Have you ever been caught off guard by someone commenting that you look tired or sad, even when you weren’t? Our faces often reflect emotional and social cues that don’t necessarily align with our true feelings or physical state. Research shows that certain facial features are perceived as indicators of negative emotions.

For instance, eye bags are associated with tiredness, furrows between the eyebrows suggest anger, and deep nasolabial folds (lines running from the nose to the mouth corners) imply sadness. Experts in sociology and biology who study facial signals have found that these interpretations are universal across cultures. They describe the face not merely as a reflection of beauty or fashion, but as an essential tool for communication and personal expression.

As we age, the natural changes in our faces can lead to “malfunctions,” where our appearance sends unintended signals about our emotions. These miscommunications may negatively affect social interactions, potentially placing us at a social disadvantage.

Addressing these “deficiencies” goes beyond enhancing physical beauty. It restores our ability to convey emotions accurately, improves psychological well-being and enriches our interactions with the world, ultimately leading to greater life satisfaction.

References:

1. De Maio M. MD CodesTM: A Methodological Approach to Facial Aesthetic Treatment with Injectable Hyaluronic Acid Fillers. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 2020; 

2. Khan JA. Aesthetic surgery: Diagnosing and healing the miscues of human facial expression. Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. 2001.