Washington, February 21 (ANI): Experts have busted myths surrounding profile photographs on online dating sites.

Sam Yagan, co-founder and CEO of OkCupid, and colleagues catalogued more than 7,000 profile photographs on the online matchmaking site.

Based on the survey, Yagan and his team trashed four myths relating to details on the profile snaps.

“Dating is dating whether it happens online or offline,” LiveScience quoted Yagan as saying.

Myth No. 1. You should smile.

Not if you’re a guy. Photos in which men were looking away from the camera and not smiling had the most success in getting messages from possible dates.

For the ladies, while a smile isn’t a turn-off, the results suggested she should look straight at the camera with a pouty-face smile.

Myth No. 2. Don’t take your online photo with your phone or webcam.

These presumably lower-quality photos were just as successful, if not more so, at reeling in date messages.

Myth No. 3. Guys should keep their shirts on.

Guys with fit bodies did better at getting messages if they took their shirt off than if they left it on.

The female analogue of the ab shot is the cleavage shot. Ladies who showed some cleavage got 49 percent more contacts than the average photo.

Myth No. 4. Always show your face.

The new survey suggests with all other things equal, whether or not you show your face has no impact on the number of messages you receive. A face-less picture could work to someone’s advantage they found, as long as the member showed some image that was unusual, mysterious or otherwise alluring. (ANI)