Face masks make people look more attractive, study finds

British academics have found that people look more attractive in protective masks.

The researchers at the University were surprised to find that both men and women were judged to look better with a face covering on.

They discovered that a face covered with a disposable-type surgical mask was likely to be the most appealing, and that may be a blow to producers of fashionable coverings.

According to Dr Michael Lewis, a reader from the school of psychology and an expert in faces, medical face masks reduced attractiveness because they were associated with disease or illness.

He wanted to know if the type of mask had any effect on this.

Our study shows that faces are the most attractive when they are covered with medical face masks. We associate blue masks with people in caring professions, which may be because we are used to healthcare workers wearing them. When we feel vulnerable, we may find the wearing of medical masks reassuring and so feel more positive towards the wearer.

The first part of the research was done in February of 2021. Forty-three women were asked to rate the attractiveness of images of male faces without a mask, wearing a plain cloth mask, a blue medical face mask, and holding a plain black book, on a scale of one to 10.

The participants said that those wearing a cloth mask were more attractive than those with no masks or with their faces partially obscured by the book. The disposable surgical mask made the wearer look better.

The results run counter to the pre-pandemic research where it was thought masks made people think about disease and the person should be avoided.

The Pandemic has changed how we view masks. When we see someone wearing a mask, we don't think of them as having a disease.

This relates to evolutionary psychology and why we choose partners. Evidence of disease can be a big factor in mate selection. Face masks are no longer acting as a contamination cue.

Lewis said that masks could make people more attractive. He said that covering the left or right half of a person's face made them look more attractive because the brain fills in the missing gaps.

The results of the first study have been published. Lewis said the results of the second study were the same as the first one, although it has yet to be published. The researchers didn't ask the participants about their sexual orientations.