14 DAY TRIAL // We’ve always heard that we can tell how healthy a person is by simply looking at their face. Now, a new study comes to prove the saying right, in that people perceive a rosy countenance as a very healthy one, while a pale or greenish one is a clear indicator of illness or some form of ailment.
Lead researcher Ian Stephen of the School of Psychology at the University of St Andrews and his team set out to establish whether individuals read a more colorful face as a healthy one or not. In order to do so, volunteers were given a set of photographs, which they were allowed to alter to look as healthy as possible. Before that, though, researchers “measured how skin color varie with the amount of blood and oxygen in the blood,” EurekaAlert points out.
At the end of the test, researchers found that all participants had added more oxygen-rich blood to the face to make it look healthier. “Our skin contains many tiny blood vessels that carry blood laden with oxygen to the skin cells, allowing them to ‘breathe,’ and allowing us to lose heat during exercise. People who are physically fit […] have more of these blood vessels and flush easier than people who are unhealthy, unfit, elderly or smokers. Physically fit people also have more oxygen in their blood than people who are unfit or have heart or lung illnesses.” Stephen explains.
The study also shows why people who are too red in the face are not perceived as healthy, since it’s not only the amount of blood that matters, but also its type. “Our evaluators all thought that bright red blood with lots of oxygen looked healthier than darker, slightly bluer blood with lower oxygen levels. It is remarkable is that people can see this subtle difference. This may explain why some people with very red faces do not look so healthy; the color of their blood may be wrong. So it’s not just the amount of blood that's important; it’s the type of blood that determines healthy looks.” Professor Dave Perrett, head of the Perception Lab, says.
Smokers, as it is known, do not have rosy countenances, which is why Stephen urges people to start working out, eat healthy and cut all bad habits, such as smoking or alcohol consumption. In the end, he adds, we tend to judge one person’s attractiveness by their face, and it cannot be too attractive if it’s not healthy looking, he shares.