A method for authenticating a user to grant access to a computing device, the method comprising: determining a distinctiveness of a first set of facial features of an enrolling user of a facial recognition system based at least in part upon a comparison of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user to facial features of a plurality of other users, wherein, when compared to the other users, if the first set of facial features of the enrolling user have a relatively high average similarity score, then the first set of facial features of the enrolling user are determined to be relatively less distinctive, and if the first set of facial features of the enrolling user have a relatively low average similarity score, then the first set of facial features of the enrolling user are determined to be relatively more distinctive, the first set of facial features of the enrolling user being extracted from one or more images of the enrolling user, wherein the comparison of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user to the facial features of the plurality of other users further comprises a comparison of at least a first face template to at least a second face template, wherein the first face template is created based on the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second face template is created based on the facial features of the plurality of other users; and determining, by the computing device, a threshold similarity score associated with the first set of facial features of the enrolling user based at least in part on the distinctiveness of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user, wherein the threshold similarity score is determined to be relatively high if the facial features of the enrolling user have a high average similarity score, and wherein the threshold similarity score is determined to be relatively low if the facial features of the enrolling user have a low average similarity score, wherein a second set of facial features of an accessing user matches the first set of facial features of the enrolling user if a similarity score between the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second set of facial features of the accessing user exceeds the threshold similarity score for the first set of facial features, wherein determining the threshold similarity score is based at least in part on a rate of false acceptances for the threshold similarity score, wherein a false acceptance occurs if the similarity score between the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second set of facial features of the accessing user exceeds the threshold similarity score for the first set of facial features of the accessing user and the accessing user is not the enrolling user. determining a distinctiveness of a first set of facial features of an enrolling user of a facial recognition system based at least in part upon a comparison of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user to facial features of a plurality of other users, wherein, when compared to the other users, if the first set of facial features of the enrolling user have a relatively high average similarity score, then the first set of facial features of the enrolling user are determined to be relatively less distinctive, and if the first set of facial features of the enrolling user have a relatively low average similarity score, then the first set of facial features of the enrolling user are determined to be relatively more distinctive, the first set of facial features of the enrolling user being extracted from one or more images of the enrolling user, wherein the comparison of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user to the facial features of the plurality of other users further comprises a comparison of at least a first face template to at least a second face template, wherein the first face template is created based on the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second face template is created based on the facial features of the plurality of other users; and determining, by the computing device, a threshold similarity score associated with the first set of facial features of the enrolling user based at least in part on the distinctiveness of the first set of facial features of the enrolling user, wherein the threshold similarity score is determined to be relatively high if the facial features of the enrolling user have a high average similarity score, and wherein the threshold similarity score is determined to be relatively low if the facial features of the enrolling user have a low average similarity score, wherein a second set of facial features of an accessing user matches the first set of facial features of the enrolling user if a similarity score between the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second set of facial features of the accessing user exceeds the threshold similarity score for the first set of facial features, wherein determining the threshold similarity score is based at least in part on a rate of false acceptances for the threshold similarity score, wherein a false acceptance occurs if the similarity score between the first set of facial features of the enrolling user and the second set of facial features of the accessing user exceeds the threshold similarity score for the first set of facial features of the accessing user and the accessing user is not the enrolling user.