Is a Small Face Attractive in South Korean Pop Culture?

K-Pop Fandom Expert Janice Barajas explains the "small face" beauty standard

Co-authored by Janice Barajas and Aimee Payne, MFA

Last Updated: March 13, 2026 Fact Checked

What does having a small face mean?

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Determining Face Size

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Making Your Face Appear Smaller

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What if you don’t have a small face?

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Korean Beauty Standards

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Idols with Small Faces

If you’re a fan of K-pop or K-dramas, you may have heard someone say that an idol or star has a “small face.” If you haven’t spent time in South Korea, you may not be familiar with the term and are wondering what it means. The good news is that being told you have a small face in South Korea is a compliment, but what does that mean? Read on to learn more about what a “small face” means, how to determine if you have one, and what other features make up a beautiful face in South Korea.

What is a “small face” in South Korea?

K-Pop Fandom Expert Janice Barajas says a small face is a sign of beauty in Korean culture. It means that your face is small in proportion to your body. A measurement less than 19 cm (7.5 inches) from hairline to chin is considered a small face. This term also means the face is free of inflammation or puffiness.

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What does having a small face mean?

A small face means the features are small relative to body size. A small face is a sign of beauty in South Korea, Japan, China, and other Asian countries. With very strict beauty standards that some feel have been influenced by Western culture, South Korea prizes faces and heads that are slightly small in proportion to their body sizes.^{[1]
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Research source} A small face is considered attractive for everyone, no matter what their gender because it’s thought to look cuter, younger, and fresher.
- Some feel that a small face means that the features are located in a small area toward the middle of the face or having a small, oval-shaped face along with other attractive features like large eyes and a v-shaped jaw.
- The Korean pop-culture boom is thought to have influenced beauty ideals throughout Asia.
- South Korea’s strict beauty standards have made it a leading source of cutting-edge beauty products.
- It’s also become known as the World Capital of Plastic Surgery, with some estimating that a third of women in Seoul have had a procedure.^{[2]
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How to Determine If Your Face Is Small

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Measure your face from your hairline to your chin. To determine whether your face conforms to South Korean beauty standards, use a measuring tape to find the length of your face from your hairline to the tip of your chin. Be sure to measure at the center of your face for the most accurate measurement.
- Face measurements that are smaller than 19 cm (7.5 inches) are usually considered to be small in South Korea.
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Alternatively, hold a CD or DVD in front of your face. If you have an old music CD or DVD movie lying around, use it to determine if you have a small face. Just hold it up to your face at about your eyebrow height. If the CD covers your facial features, you’re said to have a small face.
- If you don’t have a CD or DVD, draw a circle that’s 120 mm (4.75 inches) – the average CD or DVD – on a sheet of paper. Then cut it out and hold it up to your face.
- However, the proportion of the facial features to the rest of the face can also be important. A large face, with larger facial features that are in balance, can also appear to have a “small face.”^{[3]
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Section 3 of 6:

Making Your Face Appear Smaller

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Take a step back from others when taking a photo. It’s said that women in South Korea take a step back when they want to take a good photo with another person. Because they are further back in the image, their faces appear smaller than the other people in the photo.^{[4]
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Research source}
- This is probably the easiest way to make your face appear smaller, but it only works when you’re taking a picture with other people.
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Style your hair with bangs and height at the crown. Bangs frame your features and cover the sides and top of your face to make it appear smaller.^{[5]
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Research source} More height at the crown of your head is thought to make the facial features appear to look smaller and more delicate.^{[6]
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- Use volumizing products to add volume to your hair. “Blow drying the hair with your head upside down and using a root boost or a volumizing spray [creates volume],” Professional Hair Stylist Gina Almona says.^{[7]
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  Expert Source
  
  Gina Almona
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Try using a small crimping iron to bring more volume to the roots of your hair along the top of your head.^{[8]
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- Almona recommends to “always use a thermal protectant to protect the hair from the heat” of styling tools.^{[9]
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  Expert Source
  
  Gina Almona
  Professional Hair Stylist
  
  Expert Interview}
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Apply makeup to make the midface appear shorter. Use eyeliner and eyeshadow to make your eyes appear larger by emphasizing the lower eyelid and extending the shading out past the corner of your eye. Place blush high across your cheeks and the bridge of the nose as if you’ve been sunburnt to lift and lengthen the mid-face area.
- Use a contouring product in a straight line along each side of your jaw to create a V-shape.
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Many South Koreans also use plastic surgery to achieve an ideal face. This is the most extreme option for achieving a Korean beauty ideal. Plastic surgery is generally more accepted and common in South Korea than other parts of the world. Additionally, plastic surgeons outside South Korea may not be as familiar with Korean beauty ideals.
- Keep in mind that beauty ideals can change over time, so it may be easier to keep up with trends through less permanent methods.
- Plastic surgery isn’t necessary to become more attractive, but if it’s really something you want to do, be sure to choose a reputable surgeon with a lot of experience.

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What if you don’t have a small face?

Remember that you're unique and all faces are beautiful. Many people feel that these types of beauty standards are unrealistic or even impossible to achieve for most people. Beauty comes in many forms, with large and small faces…and everything in between, so don’t worry if your eyes peek out from behind a CD. True beauty comes from within!
- Try to stop comparing yourself to celebrities or a supposed “ideal.” Looking at images of “ideal” faces and body types can give you a negative view of their appearance and body image.^{[10]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  
  Go to source} This can even lead you to rate yourself as less attractive than you actually are.
- Celebrities often have strict fitness regimens, chefs to prepare special diets, and access to high-ticket skincare and plastic surgery that is not available to the average person.
- Some celebrities don’t even fit supposed beauty standards, but they’re still considered attractive.

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Korean Beauty Standards

South Koreans have a very specific list of ideal beauty standards. These ideals have been more prominent due to the popularity of K-dramas and K-pop. Fans often discuss whether South Korean celebrities and K-pop idols strictly conform to Korean beauty standards. Many stars and idols are said to go to extreme lengths to achieve these ideals, like strict diets, intense exercise regimens, and multiple plastic surgery procedures.^{[11]
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Research source} Here are a few of the Korean beauty standards besides having a small face:
- Slim body shape
- Small face
- V-shaped jawline
- Double eyelids
- Straight eyebrows
- Pointed nose with a high bridge
- Plump “cherry” lips
- Dewy, pale skin

Section 6 of 6:

K-Pop Idols with Small Faces

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K-pop idols are often celebrated for their beauty. In many cases, having a small face is a requirement for a member to be the “visual” of the group. The “visual” is a role in a K-pop group given to some members because they best fit the strict Korean beauty standard. However, beauty is subjective. Fans often find idols attractive even if they don’t adhere to strict beauty standards. For example, Jin is the official visual of BTS, but many fans feel V is also very attractive.^{[12]
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Research source} Here are a few idols known for their small faces.
- Jennie - BLACKPINK
- Cha Eun-woo - ASTRO
- Bae Jin Young - CIX
- V - BTS
- Irene - Red Velvet
- YooA - OhMyGirl
- Jeongyeon - TWICE
- Yuna - ITZY
- Yoona - Girls’ Generation
- I.N. - Stray Kids
- Yiren - EVERGLOW
- Jun - SEVENTEEN
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Many K-pop idols are pressured to conform to beauty standards. This pressure is thought to lead to body image issues, depression, and anxiety in both the idols and their fans. Idols have been fat-shamed and called ugly, pushing them into consuming extremely low amounts of calories each day to maintain or achieve very slender bodies.^{[13]
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- The pressure has resulted in a toxic environment that has taken its toll on the mental and physical health of idols and their fans.
- However, many idols in popular groups like BTS, Mamamoo, and ATEEZ do not strictly adhere to Korean beauty standards but are seen as attractive by fans in South Korea and around the world.