 2026
Hunter eyes is the looksmax name for an eye area that reads intense: the outer corners sit higher than the inner corners, the opening is narrow and hooded rather than round, and the brow sits low and close to the eye. Prey eyes is the opposite: level or downturned corners, a round open eye, a high brow. The terms are forum slang, but the three traits behind them are real measurements, and you can take them from one photo with the free hunter eyes test.
The three measurements
| Trait | Hunter range | Prey range | What decides it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canthal tilt | positive, about 4 degrees and up | neutral or negative | Where the outer corner's tendon attaches to the orbit bone. Fixed. |
| Eye openness | narrow: height under 30% of width | round: height over 38% of width | Orbit shape, brow ridge and the fat around the eye. Mostly fixed; leanness narrows it a little. |
| Brow to eye distance | close: under half an eye width | high: over two thirds of an eye width | Brow ridge projection and brow grooming. Bone fixed; the groomed line can move. |
A full hunter read needs all three at once. A strong tilt with a high brow, or a low brow with round eyes, lands in the middle, which is where most faces sit. On the test, most people score between 25 and 55 out of 100; scores above 70 are uncommon.
Why the look reads the way it does
The features come mostly from bone. A forward-grown midface and a strong brow ridge bring the brow down and forward over the eye, which narrows the opening and lifts the outer corner. Deep set eyes and low body fat add to it. The result reads as alert and focused because it is the shape eyes take when someone concentrates: lids narrowed, brow lowered. That is also why the community rates it, and why it is the same look that hoods further with age as the lids and brow descend.
It is one trait of the eye area, and the eye area is one region of the face. Faces rated attractive have every kind of eye shape. Treat the measurement as a description, not a verdict.
How to measure yours
- Take a front-facing photo at eye level, arm's length or further, even light from the front, eyes open and relaxed, no squint, no smile.
- Run it through the hunter eyes test. It finds the eye corners, lids and brows with a landmark model in your browser, levels the head, corrects for camera height, and reports all three traits plus a combined score.
- Read the three lines, not just the score. A high tilt with a high brow is a different starting point from a low brow with round eyes, and the changes below apply to different traits.
What you can change, in order of effect
- Camera height. Shooting from slightly above eye level narrows the eyes and lifts the corners in the photo. Every hunter eyes selfie you have seen uses it. It changes the photo, not the face, and it is fine for a profile picture.
- Brow grooming. A brow trimmed flat and kept low reads closer to the eye. A high, thin arch reads as a prey brow on any face.
- Body fat. Fat around the orbit rounds the opening and softens the brow ridge. Leanness hoods the eye. This is the one real change on the list, and it takes months.
- Sleep, salt and alcohol. Puffy lids round the eye for a day. Not a strategy, but it explains why the same face measures differently on different mornings.
- Nothing else without surgery. Tilt is the tendon's attachment point and orbit shape is bone. Canthoplasty moves the corner; brow bone work and orbital surgery change the rest. These are real procedures with real risks and are not a looksmax hobby.
Hunter eyes vs positive canthal tilt
People use the terms as if they were the same. They are not. Positive canthal tilt is one line: the outer corner higher than the inner. Hunter eyes needs that plus a narrow opening plus a low brow. Plenty of round, wide open eyes have a strongly positive tilt and read as friendly rather than intense. The canthal tilt test measures the line alone; the hunter eyes test measures all three.
Get the whole eye area rated
ChadMe scores eyes as one of six traits from the selfie, with a written breakdown, the potential ceiling and what would raise it.
FAQ
What are hunter eyes?
An eye area with positive canthal tilt, a narrow hooded opening and a low brow. It reads as intense. Prey eyes are the opposite: neutral or negative tilt, a round opening and a high brow.
How do I know if I have hunter eyes?
Measure the three traits from a front photo. The free hunter eyes test does it in your browser and scores the combination from 0 to 100; above 70 reads as hunter.
Can you get hunter eyes naturally?
The bone and tendon are fixed. Leanness, brow grooming and camera height change how the eye area reads, and they account for most of the hunter eyes photos online.
Are hunter eyes attractive?
They are one of the traits raters weigh in the eye area and they read as alert. They are not required; faces rated attractive have every kind of eye shape.
Does mewing give you hunter eyes?
No measured effect on adult bone. Tongue posture does not move the orbit or the tendon.