Facial Skin Coloration Affects Perceived Health of Human Faces

Ian D Stephen, Miriam J Law Smith, Michael R Stirrat, David I Perrett, Ian D Stephen, Miriam J Law Smith, Michael R Stirrat, David I Perrett

Abstract

Numerous researchers have examined the effects of skin condition, including texture and color, on the perception of health, age, and attractiveness in human faces. They have focused on facial color distribution, homogeneity of pigmentation, or skin quality. We here investigate the role of overall skin color in determining perceptions of health from faces by allowing participants to manipulate the skin portions of color-calibrated Caucasian face photographs along CIELab color axes. To enhance healthy appearance, participants increased skin redness (a*), providing additional support for previous findings that skin blood color enhances the healthy appearance of faces. Participants also increased skin yellowness (b*) and lightness (L*), suggesting a role for high carotenoid and low melanin coloration in the healthy appearance of faces. The color preferences described here resemble the red and yellow color cues to health displayed by many species of nonhuman animals.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
(a) Original facial image and endpoint images of the redness transform showing images with increased (top) and decreased (bottom) redness (±16 units of a*) in lips changing (left) and constant (right) conditions. (b) For the range of color-calibrated face colors presented, participants increased redness (a*) to optimize healthy appearance, particularly in male faces. Solid rectangles and regression line (R2 = 0.87) represent female faces. Hollow rhombi and dashed regression line (R2 = 0.86) represent male faces.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
(a) Original facial image and endpoint images of the yellowness transform showing images with increased (top) and decreased (bottom) yellowness (±16 units of b*) in lips changing (left) and constant (right) conditions. (b) For the range of color-calibrated face colors presented, participants increase yellowness (b*) to optimize healthy appearance, particularly in male faces. Solid rectangles and regression line (R2 = 0.22) represent female faces. Hollow rhombi and dashed regression line (R2 = 0.80) represent male faces. (c) Participants increase yellowness more when the lips change color along with the rest of the facial skin than when the lips remain constant. Solid rhombi and regression line (R2 = 0.55) represent faces in the lips changing condition. Hollow rectangles and dashed regression line (R2 = 0.50) represent faces in the lips constant condition.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
(a) Original facial image and endpoint images of the lightness transform showing images with increased (top) and decreased (bottom) lightness (±16 units of L*) in lips changing (left) and constant (right) conditions. (b) For the range of color-calibrated face colors presented, participants increased lightness (L*) to optimize healthy appearance, particularly in female faces. Solid rectangles and regression line (R2 = 0.73) represent female faces. Hollow rhombi and dashed regression line (R2 = 0.59) represent male faces.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
(a) Endpoints of the two-dimensional L* vs. b* transform. (b) For the range of color-calibrated face colors presented, participants increase both yellowness and lightness to optimize healthy appearance.

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