A study out of Cardiff University in Wales showed that people who wear masks are generally more attractive to others than non-masked people.
The study, outlined in a university release this week, compared the faces of 40 males, both masked and unmasked. The faces were rated by a group of women, who overwhelmingly suggested that face masks made the individuals more attractive. The type of mask worn seemed to make a difference, as blue medical mask-wearers were rated most attractive by the women.
“Research carried out before the pandemic found medical face masks reduce attractiveness – so we wanted to test whether this had changed since face coverings became ubiquitous and understand whether the type of mask had any effect,” said Dr Michael Lewis, a Reader from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology.
“Our study suggests faces are considered most attractive when covered by medical face masks. This may be because we’re used to healthcare workers wearing blue masks and now we associate these with people in caring or medical professions,” Lewis added.
The study also found people wearing even a cloth mask were rated more attractive than people who did not wear a mask at all. “Some of this effect may be a result of being able to hide undesirable features in the lower part of the face – but this effect was present for both less attractive and more attractive people,” Lewis said.
ARTICLE: LAURA SPIVAK
MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: NEW YORK TIMES
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