A smile is a facialexpression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth . It is believed it takes about 42 muscles to smile. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes , an action known as a "Duchenne smile". Smiles performed without the eye contraction may be perceived as insincere.
Among humans, smiling is an expression denoting pleasure, sociability, happiness , joy or amusement . It is distinct from a similar but usually involuntary expression of anxiety known as a grimace. Although cross -cultural studies have shown that smiling is a means of communication throughout the world , there are large differences among differentcultures, with some using smiles to convey confusion or embarrassment.