TikTok thinks the 'Canthal Tilt' is what makes someone attractive. It doesn't add up.

Hey ladies! Are you in need of another unreachable definition of beauty? How about a super specific way your eyes must be angled in order to achieve peak attractiveness?

Yes, it's time to talk about the 'canthal tilt'. 

The term has recently exploded in popularity on TikTok due to the platform adding a 'canthal tilt filter' to help users test just how tilted their eyeline is. The filter then determines whether one's canthal tilt is positive, neutral or (the dreaded) negative.

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What is a canthal tilt?

A canthal tilt is the direction your eyes are shaped which is measured by the angle between your inner eye and your outer eye. 

In some surgical circles, a positive canthal tilt, or fox-eyed shape, is the more 'desired' angle, which means the outer corner of the eye is several degrees higher than the inside corner. A negative tilt is when the outside corner is lower than the inside corner. Otherwise, there's the neutral tilt which means your outside corner is on an even angle with the inside. 

@un.ermite

Proof that nobody gives a sh*t about canthal tilt and all that. Focus on the other things

♬ Ill do it - ☆

Why does a positive tilt mean a person is more attractive?

Apparently, the higher slant your eyes have, the more attractive you are. 

"Having a positive canthal tilt subconsciously communicates a sharper, younger appearance, whereas a negative canthal tilt or downward-slanted eyes may make you appear more tired or sad," cosmetic dermatologist SurfiaMD posted on TikTok.

Fans of the positive canthal tilt often name-drop celebrities who have it, which range from literal Barbie Margot Robbie to supermodel Adriana Lima. 

This line of thinking is somehow backed by science, with a 2007 National Library of Medicine study finding that faces with the upward slanting canthal tilt were preferred 93 per cent of the time.

@drnomzzy We are all attractive in our own special way and this is not the be all end all! #drnomzzy #canthaltilt #canthaltiltexplained #beauty ♬ original sound - The Skin Doc

Aside from TikTok, it's a term that's mostly popular among incels: an internet fringe of men who blame their looks for why women won't date or have sex with them. 

Some incels attribute their negative canthal tilt for why they remain single. 

In these circles, a positive tilt is referred to as 'hunter eyes' while a negative one is called 'prey eyes'. Yes, it's as silly as it sounds. 

What are the problems around these kinds of conversations?

Aside from the incel connection (not great!), the whole concept just doesn't add up. There are many people with negative tilts who are inarguably attractive. 

For instance, there's dedicated TikToks to conventionally attractive celebrities who have negative tilts, such as Henry Cavill, Anne Hathaway and Katie Holmes. The app is also full of people posting their own negative canthal tilts who are also indisputably, well... very hot. 

@thebigenik His cant be #fyp #joke #relatable #viral #crush #looksmaxxing ♬ original sound - 🗺️

The craze is also being criticised for adding yet another unreachable beauty ideal, which could prey on people's insecurities and even encourage some to pursue surgical alternatives. 

Surgeons can do a specific blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) which changes the angle or tilt of their eyes giving a positive canthal tilt. Like any other eye surgery, the side effects can include impaired vision, increased sensitivity, swelling, bruising, and potential complications. 

Thankfully on TikTok, most of the users are not taking this trend too seriously. Instead, a lot of women are using the canthal tilt filter to nail their eyeliner, rather than to judge the shape of their face. 

@symbolitch ♬ original sound - Symbolitch

People are using the red line as a guide to draw a cat's eye flick at the perfect angle to suit their eye shape. 

"The Canthal Tilt Filter going from an incel talking point to a guide for evenly applying eyeliner is such a glow-up," one X post read. 

It turns out the canthal tilt is useful for something, but it should have no bearing on how people perceive their own faces.

Feature image: Getty + TikTok/@symbolitch.