I am a 17 year old girl who is afraid of smiling. This is because when I smile, I look awful and ugly. My cheeks puff up and my eyes crinkle, making me look like a clown. As I don't smile, I have gained the reputation of being a sourpuss in our college. Please tell me what to do.
Response:
A sincere, genuine smile always makes a face beautiful even if it belongs to a 90 year old. A smile has a special magic which can transform a face instantly. Why do you feel that a smile does not suit you?
Do you have ugly teeth or a gummy smile? A good orthodontist can create miracles with unsightly teeth and there are several procedures to correct a gummy smile.
If that's the case, visit a good orthodontist or a cosmetic dentist who'll suggest the right course of treatment for you.
Or, do only the chubbiness of your cheeks ad the creases around your eyes when you smile bother you? Are you sure that it is obvious to others? Has anyone else mentioned this to you? If not, I think you are just an overtly self-conscious person.
When in company, forget about how you look and what impression you will make. Most people are so busy with themselves that they hardly notice or care what the other person looks like. Also they are too busy thinking about how they look themselves.
Tell yourself that you will not care if your face is not beautiful with a smile. Once you lose your extreme self-consciousness, you will find that your smile is full of warmth and appeal.
Then whether your cheeks are chubby or not, your smile will make you more popular. Do read: Grooming Tip: Wear A Smile, & Your Smile: Your Best Fashion Accessory
& How to Get a Gorgeous Smile Fast.
If none of above mentioned tips work for you and your extreme obsession with how awful you look when you smile is interfering with your regular day-to-day life or disrupting your social life, then I'm afraid that this is not normal.
Yours might even be a borderline case of body dysmorphic disorder. Anyway a good mental health professional has to diagnose that! People with a body dysmorphic disorder (1) keep on obsessing for hours about their appearance and how ugly they look even if it's not true!
If such thoughts occur persistently and are making you withdrawn and depressed, it's better to consult a psychotherapist who'll help you overcome your fears and obsessions.
Now there are several cosmetic surgery procedures to improve a person's appearance. An experienced cosmetic surgeon might be able to improve your facial features and smile problems. He / She knows usually the best about what aspects of your face to be improved upon and which ones to be left alone.
But cosmetic procedures are very expensive and the results may also not be to your satisfaction. Especially, if the plastic surgeon botches up inadvertently (even experts do fail sometimes), you may end up looking worse and feeling worse after the procedure.
It's best to accept our imperfections and learn to live with it and concentrate more on things that we are good at!
References: (1) https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/related-illnesses/other-related-conditions/body-dysmorphic-disorder-bdd
you only think that you do, you just need more confidence, just be proud of it and maybe try to make it cute and shy kinda,
ReplyDeleteSelf esteem classes. You need a whole degree in it!! Really before worrying all that much about your facial features while you laugh, you should actually start worrying about your mental balance, and even about your basic principles and values as a human being.
ReplyDelete