Many female friends ask me if posting personal photos is good to increase your chances of dating and what are the advices I would give, as an expert in the neuroscience of the dating behavior. Yes, they are ultra-important, we are visual animals! No chances at all without at least one personal photo.

Regarding advice, here it goes:

1. No sunglasses at all. Better still, no glasses at all. And no hats, any kind, particularly a baseball cap!
2. Show your eyes looking directly at the camera.
3. Always a discrete smile, a happiness smile
4. Framing: do not show only your face. A midplane (from the navel up) to show part of your body is ok. NEVER: a shot from a distance, with a small, hard to distinguish face.
5. Don't post a photo together with another person: it might be difficult to say who are you.
6. Never, ever, post a photo with a man, particularly an ex! Not even a son, cousin, colleague, etc. Might communicate a wrong message
7. Please, no aninals with you (cats, dogs, reptiles, birds, etc.)
8. Use a pleasant and neutral background. After all, you want to show something eles. Focus on you.
9. Don't post ancient photos of you. Always recent ones, please
10. Use some makeup. No shining skin. Do not exagerate. Please comb your hair to perfection.
11. No sensual photos, with excess decoletage, too showy legs and feet. Again, men are stupid enough to think that you are "easy"
12. Excellent colors, illumination, contrast. No shadows in parts of your face. Use a professionally taken photo, if possible. No black-and-white or processed photos with funny edits (like wearing a cat's nose).
13. Improving a little bit your photo using Photoshop or portrait-improvement sites is ok, but don't do it too much. No animation (such as Boomerang), videos, or comics photos;
14. Earrings and necklaces are ok, as long as they are not oversized or too exuberant. Must be beautiful.
15. Wear a beautiful but discrete dress. The simple black dress always it's a win. Or with the color you look best.

A perfect example of all this: Elizabeth Taylor. Classy, beautiful portrait!

In addition, try to post different photos, in different angles (your best angles, including full body pictures).