Eye Shapes: Which Eye Shape Do I Have? What Glasses Are Best?

Eye shapes are not a physical features that’s gets much attention, but they have an impact on our looks – and they can demand that eyeglasses fit the shape.

There are four general shapes of eyes, and shapes can affect vision because shapes affect the size and dimension of the cornea.

What are the Different Eye Shapes?

Most people describe unique eyes based on color and size (such as small or big). Even though eye shape doesn’t get a lot of attention, it’s also a distinguishable facial feature.

Common eye shapes include:  

• Round eyes
• Downturned or upturned eyes
• Monolid eyes
• Almond eyes

Round Eyes

Round eyes have a noticeable white area around the iris. The iris is the colored ring-like membrane in the eye with an opening in the middle called pupil.  

The visible white part is the called the sclera. If you have round eyes, you’ll see this part all around, including on the top and/or bottom of the eye.  

Downturned or Upturned Eyes

Downturned or upturned is another way to describe eye shapes. Upturned eyes have their outer edges slightly elevated.

In contrast, the outer corners of downturned eyes tilt downward

Monolid Eyes

Your eyelid shape can also affect the outward appearance of your eyes. With a monolid eye, your upper eyelid doesn’t have a crease.

You have a double eyelid eye if there’s a noticeable crease. Most people with monolid eyes have more even eyelids than normal.

Almond Eyes

Almond eyes are the opposite of round eyes. This is your eye shape if the sclera isn’t noticeable above and below the iris.

This shape is common in people whose eyelids cover a larger area of the eye both at the bottom and the top.  

How to Determine Your Eye Shape

To determine your eye shape based on its outward appearance, just look in the mirror. For example, if you don’t see a crease on your upper eyelid, your shape is monolid.

Note that all these shapes imply the appearance of eyes with respect to the structures around it, such as the eyelids. These structures don’t directly determine the shape of your eyeball, which is the actual eye.

For example, if you don’t see a white area below the iris, it doesn’t mean that your sclera or eyeball is smaller or otherwise deficient.

The shape and size of your eyeball and the important tissues in it do matter, though. Slight deviations from normal can impact your eyesight.  

How Eye Shapes Affect Vision

Understanding how the eye works sheds light into how eye shapes affect vision. The shape of the cornea, the transparent membrane at the front of the eye, is an important part of this.

A normal cornea looks like a dome. Its smooth curvature allows it to perfectly focus light into the retina (at the back of your eye), enabling you to see.

Changes in the shape of the cornea can affect the working relationship between it and the retina. This abnormality can cause vision problems called refractive errors.

Here are some of the refractive errors that changes in eye shape can cause:

• Myopia
• Farsightedness
• Astigmatism

Myopia (Nearsightedness)

Myopia occurs when your cornea is unable to properly focus light into the retina. When you have near vision, distant objects appear blurry to you.

This refractive error has two main possible causes:

• The size of your eyeball has increased (longer than usual)
• The curvature of your cornea has changed sharply

Farsightedness (Hyperopia)

You’re farsighted if you can see distant objects clearly, but nearby objects appear blurred. This too is a focusing problem associated with abnormal changes in the shape of your cornea.

It’s the opposite of myopia in two key ways:

• Your eyeball has shortened or
• The curvature of your cornea has declined

Astigmatism

Astigmatism causes hazy distant and near vision. The condition can develop when your cornea is partly curved or has a steeper curve in one direction than in the other.

This curvature imperfection affects the ability of the cornea to focus light into the retina.

What Glasses Frames are Best for Each Eye Shape?

One way to stand out with eyeglasses is by choosing frames that match unique facial features. Just like your face, your eye shape matters a lot here.

Here are some suggestions to select the best eyeglass frames for your eyes:

• Round eyes: There are many options out there, but you couldn’t go wrong with rounded or squared frames.  
• Close-set eyes: Close-set is when there’s little space between your eyes. Select a thin-bridge frame for this type of eyes.
• Almond eyes: As with round eyes, find eyeglass frames that match your eye shape. Avoid creating contrast here.
• Wide-set eyes: Wide-set eyes have some space between them. Look for a frame design that can make this gap less conspicuous. Colored glasses frames are excellent options for this.

FAQs

Which eye shape is more attractive?

The phrase “beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” is so true when it comes to eye shapes. That said, there are ways to accentuate your look and stand out in the crowd.

You can use make up as well as eyeglasses frames that match the shape of your eyes.

How do you know your eye shape?

By looking in the mirror, you can determine your eye shape. For rounded eyes, you’ll see a white area (sclera) above and below the iris.

With almond-shaped eyes, the eyelids cover the white part at the top and bottom areas of the eye. The distance between your eyes will tell you whether you have close-set or wide-set eyes.

What are the different types of eye shapes?

Common eye shapes include rounder, almond, close-set, wide-set, monolid, downturned and upturned.

References

1. How to Determine Your Eye Shape (And the Best Makeup Tips for It). (January 2022). Byrdie.

2. Nearsightedness. (April 2020). Mayo Clinic.

3. How to Choose Glasses for Your Eye Shape. (March 2019). Arlo Wolf Eye Wear.