Your JawMax analysis is not a beauty score. It is a clinical assessment of your facial structure and habits. Your face is a dynamic blueprint—a direct record of how you breathe, swallow, and hold your body.
To achieve your optimal structure, you must first understand the metrics. This guide breaks down the 16 biomarkers we analyze in your profile.
Part 1: The Structural Blueprint (Your Bones)
This section analyzes the “hard frame” of your face. While influenced by genetics, this framework was heavily shaped by your developmental habits. We analyze this to understand your foundational structure.
- Jawline Type
What It Is: This is the overall classification of your mandible (lower jaw bone). It measures its visibility and structural definition relative to your neck.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We classify your jaw into three primary types based on its definition and forward growth:
- Recessed: A “Recessed” jaw appears underdeveloped and lacks clear definition. It often has poor forward projection and tends to blend into the neck, making it difficult to trace a clear line from ear to chin.
- Developed: A “Developed” jaw is the healthy baseline. It is clearly visible and structurally separate from the neck. It possesses adequate projection but may lack the elite sharpness of the top tier.
- Prominent: A “Prominent” jaw is the elite standard. It is sharp, angular, and well-projected, creating a powerful, chiseled profile. This signifies optimal horizontal (forward) growth.
- Gonial Angle
What It Is: This is the literal, measurable angle of your jaw bone corner (the gonion), located just below your ear. It defines the “squareness” of your jaw and is a primary indicator of your facial growth pattern.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We measure this angle in degrees to determine if your face grew forward (ideal) or downward (sub-optimal):
- Steep (> 132°): This is a “sub-optimal” score. A wide, open angle like this indicates the jaw grew more downward than forward. This pattern creates a long, soft, oval face shape and is a key marker of a “long-face” phenotype.
- Average (126°-131°): This is a common, balanced angle that shows a mix of vertical and horizontal growth.
- Ideal (< 125°): This is a “square” or “optimal” score. It signifies strong horizontal growth, creating the powerful, angular look of a well-developed, masculine jaw.
- Chin Projection
What It Is: This measures how far your chin (the pogonion) projects forward in space, relative to your upper lip and nose. It is a critical component of a balanced profile.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We assess your chin’s dominance by drawing a vertical “Zero Meridian” line straight down from your upper lip:
- Retruded (Weak): Your chin sits significantly behind this vertical line. This weakens the entire profile, can make the nose appear larger, and is often linked to a “Class II / Overbite” dental structure.
- Average (Balanced): Your chin just touches this vertical line. This is a common, aesthetically balanced profile.
- Projected (Strong): Your chin meets or crosses this line. This is the ideal for a strong, masculine profile, providing a solid “anchor” to the lower face.
- Maxilla Projection
What It Is: This is the forward growth of your upper jaw (the maxilla), which is the bone structure under your nose and eyes. It is the “keystone” that holds your midface together.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We analyze this by assessing your “under-eye balcony”—the skeletal scaffolding for your midface:
- Flat / Recessed: Your upper jaw is “sunken” or “recessed.” This is like a collapsed balcony, offering no support. It can cause a hollow, tired look under the eyes and a flat midface. This is often associated with poor tongue posture.
- Forward-Grown (Projected): Your upper jaw is “projected” and strong. It acts as a solid shelf, supporting your eyes, making you look more alert, and creating a robust, 3D facial structure.
- Cheekbone Projection
What It Is: This measures how far your zygomatic bone (cheekbone) sticks out forward (anteriorly) compared to your eyeball.
The JawMax Diagnosis: This is the “Hunter Eye” metric. It is not about width, but projection (known as the orbital vector):
- Low / Flat (Negative Vector): Your eyeball protrudes past your cheekbone from a side view. This offers no protection or definition and is a sign of a recessed midface.
- High / Prominent (Positive Vector): Your cheekbone projects in front of your eyeball. This creates a visually protective, deep-set eye socket and a chiseled, defined facial structure.
- Mentolabial Angle
What It Is: This is the “crease” or “fold” in the space between your lower lip and your chin button.
The JawMax Diagnosis: This angle signals your chin’s true strength and its relationship with your bite:
- Deep Fold (e.g., < 110°): A deep, sharp crease. This “dented” profile is often a sign of a weak (retruded) chin or a deep dental bite, which causes the skin to fold aggressively.
- Ideal (e.g., 110°-130°): A smooth, flat, or gently curved transition. This is the goal. It indicates your chin bone is strong and projected enough to stretch the overlying skin taut.
- Lower Facial Height
What It Is: This measures the vertical length of the bottom third of your face (from the base of your nose to the bottom of your chin).
The JawMax Diagnosis: We compare this length to your midface (eyebrows to nose) to determine your vertical-to-horizontal growth ratio:
- Elongated (e.g., Ratio > 1): Your face is “long.” This is a primary indicator of “Long Face Syndrome,” a condition often linked to chronic mouth breathing, which forces the jaw to grow down instead of forward.
- Compact / Short (e.g., Ratio < 1): Your face is “short” or “compact.” This is a sign of good horizontal growth, where your jaw grew forward, creating a wider, more robust facial structure.
- Mandibular Plane Angle (MPA)
What It Is: This is the scientific measurement of your entire jawline’s steepness, from the corner (gonion) to the chin (menton).
The JawMax Diagnosis: This angle is a key diagnostic indicator of your growth pattern. A flat, horizontal jaw is ideal.
- Steep (e.g., > 37°): This confirms a “Downward Growth” pattern. Your jaw slopes down at a sharp angle toward your Adam’s apple. This is sub-optimal and is linked to weak muscles and mouth breathing.
- Average (30°-37°): A normal, balanced slope.
- Flat (e.g., < 30°): This is the “Forward Growth” ideal. Your jawline runs almost straight back, parallel to the floor. This is the elite, “model-tier” structure.
Part 2: The Habit Analysis (Your Muscles & Posture)
This is the “soft frame” of your face. These are the habits you are performing right now that define your appearance. All of these are highly improvable through dedicated training.
- Breathing Pattern
What It Is: This analyzes your primary mode of respiration. This is a primary contributor to facial structure issues.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We deduce this from your facial shape and lip posture:
- Mouth Breather (Dysfunctional): The lips are parted, the face is often elongated, and the eyes can appear tired (“Adenoid Facies”). This is a dysfunctional habit that we must fix.
- Nasal Breather (Optimal): The lips are sealed, the face is wider, and the eyes are alert. This is the correct human breathing pattern.
- Lip Competence
What It Is: This measures the ability of your lips to maintain a natural, resting seal without any effort.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We check for strain, which is a critical sign of dysfunction:
- Incompetent (Parted): Your lips hang open at rest, even slightly. This breaks the oral seal, forcing you to breathe through your mouth and letting your tongue fall.
- Strained (Bumpy): You must force your lips shut. This causes a dimpled, “golf ball” texture on your chin (Mentalis Strain) and is a clear sign of dysfunction.
- Competent (Sealed): This is the goal. Your lips touch lightly with no effort, allowing for correct tongue posture and nasal breathing.
- Cervical Spine
What It Is: The shape of your neck bones (your cervical vertebrae). The JawMax Diagnosis: We look for the “Nerd Neck” curve, a common postural habit:
- Lordotic Curve (Nerd Neck): Your neck curves forward in an excessive “C” shape. This is a poor postural habit from screen use that pulls your head forward and can shorten the appearance of your jaw.
- Vertical (Aligned): Your neck is a straight, strong pillar. This is the correct, powerful human posture.
- Head Posture
What It Is: The tilt of your head. This is different from the spine’s shape and refers to where your head sits on your shoulders.
The JawMax Diagnosis: We measure the forward tilt based on your ear’s alignment:
- Forward Tilt (e.g., > 5°): Your ear is significantly in front of your shoulder. This bad posture buries your jawline in your neck skin, making even a strong jaw look weak.
- Aligned (e.g., < 5°): Your ear is stacked directly over your shoulder. This is the correct alignment and instantly makes your jawline look more defined.
- Tongue Posture
What It Is: Where your tongue “sleeps” in your mouth. This is the engine of your face. The JawMax Diagnosis: We analyze the area under your chin to determine your tongue’s resting position:
- Low / Incorrect: Your tongue is resting on the floor of your mouth. This is an untrained habit that provides no upward support, contributing to a “melting” or downward-grown face.
- High / Correct (Mewing): Your tongue is suctioned to the roof of your mouth (the palate). This provides the constant, gentle upward force needed to support your maxilla and hold your face up.
- Swallowing Pattern
What It Is: This metric assesses your myofunctional swallowing mechanics. It is a critical, repetitive habit (over 2,000 times a day) that can either build or destroy your facial structure. It analyzes which muscles you use to swallow—your tongue or your face.
The JawMax Diagnosis: An incorrect swallow actively works against your facial alignment:
- Incorrect (Tongue Thrust): This is a dysfunctional pattern. You initiate the swallow by pushing your tongue forward and outward against your front teeth. This constant, repetitive pressure can flare teeth, weaken the jaw, and prevent a proper lip seal.
- Correct Swallow: This is the ideal, mature swallow. You initiate it by pressing your tongue up against the roof of the mouth (the palate) and then rolling the force backward to push food down. This acts as a powerful, natural workout that widens the palate and strengthens the entire jaw complex.
- Submental Tautness
What It Is: The “hammock” of skin and muscle directly under your chin. The JawMax Diagnosis: This is the direct external visualization of your internal tongue posture:
- Sloping / Lax: The skin under your chin is a soft, diagonal slope from chin to neck. This is a direct sign that your tongue posture is “Low / Incorrect,” leaving these muscles untrained and lax.
- Taut: The skin forms a sharp, 90-degree “L” shape. This proves your tongue is “High / Correct,” pulling the hyoid bone up and keeping the “hammock” tight.
- Facial Adiposity
What It Is: The scientific term for “face fat” or puffiness. The JawMax Diagnosis: We analyze soft tissue definition to see your underlying bone structure:
- Puffy (e.g., > 15%): Your face looks soft, round, and inflamed. This is often not just fat, but water retention from a high-salt/processed diet. This puffiness “hides” your true bone structure.
- Lean (e.g., < 15%): Your skin is “shrink-wrapped” to the bone. This is the ideal state, as it allows your natural angles to be fully visible.
Conclusion: Your Face is a System
These 16 metrics are not 16 separate problems. They are all interconnected.
Your Breathing Pattern is a primary influence on your Tongue Posture. Your Tongue Posture directly dictates your Submental Tautness and influences Maxilla Projection. Your Maxilla Projection impacts your Cheekbone Projection. Your Head Posture mechanically alters your Chin Projection.
Your structure is a direct result of your habits. The JawMax plan is not magic; it is a systematic program to correct these root-cause habits. By fixing your posture, your breathing, and your swallow, you will reveal the optimal structure you were always meant to have.
Scientific References & Further Reading
- Mouth Breathing & Facial Growth: Impact of Mouth Breathing on Facial Growth and Development. (American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics).
- Tongue Posture & Hyoid: The Effect of Tongue Posture on the Hyoid Bone Position. (European Journal of Orthodontics).
- Cervical Spine & Mandible: Correlations between Cervical Lordosis and Craniofacial Morphology. (NIH / PubMed Central).
- Swallowing Patterns: Myofunctional Therapy and Swallowing: A Review. (Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache).
- Facial Adiposity: Facial Adiposity as a Cue to Health and Immunity. (Royal Society Open Science).
- Gonial & Mandibular Angles: Mandibular Plane Angle and its Relationship to Facial Morphology. (The Angle Orthodontist).