Face profiling, or physiognomy, is the art of reading facial features and what they reveal your personality. Your angular jaw or pouty lips could be saying more about you than you dare to reveal.
Next time you stand in front of the mirror, take a good look. While you may have seen a symmetrical face before, in fact, no two sides are exactly the same.
When Marthie Maré, a local face-profiling expert, showed me pictures of my face, with two left sides and two right sides placed together, I could immediately see the differences.
The left and right-sided facial features reflect your private (left) and public (right) persona. The left reveals a more intimate and personal character reading; and the right reveals your workplace and social self.
It’s about shapes, lines, sizes, angles and position, the exposure of your eyelid, the pout of your lip and the tilt of your chin, the hang of your lobes and the business of your brows. From your forehead to your chin, your face provides for a holistic interpretation of personality and behaviour.
Nose Your Way
Marthie took me through some of the generic traits, and those that related to me. The bridge in my nose, which I’d spent years trying to eliminate by banging it with a hairbrush, is, apparently, the seat of my creativity.
My nostrils (which indicate spending patterns) are of the long, narrow variety, identifying me as a value-for-money shopper. “You have a cost limit for an item. If you see a pair of sandals for R450, you won’t buy them if your perceived maximum value is R290, but when the shoes go on sale for R250, you’ll buy three pairs,” Marthie explained. I gasped at the accuracy, and had to own up to buying four bras just last week. “They were dirt-cheap,” I said.
Shoppers sporting large, round nostrils are every retailer’s dream. These spendthrifts have also crafted ingenious ways of juggling debt.
Individuals with chunky nose tips tend to be hoarders. But if they went under the knife to change their nose to feature a small tip, their financial attitude would change to one a of abundance and a sense of comfort around the flow of money.
People with broad noses thrive in teams and get energy from other people. But if they opt for a cosmetic adjustment to narrow their nose they will develop an independent work style, but start to feel left out.
They may then feel trapped in a group situation. A long, straight nose is a sign of ambition, strategic focus and a desire for long-term planning. If this person changed to a short nose, they would get dumped with other peoples’ work and find comfort in repetitive tasks.
Keep An Eye On It
“Eyelid exposure and eye expression vary throughout the day and respond to situations accordingly,” Marthie says. A rounded lower eyelid is a sign of a person who will absorb new information and is willing to listen. Unfortunately, you can also be too trusting. The straighter lower lid curve is a display of scepticism and implies that trust must be earned. My larger area of eyelid exposure on the left side of my face shows a desire for intimacy in my quest for a meaningful relationship.
Lip Service
You may be able to spot a fast talker by the shape and plumpness of the lip. A full mouth, especially a dominant lower lip, such as the one pouted by an ex-boyfriend, signals great persuasive talent. He “sold” me a lifestyle he would never sustain, much less intended. Romantically, you’d be better off with the dominant upper-lipped individual, who will speak frankly. That way you know where you stand.
If your smile is all gums you’re likely to be quite generous with your time and resources, and may find people try to get the most out of your benevolent spirit. Small front teeth suggest a low self-esteem, while large Bugs Bunny-like pairings signal flourishing egos and bold arrogance. (That same ex had these too).
Take It On the Chin
The chin reveals a person’s decision-making behaviour. Straight chins seek facts and logic, while rounded chins respect the feelings of others. People with in-angled chins (facing the neck) do not like conflict and are more likely to compromise, while out-angled chins (directed away from the neck) suggest a willful and aggressive nature.
All Ears
People with low ears (when the lobes are lower than the tip of the nose) are cautious decision-makers, while high ears — tips higher than the eye — take action too quickly.
If you wish to change your out-angled ears to in-angled ones, you will lose your sense of individuality; potentially becoming subservient. This may lead to long-term resentment, as you were probably rather fond of having things your own way.
“But remember, when people are unwilling to change on the inside, cosmetic changes won’t last. Before you take that route, consult a physiognomist,” Marthie says.
Brow Raising
Your broad-nosed boss will expect you to work as part of a team, while your narrow-nosed boss prefers self-reliance and independence.
And your colleague with starter brows (those that start out thick and thin out halfway) has great ideas and a burst of enthusiasm at the beginning of a project, but later loses interest. You, with ender brows (thicker at the end part), become frustrated with her lack of focus. But your talent lies in following up the details. Working as a team, the result will be a job well done.
If you work in the sales environment and you’re able to arm yourself with a knowledge of face reading, you may find that your closing ratio will reach new heights as you give your clients what they want.
People with high ears tend to make impulsive decisions and, therefore, may be easy targets. But if you go in with a pushy approach to a person whose ears are set low, you will probably lose the sale.
A Quick Shot?
An injection of Botox may indeed eliminate the signs of lessons learnt and wisdom gathered over the years. “But,” Marthie cautions, “anything you change on the outside influences the inside — and vice versa.”
Anger flags (vertical lines at the start of eyebrows) may indicate suppressed rage, which you have mastered through a practice of diplomacy. An elimination of these lines may result in an explosive temper. But, if you deal with the root of the anger and decide to let it go, these lines may disappear by themselves, says Marthie.
Exterior features constantly change as we grow and shape our personalities through life’s lessons. An average face will yield an average personality. Every detail on the face means something wonderful, and those features you don’t like may show your best talents,” says Marthie.
Rather relish your unique features. Whether they be a pointy nose, thin lips, gappy teeth or flappy ears. they make a statement about who you are.
First published in Oprah Magazine South Africa
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