Ever looked at a photo of yourself and thought, "Who is that stranger?" You aren't crazy. Most people have a preferred side. We call it the good side bad side phenomenon, and it’s way more than just vanity or being "extra" for the camera. It’s rooted in how our brains process emotion and how our facial muscles actually develop over decades of smiling, frowning, and sleeping on one side of our face.
Faces aren't symmetrical. If you took a photo of yourself, sliced it down the middle, and mirrored each half, you'd look like two different people. One version might look eerily intense; the other might look soft and approachable.
The Left-Side Bias is Real
Most people—roughly 60% to 70%—actually prefer their left side. This isn't just a random TikTok trend. In 2012, researchers James Schirillo and Kelsey Blackburn from Wake Forest University conducted a study where participants rated photos of people. The results were clear. People consistently rated the left side of the face as more "pleasant" and "esthetically pleasing."
Why? It’s basically biology.
The right hemisphere of your brain is the heavy lifter for emotional processing. Because the right brain controls the muscles on the left side of your body, the left side of your face tends to be more expressive. It shows more intensity. It tells the truth about how you’re feeling. When you’re genuinely happy, that left cheek usually pulls up a bit higher. When you're sad, the left side droops first. We are subconsciously drawn to that honesty.
Photography and the "Best Angle"
Professional photographers have known about the good side bad side struggle since the days of film. If you look at classic portraiture, even going back to the Renaissance, you'll notice a massive trend. Master painters like Da Vinci or Rembrandt often painted subjects showing more of their left profile.
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Look at the Mona Lisa. She’s slightly turned. You’re seeing more of her left side.
It creates depth. A flat, head-on shot often makes the face look wider and less dimensional. By turning slightly to show the "good side," you create shadows that contour the jawline. It’s a trick. But it works.
I’ve talked to wedding photographers who spend the first ten minutes of a shoot just watching how a couple talks. They aren't being creepy. They’re looking for which side moves more. Some people have a "lazy" eye that only shows up when they're tired, or a dimple that only pops on the right. Identifying the good side bad side early saves hours of editing later.
Physical Asymmetry: What Causes the Difference?
Life happens. Your face is a map of your habits.
If you always sleep on your right side, you're pressing that side of your face into a pillow for eight hours a night. Over twenty years, that constant pressure can actually break down collagen faster on that side. It leads to deeper nasolabial folds (those lines from your nose to your mouth) or a slightly lower eyebrow.
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Then there’s "Trucker Face."
There is a famous medical case involving a delivery driver who drove the same route for 28 years. The left side of his face—the side by the window—looked twenty years older than the right because of cumulative sun damage. UV rays are brutal. They don’t care about your "good side."
Chewing habits matter too. If you favor the right side of your jaw because of an old cavity or just habit, the masseter muscle on that side gets jacked. It gets bigger. This makes one side of your jawline look more "square" while the other looks more tapered. It’s subtle, but in a high-def photo, it’s there.
How to Find Your Good Side Bad Side Without Overthinking It
Stop staring in the mirror. Mirrors lie because they flip your image. You’re used to seeing yourself in reverse, which is why you probably hate how you look in photos—everyone else sees the "real" you, but you're seeing the "unflipped" version for the first time.
Try the "Paper Test."
- Take a straight-on selfie with neutral lighting.
- Hold a piece of paper up to the screen to cover the right half of your face.
- Look at the left. Is it smiling? Does the eye look open?
- Switch.
- Most people find one side looks "harder" or more focused, while the other looks more relaxed.
Honestly, the good side bad side is often just about which eye is dominant. Our dominant eye tends to be slightly wider. If your left eye is more open and "sparkly," that’s usually the side you’ll want to lead with in a headshot.
The Psychology of Self-Perception
We are our own worst critics. Seriously.
There is a concept called the "Mere-Exposure Effect." We prefer things that we see frequently. Since you see your mirrored reflection every morning, any photo that shows your "true" face feels "wrong." Your brain flags it as an error.
You might think you have a "bad side," but your friends literally do not see it. They see a 3D moving object. They see your personality. They aren't mapping your facial symmetry to the millimeter.
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That said, knowing your angles is a power move. It builds confidence. If you know you look better from the 45-degree left angle, you'll stand taller. You'll smile bigger. That confidence does more for the photo than the symmetry ever could.
Actionable Steps to Level Up Your Look
You can’t change your bone structure without surgery, but you can balance out your good side bad side through simple daily tweaks.
- Flip your sleep posture. If you’re a side sleeper, try to alternate. Or, buy a silk pillowcase. It reduces the "drag" on your skin and helps prevent those sleep-induced wrinkles that make one side look "tired."
- Sunscreen is non-negotiable. Apply it evenly. Don't forget the side of your face that faces the window when you’re driving or sitting at your desk.
- The "Tongue to Roof" trick. If you feel like one side of your jaw is sagging, try pressing your tongue against the roof of your mouth when taking a photo. It tightens the submental area (under the chin) across the whole face.
- Balance your chewing. If you realize you only chew on one side, consciously switch. It’s like hitting the gym for your face. You want both sides of that jaw muscle to be equally toned.
- Angle the camera up. Never take a photo from below the chin. It emphasizes asymmetry and makes the "bad side" look heavier. Always keep the lens at eye level or slightly above.
Understanding your good side bad side isn't about being vain. It's about visual literacy. It’s knowing how light hits skin and how your muscles react to the world. Once you find that "sweet spot" angle, use it. But don't let it stop you from being in the frame. A "bad side" photo of a great memory is always better than no photo at all.
Practice the paper test today. Record a video of yourself talking—not a selfie, but a video where you aren't looking at the screen. Watch it back. You'll quickly see which side of your mouth moves more and which eye carries your expression. That’s your lead. Use it.