The face scan, explained
Those lines and dots on a face? Here’s what they mean.
You’ve seen it on TikTok and in movies: a face covered in dots, a box across the cheekbones, a line down the middle, and then a number pops up. That’s a face being measured. The number everyone talks about is called fWHR.
Part 1
So what is fWHR?
fWHR stands for facial width-to-height ratio. It’s two measurements and one division:
- W
- How wide your face is, cheekbone to cheekbone.
- H
- How tall your upper face is, from your upper lip up to your eyelids.
- fWHR
- W ÷ H. That’s the whole thing.
A higher number means a broader, wider face. In studies, people tend to read a higher fWHR as more dominant and more masculine. Most guys land somewhere around 1.9 to 2.0.
Part 2
What else the scan checks.
Ten things in total, in two groups.
Your frame
The bones. You’re mostly born with these.
- fWHR
- How wide your face is compared to how tall it is.
- Symmetry
- How closely your left side matches your right. Nobody is perfect; 95% and up is excellent.
- Jaw
- How wide your jaw is compared to your cheekbones. Wider and squarer scores higher.
- Eye tilt
- The angle from the inner to the outer corner of your eye. A slight upward tilt is the “hunter eyes” look.
- Facial thirds
- Whether the middle and bottom parts of your face are in balance.
- Eye spacing
- The gap between your eyes, measured in eye-widths.
Your skin
What you can actually improve.
- Under-eye
- How dark your under-eyes are compared to your cheeks. Late nights show up here.
- Evenness
- Dark spots and old acne marks.
- Texture
- Pores, bumps and rough patches.
- Redness
- Irritation, measured against your own forehead so your skin tone never counts against you.
Part 3
How the scan works.
- Open it on your phone. Face the light, phone at eye level.
- Prove it’s you. Blink twice and turn your head side to side, so nobody can scan a photo of a model.
- Hold still for 3 seconds. It maps 478 points on your face.
- Get your scores. Plus a routine matched to your skin, never to your bone structure.
It all runs on your phone. Your camera and your face are never uploaded or stored. Only your scores are saved, and only if you join the board.
Coming soon
The Glow Board: $5,000 in prizes.
Two races, $2,500 each. It hasn’t opened yet. Create an account and we’ll email you when it does.
Most Improved
Biggest jump in your skin score wins. Your first 3 scans set where you start, your last 3 set where you finish. They have to be at least 8 weeks apart, so nobody wins it in a weekend. One scan a day counts.
Invite Race
Get the most friends to join through your link and finish a live scan on their own phone. No cap on how many.
18+, legal residents of the 50 US states and D.C. No purchase necessary; buying something doesn’t improve your chances. Official rules will be posted before it opens.