Color homogeneity and visual perception of age, health, and attractiveness of female facial skin
Accepted 28 July 2007. published online 24 August 2007.
Background
Evolutionary psychology suggests that skin signals aspects of mate value, yet only limited empirical evidence exists for this assertion.
Objectives
We sought to study the relationship between perception of skin condition and homogeneity of color/chromophore distribution.
Methods
Cropped skin cheek images from 170 girls and women (11-76 years) were blind-rated for attractiveness, healthiness, youthfulness, and biological age by 353 participants. These skin images and corresponding melanin/hemoglobin concentration maps were analyzed objectively for homogeneity.
Results
Homogeneity of unprocessed images correlated positively with perceived attractiveness, healthiness, and youthfulness (all r > 0.40; P < .001), but negatively with estimated age (r = −0.45; P < .001). Homogeneity of hemoglobin and melanin maps was positively correlated with that of unprocessed images (r = 0.92, 0.68; P < .001) and negatively correlated with estimated age (r = −0.32, −0.38; P < .001).
Limitations
Female skin only was studied.
Conclusions
Skin color homogeneity, driven by melanin and hemoglobin distribution, influences perception of age, attractiveness, health, and youth.
bDepartment for Sociobiology/Anthropology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
cLudwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology, Department for Anthropology, Vienna, Austria
dP&G Beauty, The Procter & Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio
Reprint requests: Bernhard Fink, PhD, Department for Sociobiology/Anthropology, Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, D-37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Supported in full by the Procter & Gamble Company.
Disclosure: Dr Matts and Ms Burquest are paid employees of the Procter & Gamble Company. Drs Fink and Grammer have no conflicts of interest to declare.
ABSTRACT