The Chad Face, also called the Gen Z lip sync face, is a trend in which men emulate a facial structure associated with masculinity. Also called the GigaChad face, the expression and facial features are based on a 2006 photo of a Russian model and bodybuilder and have become the symbol for a very specific and narrow way to be a man.
Men on TikTok have been using specific techniques to sharpen their jawlines and give themselves the Chad Face. One of these is called “mewing,” and refers to a tongue and mouth exercise that supposedly helps with jawline definition. Gen Alpha has repurposed mewing and amended it to include a “shushing” gesture combined with tracing the jawline with a finger, signifying they wish to stay quiet.
Meme basics:
- Meme Creator: Unknown
- Meme Type: TikTok trend
- First Appearance: 2020
- Origin Source: TikTok
- Used to Convey: Hyper-masculinity
- Peak Popularity: Jan. 2023
What does ‘Chad Face’ mean?
A Chad Face is any attempt to mimic the facial features of model Ernest Khalimov in a photo taken in 2006 by Krista Sudmalis. This image of Khalimov became the meme figure known as GigaChad—a newer form of the long-standing concept of the Chad.
Chad is a meme nickname for any man considered to be conventionally attractive and successful in his attempts to woo women. The GigaChad is therefore the perfect form of this type of man, depicted with a strong and angular jaw, sunken cheeks, a large chin, and certain white European features.
How do you do Chad Face?
To achieve the legendary Chad Face, one doesn’t necessarily need extensive cosmetic surgery. Hundreds of TikTok tutorials created by “looksmaxxers” teaching a variety of techniques to become more attractive serve to demonstrate how to pull off the look with a few simple steps, though they do not guarantee you’ll come out exactly like Khalimov.
@maxtaylorlifts how its done
♬ prolly my spookiest beat (slowed + reverb) – prodby668
These are said steps, according to popular videos:
- Angle your eyebrows downward toward your nose.
- Flare your nostrils by breathing inward.
- Suck in or bite your cheeks.
- Flex your shoulder muscles until you look jacked.
Origins and spread
According to Urban Dictionary entries, the Chad persona has existed for decades but changed around 2006 from representing a cocky, rude man who is also a total loser to someone who is very focused on picking up ladies. This version became popular on incel forums and other terrible places before bleeding into the rest of the internet.
Around 2017, a Chad Wojak appeared to represent the Western idea of ideal masculinity in comparison with the Virgin Wojak, both of whom would later come to form the Virgin vs. Chad meme.
It’s likely a coincidence also in 2006, Sudmalis photographed Khalimov with the smile seen today in the GigaChad meme, as named by a 4chan user in 2017. Interest in the Chad Face started to accelerate in 2020, peaking in early 2023.
The Chad Face as a TikTok trend
Chad Face tutorials and meme videos peaked on TikTok around 2022 and 2023. Entries from users showing off how well they could pull off the look exploded across the platform, as well as skits claiming to show its effectiveness on the ladies.
@theloganchitwood Another W for Chad Face 🗿 #gigachad #sigma #comedy #gym ♬ CUPID X TREASURE by ALTÉGO – ALTÉGO
Other videos imitated the Virgin vs. Chad meme, with users making what they considered to be ugly faces to represent something bad and then making the Chad Face to represent its opposite. Around this time, filters appeared that allowed people to artificially achieve the Chad Face or subject it to celebrities and popular characters.
What is the Sigma Face?
The related Sigma Face comes from the idea of the “sigma male” and emulates the expressions of the character Patrick Bateman from the 2000 film American Psycho. A Sigma male is considered to be a “lone wolf” type rather than one of the pack like the alpha or beta males and may have the qualities of someone you might call a psychopath.
@argenby Tutorial to sigma face #sigma ♬ WORTH NOTHING – Fast & Furious: Drift Tape/Phonk Vol 1 – TWISTED & Fast & Furious: The Fast Saga
The classic Sigma Face involves pursing the lips while also kind of smiling and slanting the eyebrows away from the bridge of the nose, narrowing the eyes, and causing minor forehead scrunching. Pair this with a slight nod, and you’ve achieved the look of a charismatic murderer.
What is mewing?
If you’ve been looking into how to make a Chad Face, you’ve likely come across the concept of “mewing.” This refers to a facial exercise that requires keeping the mouth closed and pushing the tongue against the roof of the mouth. This theoretically tightens muscles that will cause increased definition of the jawline, helping one achieve the idealized masculine look.
@savannah__5300 #mew #mewing #mewingtutorial #jaw #shush ♬ original sound – Seventhu
While “face yoga” peddlers have touted this technique for years, it became a meme among Generation Alpha as a way to brush people off. A finger to the lips in a shushing motion followed by tracing that finger along the jaw basically means “I’m took busy mewing to talk to you.”
Chad Face examples
@st4r_master Palpatine Chad #fyp #viral #starwars #chadface ♬ original sound – Anton
@whoreocookie He do be handsome though #cat#catsoftiktok#blackcat#chad#chadface#fyp#foryou#foryoupage ♬ original sound – wuhazu
@swag.money.eli ♬ Lady Killers II – G-EAZY
Related memes:
- What is Soyjacking? Defining the saddest Wojak
- What is the ‘Yes Chad’ meme?
- Meme History: Lucky Luciano
- The ‘Jamaican Smile’ meme is ripe and ready for public consumption
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