Beauty and the Mask

Beyond the beauty of occlusion: medical masks increase facial attractiveness more than other face coverings

“…With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more research has been conducted in this area. Patel et al ( 2020 ) investigated the influence of facial occlusion with medical masks on judgments of facial attractiveness in the United States. Without reference to Miyazaki and Kawahara’s ( 2016 ) research, and contrary to what the sanitary-mask effect would predict, the authors hypothesised that faces wearing medical masks would be rated as more attractive than unmasked faces due to the importance of lower face information, particularly from the perioral area, in determining facial attractiveness.…”

“…Without reference to Miyazaki and Kawahara’s ( 2016 ) research, and contrary to what the sanitary-mask effect would predict, the authors hypothesised that faces wearing medical masks would be rated as more attractive than unmasked faces due to the importance of lower face information, particularly from the perioral area, in determining facial attractiveness. Patel et al ( 2020 ) found that unattractive and averagely attractive faces were rated as significantly more attractive when in the masked compared to unmasked condition. This effect was greatest for faces in the unattractive condition across both males and females.…”

“…These findings reflect the occlusion effect found by Miyazaki and Kawahara ( 2016 ) in their control occluder condition. Patel et al ( 2020 ) did not include an occlusion control condition and so it is not possible to distinguish between the effect of occlusion and the effect of the medical mask in their study and so it is possible that the sanitary-mask effect is still present but swamped by the occlusion effect.…”

The face behind the mask: The future of interpersonal interaction

“…Interestingly, in aesthetic judgements, masked faces are perceived to be more attractive overall, and this effect is most significant for faces judged to be least attractive when unmasked. Covering the lower half of the face may be hiding asymmetries of the face that decrease perceived attractiveness ( Patel et al., 2020 ). Facial attractiveness has important social consequences and implications for interpersonal interactions, as individuals judged as more attractive are perceived as having higher social status, better health, and more positive personality traits and are even more likely to be hired for jobs.…”

“Smizing”: COVID-19 Is Giving Us Crow’s Feet

“…Interestingly, a recent study examining perceived facial attractiveness demonstrated that the attractiveness of “average” and “unattractive” faces increased when wearing a mask. 1 Conversely, smile intensity has been associated with attractiveness and trustworthiness. 2 Because facial coverings impair our ability to convey emotional cues with our mouths, we find ourselves relying on periocular expression.…”