Skin texture and colour predict perceived health in Asian faces

Kok Wei Tan, Bernard Tiddeman, Ian D. Stephen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)
378 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Facial skin texture and colour play an important role in observers' judgments of apparent health and have been linked to aspects of physiological health, including fitness, immunity and fertility. However, most studies have focused on Caucasian populations. Here, we report two studies that investigate the contribution of skin texture and colour to the apparent health of Malaysian Chinese faces. In Study 1, homogenous skin texture, as measured by wavelet analysis, was found to positively predict ratings of apparent health of Asian faces. In study 2, homogenous skin texture and increased skin yellowness positively predicted rated health of Malaysian Chinese faces. This finding suggests that skin condition serves as an important cue for subjective judgements of health in Malaysian Chinese faces
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)320-335
Number of pages16
JournalEvolution and Human Behavior
Volume39
Issue number3
Early online date23 Feb 2018
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01 May 2018

Keywords

  • face perception
  • skin texture
  • skin colour
  • perceived health
  • Asian

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