Here’s a little secret: Just ‘cause you look great in the mirror is no guarantee you’ll look great on cam. You need to check yourself out and make sure your being shown at your best. And if your not, you need to make some adjustments. But don't worry! As always, I'm here to help!

Lookin' good! Try these TRUE Live Chat tips!

You never know who you’re going to meet in Live Chat. When you take the time to make yourself look nice, everyone else in the room will notice! Shower. Seriously – dirt shows up on cam. Really. Do your hair – wash it, comb it, curl it. Whatever you do for a workday, do for online chat. Remember, you’re facing people you might want to date. Avoid hats – Hats can be cool in person, but on a webcam they cast a shadow on your face and reflect back light from your monitor. Avoid sunglasses – These tell other chatters that you don’t want them to know who you are. Solid colors – Your shirt is usually all that shows on cam. Solid colors show up best, Avoid patterns, which can cause an image distortion. Ladies – Even a little makeup makes a positive difference on camera. That’s why all those TV people wear it. Guys – Don’t go shirtless unless you have the body for it. Too much skin is not always sexy. Also, if you regularly shave your face, shave. If you sport stubble or a beard or mustache, make sure it looks good before you turn on your cam up.

The first thing you need to do is to check yourself on camera. It’s easy to see how you appear to others in Live Chat. Once you've entered a videochat room, just click on an empty window on the left. Then click on your screen name in the list of chatters in the room. Your video will appear in the window you clicked on. So, how do you think you look? Is your image focused? Is it too dark or light? Can people see your smile?

If you don't think you're looking your best, here are the two most common problems (and solutions!). And there are more tips in the box on the right.

Problem: Too dark / too light / can’t see your face
Solution: You’ll look your best if you’re in a well-lit area. Use natural light when you can. Open your blinds and let the sunlight in, but make sure the light isn’t behind you. Open the blinds for windows in front of you or to one side. Don’t sit too close to the window. Check how you look in chat and move your chair or your cam until you look right. If natural light isn’t available, sit facing a light source to make sure your face is well-lit. Test different light sources. If you are sitting in a dark room with only your monitor to light your face, you’ll look green.

Problem: Image out of focus
Solution: Most cameras have tiny focusing mechanisms, so don’t sit too far away from the camera or you might appear fuzzy. Also dust your camera regularly. Dust on the surface can really mess up your image.

Ready to try these tips out and really shine in the chat rooms? Don't be shy! Jump into Live Chat right now and join in the fun!