Resolved questions
What does "the soft down on his cheekbones beneath his ears" refer to?

I looked at Murph sitting next to me on the bunk. He had a pimple on his chin, but otherwise his skin was smooth. It dawned on me that he’d never even shaved. The soft down on his cheekbones beneath his ears glowed whitely under the panel lights.
What does "the soft down on his cheekbones beneath his ears" refer to? Earlobe?
Thanks!