Women can gauge men's age, body fat, and testosterone from faces.
Women can infer age, adiposity, and testosterone levels from men's faces, a study in Poland found.
Why it matters
- Women perceive older men and those with higher testosterone as more masculine.
- Men with higher body fat were seen as less masculine and less attractive.
By the numbers
- Study included 105 healthy men aged 30-45.
- Women aged 27-48 rated the men's faces.
- Men with higher adiposity were seen as less masculine and less attractive.
The big picture
- Facial appearance is linked to broader factors like body fat and hormone levels, which are tied to health.
- Preferences for facial appearance can vary culturally.
What they're saying
- Results may not apply universally as beauty standards vary across cultures.
- Preferences for body type can differ by region.
Caveats
- The study focused on Polish men and women.
- Cultural differences in beauty standards may affect generalizability.
What’s next
- Further research could explore how these findings apply across different cultures and regions.