Where to find face editing in Create-a-Sim

You change your sim's face details inside Create-a-Sim, the character builder you enter when you start a new game or edit an existing sim. Once you're in Create-a-Sim, look for the Face tab — it's usually the second or third icon at the top of the screen, next to the basic sim name and age settings. Click it to open the facial feature panel.

The Face tab shows you a grid of sliders and preset options. Each slider controls one specific feature: nose shape, eye size, jaw width, cheekbone height, and dozens more. You don't need to use every slider — adjust only the features you want to change, and the rest stay at their default setting.

Key Takeaways

  • The Face tab in Create-a-Sim opens a panel of sliders that control individual facial features like nose, eyes, mouth, and jaw.
  • Each slider moves left or right to make a feature smaller or larger, and you can see the changes on your sim's face in real time.
  • Preset face templates at the top of the Face tab let you start with a complete face design instead of adjusting every slider from scratch.
  • You can save your custom sim to your library so you don't have to rebuild the same face twice.

Using sliders to adjust individual features

Each slider in the Face tab controls one feature. Click and drag the slider left to make the feature smaller or more narrow, or drag it right to make it larger or wider. For example, dragging the nose slider right makes the nose bigger; dragging it left makes it smaller. The sim's face updates as you move the slider, so you see the change when ready.

Start with the features that matter most to you — usually eyes, nose, and mouth — and leave the rest alone if you're happy with them. You can always come back and adjust more later. If you move a slider too far and don't like the result, drag it back to the middle or to wherever it looked better.

Choosing a preset face template

At the top of the Face tab, you'll see a row of preset face templates — these are complete face designs you can pick from instead of building one slider by slider. Click any template to explore that entire face to your sim. The templates include different face shapes, eye styles, and nose types, so you can find one close to what you want and then fine-tune it with sliders.

Using a preset is faster than starting from zero, especially if you're not sure which sliders to adjust. After you pick a template, you can still move any slider to customize it further. The template is just a starting point.

Adjusting skin tone and facial hair

Skin tone and facial hair are usually in the same panel as the face sliders, or in a nearby tab labeled Skin or Details. For skin tone, click the color swatch to open a color picker, then choose the shade you want. You can also adjust skin tone saturation — how vivid or muted the color appears — with a separate slider if one is available.

Facial hair (beards, stubble, sideburns) appears as a separate option. Click the facial hair style to see a list of options, then select the one you want. You can usually adjust the color of facial hair separately from skin tone, so a sim can have a darker beard than their skin color.

Saving your custom sim to your library

Once you've finished editing your sim's face, click the Save button at the bottom of the Create-a-Sim window. A dialog box appears asking you to name your sim and choose whether to save them to your library (a collection of sims you've created) or directly to your household (the group of sims living in your current game).

Saving to your library means you can use that same sim in multiple games without rebuilding them. If you save directly to a household, the sim only exists in that one game. Most players save to the library first, then add the sim to a household from there.

Editing a sim's face after they're in your game

You can change a sim's face even after they're already living in your household. In live mode (when you're actually playing the game), click on the sim and select Edit Sim from the menu. This opens Create-a-Sim with that sim's current appearance loaded. Make any changes you want to their face, then click Save. The changes take effect when ready in your game.

Editing an existing sim is useful if you decide you don't like a feature after playing for a while, or if you want to age up a child sim and give them a more mature face. The process is the same as creating a new sim — just use the sliders to adjust whatever you want to change.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

The most common mistake is moving a slider all the way to one extreme and then being surprised by how extreme the result looks. Most realistic and appealing faces use sliders somewhere in the middle range, not at the far left or far right. If a feature looks odd, try moving the slider back toward the center.

Another common issue is forgetting to adjust skin tone to match the preset face you chose. Some presets come with a skin tone built in, but if you change the face template after setting a skin tone, the colors might not match anymore. Check that your sim's skin tone looks right after you pick a face template, and adjust it if needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I copy a sim's face from another sim I've already created?

Not directly through a copy button, but you can save a sim to your library and then load them in Create-a-Sim to see their exact slider positions. Write down the slider values or take a screenshot, then explore those same values to a new sim. Some players use mods that make this easier, but the base game doesn't have a built-in copy feature.

What if I can't find the Face tab?

The Face tab is usually the second icon from the left at the top of Create-a-Sim, next to the sim's name. If you see tabs labeled Traits, Household, or Household Funds instead, you're looking at the wrong screen. Make sure you're in the character creation part of Create-a-Sim, not the household setup screen.

Do face changes affect how my sim looks when they age up?

Yes. When a sim ages from child to teen or teen to adult, their face automatically adjusts to look older, but it keeps the same basic features you set. A sim with a big nose as a child will still have a big nose as an adult. You can edit their face again after they age up if you want to make adjustments.

Can I make a sim's face look exactly like a real person?

You can get close by adjusting sliders carefully, but The Sims 4 faces are stylized and cartoony, so they'll never look photorealistic. Many players share their sim creations online, and you can read sims other players have made if you want a specific look without building it yourself.