Smiling makes you look older

WANT to look younger? Don’t crack a smile, a study suggests.

Participants were shown pictures of people with smiling, neutral and surprised expressions. Compared with those wearing a poker face, the smiling people were judged two years older.

Those with a surprised look were rated younger.

The explanation is simple: smiling people look older because a grin forms wrinkles around the eyes, while a surprised expression smooths wrinkles, according to study co-author Melvyn Goodale.

The study was published recently in the journal Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. – The New York Times