Teach me how to smile so I don't look like a cyclops pirate, please

[Anonymous]

After many years/decades of being ashamed of my smile, I finally got my teeth fixed. My smile itself looks great - I'm happy with it. It fits my face and mouth and is lovely. But now that I do open mouth smiles, the rest of my face has no idea WTF to do. One eye is much bigger than the other, I truly look like some kind of cyclops pirate. Or they both end up squinted and small. And if I'm being honest, I think I have really nice eyes - they just look messed up when I smile now.

I know this is really petty and I don't think I'm headed down some "ok, what to fix now?" road. But I feel like I'm learning how to smile later in life than most people. And I look like I'm almost having a stroke.

How do you smile and still show your eyes? And keep theme even? Is it even possible, or must I come to peace with my cyclops pirate eye smiles?

[Anonymous]

LOL OP. Have no clue but good luck!

[Anonymous]

Practice in the mirror. You may need to do a fake smile for posed photos. Candids should look candid so don't worry about that.

[Anonymous]

LOL. Op, I’m in a similar situation! I got Invisalign as an adult because I hated to show my crooked teeth. Now my teeth are straight but I still smile with my mouth closed because I have no idea how to smile mouth open without looking it like a weird sheepish dog grimace.

[Anonymous]

I just want to say that what you may lack in the photogenics department you more than make up for in sense of humor. Keep smiling and being awesome!

[Anonymous]

Open your eyes! Smile with your eyes. Smiling with just your mouth makes anyone look insane. Or, I suppose like a cyclops pirate.

Practice in mirror; Raise your eyebrows slightly. Think of something that makes you happy, like seeing puppies playing or a baby laughing. Work on having your eyes convey a natural "warm" happy expression. I seem to recall learning to touch my tongue to the roof of my mouth to relax my smile. I'm doing this now and it does seem like this action makes your smile appear more relaxed.

Whiten your teeth. Are you female? Find a flattering but natural lipstick. Wear it all the time!

Congratulations to you, OP. Keep up with your dental hygiene and show off your smile. Just practice and you'll find your natural smile.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP—I agree with the pp that what you lack in photogenics, you make up for in humor! I think I’m a relatively good looking person—nice smile, nice eyes—but I look horrible in most still photos. I really need to be seen in motion to be appreciated, in part because I have a pretty mobile face and get caught in a lot of weird expressions by cameras. What helped me was talking to my 20-yr old niece about how to pose for a selfie or photo. She taught me how to find my angles or whatever. If you predate selfies like me (I’m 42), talk to a young person you trust about it.

[Anonymous]

Umm we can’t fix one eye being bigger than the other.

[Anonymous]

How old are you?

Practice looking in the mirror. Think of something funny so you smile with your eyes too. Imagining a cyclops pirate should help. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have that from Bell’s palsy. It’s tough.

[Anonymous]

Practice taking selfies with your cellphone.

[Anonymous]

I smile at myself before leaving a bathroom. So several times a day. It has helped me accept my smile.

[Anonymous]

One of my eyes looks larger than the other, due to falling eyelids. It gets more pronounced, the older I get. Who cares?

Smiling with your eyes will make them smaller and almost squinty. That's what laugh lines around your eyes are from. Smile and crinkle them!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Open your eyes! Smile with your eyes. Smiling with just your mouth makes anyone look insane. Or, I suppose like a cyclops pirate.

Practice in mirror; Raise your eyebrows slightly. Think of something that makes you happy, like seeing puppies playing or a baby laughing. Work on having your eyes convey a natural "warm" happy expression. I seem to recall learning to touch my tongue to the roof of my mouth to relax my smile. I'm doing this now and it does seem like this action makes your smile appear more relaxed.

Whiten your teeth. Are you female? Find a flattering but natural lipstick. Wear it all the time!

Congratulations to you, OP. Keep up with your dental hygiene and show off your smile. Just practice and you'll find your natural smile.

OMG, I totally disagree. My sister, very pretty, use to smile like a normal person and then someone taught her about "smiling with her eyes." Now every single Facebook picture she looks like a wide eyed lunatic. A creepy, staring, wild wide eyed lunatic. So fake and unattractive. And she does it constantly.

I have tried to find the words to explain it to her, but am afraid I'll hurt her feelings. DH offered to just tell her she looked crazy, but she thinks she looks so good she'll never believe him, just get mad.

OP, just relax and be yourself. It's life, not Instagram.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Open your eyes! Smile with your eyes. Smiling with just your mouth makes anyone look insane. Or, I suppose like a cyclops pirate.

Practice in mirror; Raise your eyebrows slightly. Think of something that makes you happy, like seeing puppies playing or a baby laughing. Work on having your eyes convey a natural "warm" happy expression. I seem to recall learning to touch my tongue to the roof of my mouth to relax my smile. I'm doing this now and it does seem like this action makes your smile appear more relaxed.

Whiten your teeth. Are you female? Find a flattering but natural lipstick. Wear it all the time!

Congratulations to you, OP. Keep up with your dental hygiene and show off your smile. Just practice and you'll find your natural smile.

OMG, I totally disagree. My sister, very pretty, use to smile like a normal person and then someone taught her about "smiling with her eyes." Now every single Facebook picture she looks like a wide eyed lunatic. A creepy, staring, wild wide eyed lunatic. So fake and unattractive. And she does it constantly.

I have tried to find the words to explain it to her, but am afraid I'll hurt her feelings. DH offered to just tell her she looked crazy, but she thinks she looks so good she'll never believe him, just get mad.

OP, just relax and be yourself. It's life, not Instagram.

PP quoted and clearly, your sister is not following my advice! Open your eyes a little! We're talking a minuscule amount. Also most people who smile with just their mouth (just the lips and teeth) end up looking wan or constipated or fake.

And, to your crazy, wide-eyed sister, I'd say give her a selfie lesson, or find a far younger female relative (20s) to kindly show her how it's done.