Color homogeneity and visual perception of age, health, and attractiveness of female facial skin.
BACKGROUND
Evolutionary psychology suggests that skin signals aspects of mate value, yet only limited empirical evidence exists for this assertion.


OBJECTIVE
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).


CONCLUSIONS
Female skin only was studied.


CONCLUSIONS
Skin color homogeneity, driven by melanin and hemoglobin distribution, influences perception of age, attractiveness, health, and youth.
Matts
Paul J
PJ
P&G Beauty, Egham, United Kingdom.
Fink
Bernhard
B
Grammer
Karl
K
Burquest
Maria
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001504:Beauty; D002648:Child; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D014796:Visual Perception
D006454:Hemoglobins; D008543:Melanins