Let's Face It

A face reveals a wealth of information about our overall health condition.

17:36 12 July 2016

Our facial appearance reveals more than just a wealth of information as to how we are feeling; it can also tell other people about the state of our health.

 

This is important as we are attracted to healthy-looking faces and most often, we avoid those who look otherwise. It is for this reason that many alter their facial appearance to look healthier and more desirable.

 

Based on previous research, faces with lighter, redder and yellower skin were seen as the healthiest and this was consistent across all ethnicities. While lighter skin is associated with the ability to absorb more vitamin D, greater redness indicates a more efficient circulation and blood supply to the skin. However, having yellower skin seems to be the most relevant as people with such tend to have healthier diets, rich in fruit and vegetables.

 

To confirm the findings of previous research, another study was conducted and found that while yellowness across the whole face was a contributor to looking healthy, having redder skin on the cheeks and lighter skin on the eyes seemed to play larger roles. This may explain why cosmetic products such as blusher and concealer are popular these days as more and more people try to look not just more beautiful but also healthier-looking