face pic vs no face vs blurred — whats the actual tradeoff in 2026

we are setting up our SLS profile this week and stuck on the face question. dh works in healthcare, im in HR which is honestly worse because i interview people. showing my face publicly is genuinely a career risk. but every guide and every couple weve talked to says "no face = no response, you wont get traction without face pics, period". ok fine. so the compromise we are considering is unlock face on request for verified couples only. but then i hear that nobody actually unlocks because the back and forth is too much friction and people just swipe past locked profiles. is that real or is it old advice from like 2019. blurred face seems like the worst of both worlds tbh, you still kinda see who it is if someone knows you, and it screams "we are scared". leaning toward no face publicly + unlock fast on request but want a reality check before we commit. also do you put your face on the body pic or just the headshot. like if i have a mirror selfie do i need to also crop my head out