Inherited features
Shapes and features people are born with. 53 face guides on EveryFaceShape so far.
Inherited features are the shapes and traits people are born with: face shape, eye colour, the eyelid crease or epicanthic fold, dimples, freckles, a widow's peak, a cleft chin, the Cupid's bow. They come from many genes acting together, along with growth and chance, and most do not follow the simple dominant and recessive rules once taught in schools. They vary within every population.
Many genes, not one
School textbooks long used dimples, cleft chins and widow's peaks as examples of single-gene traits. Studies show their inheritance is more complex: children of two dimpled parents may have none, and dimples can come and go with age. Eye colour involves many genes, with OCA2 and HERC2 playing large roles. Freckling is linked strongly to MC1R.
Features, not labels
Inherited features are found across many peoples. The epicanthic fold, for instance, is common in East and Central Asia, the Americas and parts of Africa, and in babies everywhere. Linking any feature to ethnicity, character or worth is not science. EveryFaceShape describes features simply as features, with how the sources say they are inherited.
Famous inherited features face guides
Further reading
WorldIris
The coloured ring in the eye that controls light entry.Eyes · Most faces
WorldLimbal ring
A dark band encircling the outer edge of the irisEyes
WorldSclera
The tough outer coat that creates the pale background of the eyeball.Eyes · Most faces
WorldCanthus
The inner and outer corners where the eyelids meet at the eye.Eyes
WorldEpicanthic fold
A vertical skin fold at the inner corner of the eye.Eyes · Most faces
WorldEyelash
Hairs lining the eyelid edges that protect the eye and frame the gaze.Eyes · Most faces
WorldEye color
The natural variation in human iris hue driven by melanin and light scattering.Eyes · Most faces
WorldPhiltrum
A vertical groove in the upper lip found in humans and many mammals.Eyes · Most faces
WorldMonolids
An upper eyelid form without a visible crease, common in East Asian populations.Eyes
WorldClose-set eyes
A facial feature where the distance between the inner corners of the eyes is less than one eyeball width.Eyes
WorldUpturned eyes
An eye shape with outer corners that lift upward toward the hairline.Eyes
WorldWide-set eyes
An eye spacing where the gap between the eyes exceeds one eyeball width.Eyes
WorldAlmond eyes
Oval eyes with tapered corners and a natural lift.Eyes · Most faces
WorldDownturned eyes
An eye shape where the outer corners angle downward toward the temples.Eyes · Most faces
WorldRound eyes
An eye shape where the width equals the length, creating a circular appearance.Eyes
WorldHooded eyes
An eye shape where excess skin from the brow bone folds over the eyelid crease.Eyes · Most faces
WorldDeep-set eyes
An eye shape where the eyeball sits deeper in the skull, making the brow bone appear more prominent.Eyes
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Epicanthic fold: Sarang, Public domain, source
- Limbal ring: Chianti, FAL, source
- Sclera: Jo Naylor, CC BY 2.0, source
- Iris: Rossche, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Freckles: Loyna, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Eyelash: Rapidreflex, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Eye color: LeuschteLampe, Public domain, source
- Philtrum: Rick Kimpel, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Dimple: C. Szeto, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cupid's bow: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Widow's peak: Kuebi = Armin Kübelbeck, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Monolids: Unknown author, Public domain, source