text: When you consider 80 per cent of our information about the outside world comes through our eyes, it's hardly surprising studies show eye contact to be the most effective way to signal sexual interest. Eighteen times more sensitive than our ears, our eyes are capable of responding to one and a half million simultaneous messages. So finely tuned, they'll subconsciously spot when someone starts looking at us - even if we haven't noticed - and start taking mental notes. Scroll down for video . Tracey Cox says that it takes more than just simple eye contact to get someone's attention here she gives her advice on how to use your peepers to get someone's attention . If that person is checking everyone out, they'll stop registering the information; if it's just us they're interested in, they'll signal the brain to give us a nudge that someone's watching. Spring is the season for flirting so the perfect time to find out the five eye contact techniques that are scientifically proven to get you noticed! THE FOUR-AND-HALF SECOND SCAN . A normal face scan lasts three seconds, scan for four-and-a-half and it's clear someone has 'caught your eye'. Eye contact of more than ten seconds between two people means one of two things: you're about to fight or have sex (well, you want to anyway). Prolonged eye contact produces intense emotional reactions regardless of whether it's a fist or a pair of lips heading your way. It activates the nervous system, raises our heart rate and blood flow and stimulates the production of certain hormones. On average we scan a face for three seconds, scan for four and a half to register your interest . THE SLIDE AND SETTLE . Studies have shown this to be an almost foolproof way to find out if a stranger is interested in you. Let your eyes settle on someone so they're aware you've noticed them, then as they're still watching you, slide your eyes around the room before settling back on them again. This effectively says, 'You instantly attracted me and you're still the pick of the room even after I've checked out the competition.' If they're interested, most people drop their eyes straight down, then directly up again to lock eyes after a few seconds. If someone's eyes instead slide away from yours and don't return after a minute or two, they're almost definitely not interested. Tracey says the simple act of blinking can also make someone aware that you're attracted to them . It's a quick movement - the whole thing's over in ten to 15 seconds – but it's impressively accurate. THE FLIRTING TRIANGLE . Eye movement studies show we look at different parts of other people's faces depending on the situation and level of attractiveness. When looking at strangers or in business situations, we make a small triangle by moving our eyes from eye to eye, dipping them as we move across the bridge of the nose. With friends, the triangle widens as our eyes drop below eye level to include the nose and the mouth. With lovers and people we fancy, the triangle broadens even further, dropping below the mouth to include the breasts and other good bits like the genitals. As flirting becomes more intense, eye to eye contact becomes fast, furious and constant, seconded by long periods spent staring at the mouth. Our eyes spend the rest of the time making little side journeys to the bits at the bottom of the triangle. THE BLINK . It's easy to see where the term 'batting your eyelashes' originated from: if someone looks at us and likes what they see, they tend to blink more. Because the brain associates rapid blinking with finding someone sexually attractive, the more you blink at someone, the more attracted you feel to them. The function of blinking is to clean the eye and keep the moisture level constant. As intense emotion almost always produces tears, it stands to reason our blink rate increases when we're incredibly happy, sad, attracted or excited as the eye tries to clear excess liquid. THE LOVER'S GAZE . Staring directly into someone's eyes triggers an arousal reaction. Sadly, this doesn't mean you boring a hole into Poldark's smouldering brown pair will guarantee he'll gallop you off into the sunset. How the arousal develops depends on who is staring at who. If it's an unattractive stranger, it will turn into a fear response. But if you like the look of the person looking at you, the brain interprets it as a sexual signal and responds by getting your body ready for sex. For more tips on how to be sexier this spring, visit traceycox.com .
target: Sexpert says eye contact is the most effective way to signal sexual interest .
  Even the simple act of blinking can demonstrate attraction .
  Here Tracey advises on how to use your peepers to get their attention .