Everyone has an angle that creates a double chin. It's not a weight issue. It's physics. The camera compresses depth, the chin sits close to the neck, and the wrong angle turns a normal jawline into something you don't recognize.
The fix is mechanical, not cosmetic. Small adjustments to angle, posture, and light eliminate the problem without looking posed.
The Turtle Technique
This is the single most effective trick, and every portrait photographer teaches it:
Push your forehead toward the camera and slightly down.
It sounds strange. It feels strange the first time. But it works by stretching the skin between your chin and neck, defining the jawline without any visible effort in the photo.
The key: push forward, not up. Lifting your chin tilts your head back and makes things worse. Think of it as moving your face toward the camera while keeping your chin level or slightly down.
Practice in front of a mirror or your phone's front camera until the movement feels natural.
Camera Angle
Where the camera sits relative to your face matters more than any other factor:
- Slightly above eye level. Even 2–3 inches above your eyeline forces you to look slightly up, which naturally stretches the under-chin area. This is the default headshot angle for a reason.
- Never below eye level. Shooting upward compresses the chin-to-neck distance and exaggerates any fullness. This is why laptop webcams (which sit below your face) are unflattering.
- Slight turn. A quarter-turn away from camera means the jawline on your near side creates a clean edge, and the area under the far-side chin is hidden by angle.
Lighting
Light creates the jawline definition that anatomy might not provide:
- Side lighting. A light source from 45 degrees to one side creates a shadow under the jawline that visually separates chin from neck. This is the most common portrait lighting setup.
- Avoid flat, front-on lighting. Direct flash or front lighting eliminates shadows — including the ones that define your jaw.
- Butterfly lighting. Light from directly above and in front creates a shadow under the nose and chin. It's flattering for jawlines and is a classic headshot setup.
Posture
Your body position affects your chin more than you'd think:
- Sit or stand straight. Slouching compresses everything from chest to chin.
- Lean slightly forward from the waist. This shifts weight forward and naturally extends the neck.
- Relax your shoulders down. Tense, raised shoulders push the neck up and compress the jawline.
What Doesn't Work
- Extreme head tilts. Tilting dramatically to hide your chin looks unnatural and raises questions.
- High-neck clothing as camouflage. Turtlenecks don't hide a double chin — they frame it.
- Heavy retouching. Over-edited jawlines look artificial. Subtle refinement is fine; reshaping isn't.
- Ignoring it entirely. A small adjustment in angle eliminates the issue. Not adjusting when you could is leaving quality on the table.
AI Headshots and Jawline
With AI headshot generators, your input photos determine the output. A few tips:
- Upload photos using the turtle technique. If your source photos have a defined jawline, the AI will replicate that.
- Include at least one photo from slightly above. Give the model a flattering angle to work from.
- Use photos with good side lighting. Shadow definition in your input translates to better output.
Narkis.ai generates professional headshots from your uploads — the better your input angles, the better the result. You can generate multiple versions and pick the one where your jawline reads cleanest.
Final Take
A double chin in headshots is an angle problem with an angle solution. Push your face slightly forward, shoot from slightly above, light from the side, and the issue disappears. No drastic measures needed. Just a few inches of adjustment.
If you want to skip the trial-and-error, AI headshots let you generate multiple versions from your best angles and pick the winner.
