Why One Side Of Your Face Is Better Looking Than The Other

Have you ever been with a friend, ready to get your picture taken together, and suddenly they jump to the other side of you so the camera can get "their good side?" Before judging their actions as a desperate attempt to look out for their own vanity, give your friend some credit. They may have made the best choice. As it turns out, one side of our face is better looking than the other. In a 2012 study, researchers at Wake Forest University found that images of the left side of the face were appraised and perceived as more aesthetically pleasing than those of the right side of the face (via Psychology Today). So, our left side may be our best side.

It was the scientist Charles Darwin who was the first to point out the asymmetry of our facial expressions, Psychology Today reports. He noticed that when a person is happy and smirks, only one canine tooth is typically seen. He also noted that each side of our face can actually work independently of the other when expressing emotions and that this has a significance on how we are observed by others.

In addition, a 2017 study looked at 2,000 selfies and found the left side of the face was the most heavily favored angle. The research revealed that the left side of the face is more emotionally expressive, Harper's Bazaar explains. The belief is that this could be due to how feelings are processed in the brain. It is the emotionally-dominant right hemisphere of the brain that powers the muscles on the left side of the face.

So, along with putting our best foot forward, we must also remember to put our best cheek forward. Wake Forest University psychology professor Dr. James Schirillo tells Huffington Post, "Practically, people should turn slightly so that they show more of their left, than right, cheek when being photographed. Others will find these images more appealing than the reverse (more right cheek exposed)."

Now that we know it is easier to fully express our emotions on the left side of our face, and it has proven to be the more aesthetically pleasing, attractive side, we'll be more camera-ready for our next photo shoot, no matter what side our friend chooses.