Canthal tilt test: positive, neutral or negative, in degrees
Last updated: September 2026
Canthal tilt is the angle of the line from the inner corner of your eye to the outer corner. Outer corner higher: positive tilt. Level: neutral. Outer corner lower: negative tilt. Upload one front-facing photo and the test measures both eyes in degrees, draws the tilt lines on your photo and tells you which range you are in. Free, in your browser, nothing uploaded.
What the numbers mean
| Tilt | Reads as | How common |
|---|---|---|
| below 0 degrees | Negative. Outer corners sit below the inner corners. Reads as tired or sad in photos. | a minority, more common with age as the outer corner descends |
| 0 to 2 degrees | Neutral. Level corners. Reads as calm and open. | common |
| 2 to 6 degrees | Positive. The almond, upturned look raters call hunter eyes when combined with a low brow. | the most common range, roughly half of faces |
| above 6 degrees | Strongly positive. The cat-eye range. | rare |
A one to two degree difference between your two eyes is normal and usually a mix of real asymmetry and a slight head turn. If the two eyes differ by more than three degrees on a straight photo, the test shows which one, and the symmetry test tells you whether the rest of the face follows.
How the test measures canthal tilt
A face landmark model finds the four eye corners (the medial canthus by the nose and the lateral canthus by the temple, on each side). The test levels the head using the line between the pupils, so a tilted phone or a tilted head does not count as a tilted eye, corrects for a small turn, and measures the angle of each corner-to-corner line against the horizontal. Positive means the outer corner is higher.
Nothing is uploaded. The model runs on your device, the photo stays on your device, and the result image you can save is drawn on your device. Close the page and nothing remains.
Why looksmaxers care about canthal tilt
The eye area is the region raters weigh most, and tilt is its most visible line. A positive tilt reads as alert, awake and youthful because the outer corner descends with age. A negative tilt reads as tired or sad, which is why it is the tilt most people search for. Neither is a verdict on the face: tilt is one measurement among the eye's shape, the brow's position and the distance between the eyes, and the test reports the last two under "All measurements".
What changes the measured tilt that is not your eyes
- Camera above eye level makes tilt read more positive; camera below eye level makes it read more negative. Shoot at eye level.
- A smile lifts the cheeks and the outer corners. Use a neutral face.
- Squinting drops the outer corner. Eyes open, relaxed.
- Shadows on the outer corners move where the model places the landmark. Even light from the front.
- A turned head compresses one eye. Face the camera.
Can canthal tilt be changed?
The bone and the tendon that anchor the outer corner are fixed, so real tilt changes only with surgery (a canthoplasty or canthopexy). What changes without surgery is how the tilt reads: brow position from grooming, less puffiness under the eyes, and the camera angle. Most negative tilt in photos is a camera held too low.
Get the whole eye area rated
ChadMe scores eyes, jawline, skin, hair, harmony and symmetry from the selfie, with a written breakdown and what would raise each.
How to get an accurate reading
- Camera at eye level, at arm's length or further. A low camera lengthens the chin and widens the jaw; a high camera shrinks them.
- Even light from the front. A window behind you or a lamp above you puts shadows exactly where the landmarks are.
- Face the camera straight on with a neutral expression, mouth closed, hair off the forehead.
- No filters, no beauty mode, no crop that cuts the chin or the ears.
- Use the same setup when you compare two photos. Different setups produce different numbers on the same face.
FAQ
Is the canthal tilt test free?
Yes. It runs in your browser from one photo with no signup and no upload.
What is a positive canthal tilt?
The outer corner of the eye sits higher than the inner corner. Measured from a level line through both eyes, anything above about 2 degrees reads clearly positive.
What is a normal canthal tilt?
Most people measure between 0 and 6 degrees positive. Slightly positive is the most common result.
Is negative canthal tilt bad?
It reads as tired in photos, which is why people ask, but it is common and it is one line of the eye area. Check the camera height first: a camera below eye level makes any tilt read more negative.
How do I measure canthal tilt myself?
Draw a level line through the pupils, then a line from the inner corner to the outer corner of one eye, and measure the angle between them. The test does the same with landmarks so the lines are placed the same way every time.
Can I fix a negative canthal tilt?
Only surgery changes the anchor point. Camera height, brow grooming and reducing puffiness change how it reads.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. The measurement runs on your device.