Do You Have a High or Low Cranial Top?

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Learn more about this TikTok beauty term, plus styling tips

Co-authored by Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: January 31, 2026 Fact Checked

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Low vs. High Cranial Top

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Determining Cranial Height

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Which is more attractive?

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Styling Tips

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Video

The latest TikTok beauty buzzword is something you might never have thought about—cranial height, or the distance from your hairline to the crown of your head. Understanding whether you have a high or low cranial top can make it easier to figure out which hairstyles look best on you. We’re explaining everything you need to know about high vs. low cranial tops, how to know which one you have, and how to style your hair based on your cranial height.

What are high and low cranial tops?

Your cranial top is the distance from your hairline to your crown. Having a high cranial top—or more distance between your hairline and crown—can give hair the appearance of more volume. Having a low cranial top tends to make hair look flatter, but it also emphasizes the eyes and can look more elegant.

Section 1 of 4:

Low Cranial Top vs. High Cranial Top

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High cranial tops have more distance between the hairline and crown. This natural height gives hair the appearance of more volume on top, even when it’s worn sleek and straight. It also elongates the face shape, making it appear smaller in proportion to the rest of the head. This can give someone a more youthful or “cute” look—probably because it’s neotenous (meaning it resembles the proportions of younger children).^{[1]
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- Celebrity examples: Kendall Jenner, Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Laura Dern, Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Adriana Lima, Nikkita Chadha, Jennie from BLACKPINK
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Low cranial tops have a shorter distance between the hairline and crown. This can give hair a flatter look on top, which can sometimes make it hard to achieve more voluminous styles. Having a low cranial top can sometimes emphasize the eyes, cheekbones, or forehead area, especially if these are already prominent features. It’s often associated with a more elegant look.^{[2]
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- Celebrity examples: Meaghan Markle, Kerry Washington, Kim Kardashian, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lopez, Dakota Johnson, Margot Robbie, Olivia Cooke

Section 2 of 4:

Determining Your Cranial Height

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Compare your cranial top to the upper third of your face. Look in a mirror or take a picture of yourself looking straight into the camera. Draw lines on the mirror or picture right at your crown, hairline, and brow. You should see two sections—your cranial top and the upper third of your face.^{[3]
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- If your cranial height is taller than your upper third: You have a high cranial top.
- If your upper third is taller than your cranial height: You have a low cranial top.
- If the two sections are about equal: Your cranial height falls in the middle, so it doesn’t really have much impact on how you should style your hair.

Section 3 of 4:

Is a low or high cranial top more attractive?

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Neither type of cranial top is inherently “more attractive.” Attractiveness is highly subjective, and your cranial height is just one factor in your overall appearance. There are plenty of beautiful people with both high and low cranial tops. Instead of using this to judge or critique appearance, treat it as a tool to help you understand which hairstyles work best for you.
- In some places, like Korea, having a high cranial top is considered attractive because it can make the face look smaller. However, on its own, it’s not considered a definitive beauty standard.

Section 4 of 4:

Hair Styling Tips for Your Cranial Height

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Add volume on top if you have a low cranial top. To make your hair look fuller, work some volumizing mousse into your roots while your hair is damp. Then, use a comb or vented brush to lift your hair straight up while you blow-dry it. This will give your hair extra lift. Once it’s dry, part your hair like you normally would.
- A side part can add even more volume to your hair, especially if you have a round face. It can also help soften angular faces.
- Wearing your hair up—like in a messy bun or half-up, half-down style—can be another way to add a lot of volume to your crown area.
- If you have a wide forehead, try a center part or up-do with soft, face-framing pieces. This will help create more of a diamond shape.
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Minimize your hair’s height if you have a high cranial top. If you have a high cranial top, it can elongate your face. If you already have a longer face shape (like oblong, heart-shaped, or rectangular), you might prefer a sleek center part to help balance that longer length.^{[4]
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- Style your hair in waves or curls to add more volume to the sides, which will help balance your face shape even more.
- If you have a shorter forehead or you feel like the back of your head is much taller than the front, it can help to add a little volume right at your hairline to balance it out. Just avoid a lot of volume around your crown. This TikTok from @hybeereviews shows a great trick for adding root volume.
- Keep in mind that there are a lot of factors that go into finding the right hairstyle, including factoring in your face shape and personal style!