?Smile... It increases your face value?... so goes the popular saying ! It is no mystery that a smile can be one of the most attractive features of a person's face. A smile automatically brings another smile and another and it is really very infectious. Smiles are actually very interesting as you can come to know a lot about what the other person is saying through a smile. It isn't restricted only to the lips, as your eyes reflect your smile too !



Just have a look at the clerks at the counter, the models gracing the magazine covers or the hosts of the morning shows on the television... they are all smiling because they know that a big smile can actually work wonders. If we look closely enough, we will find that the human face is a vast vocabulary and the smile conveys a whole lot of emotions. So, what is a smile ? Is it just a happy expression, a lightning up of the face when we see someone we wanted to see or is it the happiness we feel when all our wishes are fulfilled ! Physiology states that a smile is a facial expression formed by flexing the facial muscles mostly near the mouth and also around the eyes. Among humans, a smile is customarily an expression of pleasure or amusement, but can also be an involuntary expression of anxiety, in which case it can be known as a grimace. There is much evidence that smiling is a normal reaction to certain stimuli and occurs regardless of culture. Happiness most often causes the smile to occur. Many studies indicate that smiling is an innate reaction, as children blind from birth also smile. Smiling not only changes a facial expression, but can also make the brain produce endorphins which reduce physical and emotional pain, and give a greater sense of well being.

Researchers have come out or should I say, identified with different varieties of smiles. One of them is the 'Duchenne Smile', which is named after the researcher Guillaume Duchenne. This is the most studied and involves the movement of both the zygomaticus major muscles near the mouth and the orbicularis oculi muscle near the eyes. It is believed that the Duchenne smile is only produced as an involuntary response to genuine emotion and is therefore what is called as a 'Genuine Smile'. The 'Pan American Smile' on the other hand, is the voluntary smile involving only the zygomaticus major muscle to show politeness. Considered insincere sometimes, this is also termed as the 'Professional Smile'. Apart from these, we also have False Smiles where the smile, like that of the Pan American smile, does not reach the eyes. We also have smiles of Contempt, where the lips form a most feral expression, sometimes accompanied by showing of teeth. Contempt smiles are also used to portray dissatisfaction, anger or even submission.

A smile should not be confused with laughter though. A smile may be termed as a mild silent form of laughter, but generally laughter is described as outward expression of amusement and is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain. Laughter unlike smile is not restricted only to humans as research proves that even animals exhibit laughter.

Whatever be the types of smile, whatever be the reason to smile and whatever be the occasion of smiling, it can be safely said that without smiling we cannot go reach any where. Smiles are essential to feel good about ourselves, to make others feel good, sometimes to get work done when nothing helps and is definitely helpful to our metabolism and health. It is proven to be a very good exercise for our facial muscles. The popularity or the effect of smiling can be best seen when during the 1988 Summer Olympics, held in Seoul, the South Korean Government made Smiling a national decree for its citizens. So, with all such good points about it... the best thing to do is just 'Keep Smiling'.