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November 26, 2005

"The Biology of Beauty"

Scientists have found that a woman’s hormones relate to how attractive she is. The researchers at the University of St Andrews, found that women with higher levels of the female sex hormone, oestrogen, have more attractive looking faces.
Composite faces of the 10 women with highest (left) and 10 with lowest (right) levels of oestrogen. CREDIT: www.perceptionlab.com

The new study, led by psychologist Miriam Law Smith, could explain the underlying reason why men prefer women with feminine faces. It is the first study to demonstrate that women’s facial appearance is linked to their underlying health because oestrogen is the hormone which impacts on women’s reproductive health and fertility. These effects on appearance are likely to depend on the action of oestrogen throughout puberty.

Law Smith and a team of psychologists at the University’s Perception Lab photographed 59 young women’s faces aged between 18 and 25 and analysed their sex hormone levels. Women with higher levels of oestrogen were rated as more attractive, healthy and feminine looking than those with lower levels.

Interestingly, no relationship between appearance and oestrogen was found in women wearing make- up. Researchers believe that while make-up improves facial appearance it may be masking cues normally seen in the face.

Law Smith said: “Women are effectively advertising their general fertility with their faces. Our findings could explain why men universally seem to prefer feminine women’s faces. In evolutionary terms, it makes sense for men to favour feminine fertile women, those that did would have had more babies.”

The research is published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society.

"The Biology of Beauty," University of St. Andrews, November 2, 2005

More

• "Facial appearance is a cue to oestrogen levels in women," The Royal Society, ISSN: 0962-8452 (Paper) 1471-2954 (Online) ($25 for electronic copy)
• "Hormone levels predict attractiveness of women," by Gaia Vince, New Scientist, November 2, 2005
• "The chemical that makes a woman," by Mairi MacLeod, Scotsman, November 5, 2005
• "Attractive women are more than just a pretty face," by Roger Highfield, Science Editor, The Telegraph, November 2, 2005

Posted at November 26, 2005 11:45 AM | Categories: Research

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