Do You Look More Attractive With That Face Mask On? This UK Study Says Yes And Explains Why

Researchers from Cardiff University recently conducted a study to measure how different types of face masks change the attractiveness of 40 male faces.

Representative image (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Ever since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, people all over the world started wearing face masks. While scientists debated in the beginning about whether wearing masks provides protection against the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, health experts subsequently said that face masks are effective in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to a certain extent.

For instance, N95 masks block 95 per cent of very small particles. Though the US Food and Drug Administration has not approved any type of surgical mask specifically for protection against the novel coronavirus, they may provide protection when N95 masks are not available, according to a Mayo Clinic article. 

According to the sanitary-mask effect, medical face masks prompt an image of disease, and thus result in lower ratings of facial attractiveness of the wearer.

Now, researchers from Cardiff University in Wales, United Kingdom, have conducted a study to measure how different types of face masks change the attractiveness of 40 male faces. The findings of the research were recently published in the journal, Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications. 

The study, titled 'Beyond the beauty of occlusion: medical masks increase facial attractiveness more than other face coverings', suggests that protective face masks can make wearers look more attractive.

Medical Masks Increase Face Attractiveness

Medical masks have been found to increase attractiveness during the Covid-19 pandemic, but could have been a general effect of occlusion, the authors noted in the study.

The scientists further explored this issue by presenting 43 female participants with a series of male faces occluded with a medical mask, cloth mask, book, or not occluded. The participants were asked to rate the male faces on the basis of attractiveness, on a scale of one to 10.

Four occlusion factors were considered in the study: Full Face, Notebook, Cloth Mask, and Medical Mask. 

The authors found that faces were considered as most attractive when covered by medical masks and significantly more attractive when occluded with cloth masks than when not occluded. The blue medical masks were observed to increase facial attractiveness more than other types of masks.

The scientists had expected the base attractiveness to interact with the type of occlusion. However, this did not happen, which suggested that the increase in attractiveness is not simply due to occlusion of negative features, according to the study.

It has been shown in previous research that the females rate male doctors as more attractive if they wear a white coat. 

Moreover, medical masks can also be seen as a sign of being responsible and caring citizens, which may positively impact perceived attractiveness, the authors noted in the study. 

Quoting Dr Michael Lewis, one of the authors of the study, a statement issued by Cardiff University said that research carried out before the pandemic found that medical face masks reduce attractiveness. Therefore, the researchers wanted to test whether this had changed since face coverings became ubiquitous, and understand whether the type of mask had any effect, he said.

Why Faces Covered By Medical Masks Are Considered Most Attractive

Lewis said that faces covered by medical face masks may be considered most attractive because people are used to healthcare workers wearing blue masks, and associate medical mask wearers with people in caring or medical professions. He explained that people may find the wearing of medical masks reassuring and so feel more positive towards the wearer.

Lewis further said that the current research shows the pandemic has changed people's psychology in how they perceive the wearers of masks. "When we see someone wearing a mask we no longer think 'that person has a disease, I need to stay away," he said.

The authors are conducting further research with female and male participants to see if the results hold true for both genders.

The findings are contrary to the sanitary-mask effect, and the association of medical masks with caregiving professionals is explored in the study, the authors concluded.