We all recognize a beautiful face when we see it, but how do we decide whether or not someone is attractive? Are beauty and attractiveness measured against strict criteria, or are they judged by one’s mood or taste?

For every historical period and every human culture, people have always had their own ideal of beauty, but this ideal has never been constant and is always subject to change. Everyone has a different opinion as to what is beautiful, but there are some facial features that most people will agree are attractive.

Generally, male beauty has been considered less important, since male attractiveness is measured in terms of power and social standing rather than by facial features. However, for most women dark eyebrows make men attractive. Female faces are considered to be attractive with “baby face” characteristics, such as large eyes.

There is no disputing the fact that surface characteristics are more important in determining beauty than other factors, such as symmetry or facial shape. However, it turns out there is a scientific explanation regarding how we measure one’s attractiveness.

According to research conducted last year by Professor Victor Johnstone of the University of New Mexico, there is definitely a type of adult female face that men find attractive that it is different from the average face. The two key measurements are the distance from the eyes to the chin, which is shorter, and the size of the lips, which are fuller. There is also the opinion that attractive women with mature features, such as small eyes and a large nose, receive more respect. That may be the case in societies where women with mature features who have more power and autonomy are idealized.

Up until puberty the faces of boys and girls are similar, but then the rise in estrogen in girls gives them fuller lips, while testosterone in boys gives them an angular jaw. So what people are picking out as beauty traits are really signs of fertility brought on by estrogen. Interestingly, women aged about 25 years–when most women achieve ideal facial proportions–have the highest estrogen levels and are the most fertile.

This study doesn’t necessarily mean that we should calculate one’s estrogen or testosterone levels to decide whether a person is attractive. We should just follow our taste, which does these calculations subconsciously.

Photo: © la_fenia

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