What does YOUR smile say about you? Find out if your grin reveals you're confident, fake, shy - or just very smug

People smile for all kind of reasons - not all of them good. Smugness, embarrassment and fear can all cause smiles. Can you recognise which is which?
The type of smile you have can reveal a lot about you.
Find out below what your smile indicates about you according to top facial reader Jean Haner.

THE OPEN MOUTH SMILE
An open mouthed smile, where the lips are stretched and the teeth are on display, exudes confidence, warmth and a positive energy. ‘This kind of smile goes beyond just showing friendliness,’ says Jean.
‘It could be to show real excitement about something or a laughing smile, showing that you find something really funny.’ If this type of smile is also accompanied by crinkly lines around the eyes, they are a sign of sincerity and your smile is genuine.
In some cases this full-on toothy grin can sometimes appear fake – with the person behind it trying too hard to appear happy and confident when underneath they feel far from it.

THE LIGHT LIPPED SMILE
This is one of the most common types of smiles and can portray a range of different emotions from shyness to fear. With this smile the lips are tightly stretched across the face, forming a straight line and not concealing the teeth.
'A genuine smile involves both the muscles around the mouth and the eyes,’ says Jean. ‘In this smile, only the muscles by the mouth are moving which means it is probably not authentic. This is a case of smiling because you have to.’
Hiding teeth can also equate to hiding what you are really thinking and not wanting to reveal too much of yourself – putting up your guard. Conversely, this smile can be a reflection of inner confidence in that you don’t feel it necessary to reveal too much. Some people opt for this sort of grin because they aren’t confident about showing their teeth.

THE TURN AWAY SMILE
This kind of smile is done with the head turned downward and facing away while the eyes look upward, holding a tight lipped smile, often with part of the hand covering the mouth.
‘When someone looks down as they smile, it can be a sign of shyness and self-consciousness and a lack of confidence, especially if they also cover their mouth with their hand,’ explains Jean,This type of smile can also signal embarrassment or can be done purposefully to appear alluring.

THE HALF SMILE
A half smile where one side of the face is lifted and the other isn’t can be a confusing expression – neither a proper smile nor a frown. This can reflect an uncertainty.
According to Jean, ‘This type of smile is a sign that you don’t really mean it. It’s just a public display of politeness. The right side of the face reveals what we want the world to see about us. The left side of our face is our private side, where we hold more private feelings.’ This type of smile can also appear more of a smirk, almost threatening, revealing a sarcastic or critical nature.

SMUG SMIRK - SCREAMS AERGIA!!!!!!!
With this smile the lips are pressed together or slightly separated, with one side of the mouth slightly raised. This grin can denote general dissatisfaction, arrogance and a feeling of superiority.
‘If you use this kind of expression a lot, it’s a sign that perhaps your childhood wasn’t very nurturing. It reflects a feeling of never being satisfied, never feeling that your needs are being met and that you are always disappointed in people,’ explains Jean. ‘If you only make this expression once in a while, it’s a sign that you are feeling disappointed with the situation or the person you are with.’

THE UPPER SMILE
Here the upper lip is raised to expose only the top row of teeth and the lower teeth remain hidden. With an upper smile, the jaw and teeth remain closed which reveals feelings of insecurity.
Also this sort of smile indicates that there could be a hidden agenda. Jean says: ‘With this type of smile the muscles around the eyes are not very involved - so it’s more of a staged smile and not authentic.’

from Daily Mail