Have you ever been left wondering why the person you matched with online suddenly goes silent, even after what you thought was a fantastic connection? A dating expert may have the explanation.

Perth-based relationship coach and professional matchmaker Louanne Ward has taken to Instagram to expose the five instant ‘icks’.

These annoying habits or tendencies don’t just turn women off – they completely kill attraction altogether.

Louanne, an expert with years of experience helping singles navigate the complexities of modern dating, points out certain things that are hard to ignore for her and many other women.

If you think you’re immune, think again, because Louanne warns that once a woman spots one of these red flags, they’re already halfway out the door.

While you may believe that a charming smile and good conversation are sufficient to maintain interest, think twice. Louanne cautions that minor details can actually be the deal-breakers.

It is the unconscious behaviours most men don’t even realise they’re doing which are the ones that can have a woman mentally packing her bags mid-date.

From baby talk and tech tantrums to pouty selfies and fake ‘smouldering’ stares, here’s exactly what could be sending her running for the hills.

1. Cutie Baby Talk

Calling your girlfriend ‘Mummy’ or speaking to her like she’s your puppy or a cartoon character? Major no-no. 

Louanne says this cringeworthy habit is the fastest way to make her mentally exit the chat. ‘It’s not cute. It’s cringey’.

2. Tech Rage

Losing your temper at your phone, screaming at the TV remote or going full Hulk-mode at a roundabout isn’t showing ‘passion’ – it’s showing you might be one minor inconvenience away from a full meltdown. 

According to Louanne, pressure doesn’t feel safe, and if a woman doesn’t feel safe, the chemistry is dead on arrival.

3. Pouty Selfies and AI-Generated Profile Pics

If your dating profile photo looks like you’re about to land a role in the next Marvel movie (thanks to some heavy-handed AI editing), it’s not giving ‘mysterious’ bad boy – it’s giving major beige flag, apparently. 

‘She’s not swooning. She’s dry. You’re not mysterious. You’re just overedited,’ said Louanne.

4. Fingers in Your Mouth Mid-Meal

If you’re elbow-deep in your own molars at the dinner table, don’t expect sparks to fly. 

‘Bad breath is one thing. But picking food out of your teeth with your nail? It’s not just a hygiene fail. It’s a primal repulsion.’

And once that image is seared into her brain, no amount of charm will save you.

5. The Fake Smoulder

Lip licking, chin stroking and intense ‘perfume-ad stares’ are last on the list. 

Men may might think they’re channelling a brooding heartthrob, but Louanne warned that women will likely think ‘you’re auditioning for an off-brand aftershave commercial’.

On some further reflection, Louanne has also recently dished out some other advice for singles who hear these seven words on a date: ‘I haven’t met the right person yet,’

She noted that the seemingly innocent statement could be one of the most misleading sentences in modern dating.

While it might sound harmless on the surface, Louanne explained that it’s rarely as simple as it seems.

‘Not because you’re lying, but because it’s the only explanation you’ve ever been given,’ she said.

Ward noted that the phrase has been widely accepted because of the way society perpetuates it.

‘Your friends say it to comfort you, your parents repeat it to give you hope, movies romanticise it, break-ups justify it,’ she said.

But the real reason people remain single, she argues, runs much deeper than just not finding the ‘right’ person.

‘You’re not waiting. You’re repeating,’ she said.