Dos and Don’ts Of Profile Pictures For Men

First impressions are everything when looking for love or a relationship, especially on the internet. The right profile picture will determine whether a potential partner is going to take the time to look at your profile or pass you up completely.

Sitting around with my mom or girlfriends as we swipe through Tinder is an interesting social experiment on first impressions. We seem to “ugh” at the same photos, and “awww” at the same photos, suggesting the existence of a universal do/don’t protocol when it comes to profile pictures.

According to Carol Kinsey Goman Ph.D., the author of The Silent Language of Leaders, it takes just seven seconds to generate a ‘first impression’ of another person.

Whether you first lay eyes on someone in person or through digital media, a first impression is hard to reverse.

Don’t be overlooked up by the potential love of your life by being lazy in your profile game.

So, on behalf of all the women out there trying to find a man, let us help you with these profile picture tips:

Don’t lead with a photo featuring multiple people

No one wants to play the guessing game of which person you are. Now I’ve got my hopes up that you’re the one in the left. What do I do when I find out you’re the one of the right? No one wins in this situation. This especially holds true if you are with a bunch of friends who are better built or better looking than you. You don't want to be the one in the picture that's not as good looking as the other guys.

Do upload a photo of you and only you

I want to know what I’m signing up for! Your later photos can definitely feature other people, but I need to know who you are first. If you don't put up a profile picture of yourself, it automatically makes us ladies think you're hiding something like you're either married, deformed, exceptionally unattractive or just got something really bad to hide.

Don’t display photos with kids if they aren’t your own kids!

That means no nephews, no students, and for the love of god - no orphans. We girls know you’re trying to pull on our heartstrings, but it’s not working.

Do show photos of your own kids, your pets and your hobbies

If it’s something that tells your story, get it in the frame. Paint a picture of what I can expect when getting involved with you.

Don’t use an awkwardly cropped photo

That girl you cut out…I can still see her hair- and now she’s my main curiosity. Was she your girlfriend? Your daughter? Your mom? Did you have a falling out? What are you hiding? Is she your wife maybe? See! I have so many questions.

Do choose a different photo!

I promise you that even using a mediocre solo shot is way better than using a hot photo of you and half of someone’s head. Go take a selfie.

Don’t cover your face

Wearing sunglasses, a scuba mask or any other obstruction means I have to dig to find out what you really look like. And to be honest, I’d rather just skip you.

Do show us your eyes

Eye contact conveys important information about a person such as trustworthiness, confidence and happiness, even via a photograph. A recent experiment spread like wildfire, which focused on how eye contact can lead to the development of romantic feelings.  A woman may feel instantly connected to you just by seeing your eyes.

Don’t try to impress with topless photos

Or any modelesque photos for that matter.  Appearing overly confident is an instant turn-off for women. If you take yourself too seriously, it will backfire. There is a fine line between shirtless playing volleyball and shirtless flexing in the gym. Also, consider this: if you look way too hot there is just no way we are going to contact you because you don't look real. It will appear that all you care about is looks and unless we look like a Victoria Secret Supermodel we just don't want to get rejected by a guy with an "8" pack!!!

Do show your personable side

A woman wants a playmate and someone to make her laugh. So imagine that you are trying to attract a friend initially. Being friendly is sexy, while being overly sexy and sexual is creepy.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like. Any man can provoke that dreaded “ugh” reflex just by making an innocent mistake. Don’t be that guy! Simply use a little forethought and you’ll see the difference in the attention you receive.

As humans, we are all hardwired to process information through first impressions. And in the world of sift-and-swipe dating technology, you need to be in tune with what you’re putting out there. Women aren’t so complicated once you take a moment to educate yourself on what grabs our eye.

Be real, be yourself, and be ready to take the next step in dating.