A new study at the University of Miami found that having wrinkles around your eyes is actually a great thing, because it makes you seem more sincere and genuine.
I'm happy to hear that. In my family we call them 'smile lines.' And I have a lot of smile lines. Anyway, back to what we were talking about...
Researchers had people look at photos of different expressions. Some of the people in the photos had wrinkles around their eyes and some didn't. The ones with wrinkles were consistently rated as more sincere.
It happened with both happy and sad expressions so it's possible wrinkles help convey that sincerity no matter what the emotion is.
The explanation? Basically, our brains are just pre-wired to view people as more honest if they have wrinkles around their eyes.
So now you look at yourself in the mirror and, instead of seeing 'wrinkles,' see that people think you're genuine and empathetic, and probably like you a lot. That's a MUCH better way to see it.
(Newsweek)