Female faces are more attractive to both sexes

Women are indeed considered the fairer sex, according to scientists who have found that female faces are rated as more attractive than men, even by other women.

This large international study revealed what researchers call the “gender attractiveness gap”; No matter who does the judging, female faces consistently score higher.

Experts led by the Max Planck Institute in Germany analyzed 52 previous studies involving more than 1.5 million facial ratings from more than 28,500 people.

Their findings, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, revealed that women’s faces received significantly higher attractiveness scores than men’s.

The results pose an “evolutionary puzzle,” the researchers said.

In the animal kingdom, it is usually men who boast the most flamboyant appearances, from the exaggerated tails of peacocks to the flowing manes of lions.

But people seem to be bucking this trend.

Research author Dr. Eugen Wassiliwizky said: “It is particularly striking that women rate other women as much more attractive than men.

“Male faces, meanwhile, score similarly and lower overall across both genders.

“The gap is a robust and widely observed phenomenon.

“This can be partially explained by differences in facial structure, but not completely.”

Researchers found that women’s average attractiveness rating is roughly one-third higher than men’s.

Scientists believe both biology and social influences may be at work.

Typically masculine features, such as wider bone structure and facial hair, are linked to testosterone, the male hormone associated with aggression.

Researchers suggested this may make male faces appear more threatening and therefore less attractive.

Dr Wassiliwizky said social behavior could also play a role, with men tending to judge other men more harshly, while women generally evaluated other women more positively.

He suggested that women may consider personality and other qualities in addition to appearance when judging attractiveness.

The study also noted female grooming habits, such as skin care and eyebrow shaping, as well as smaller influences such as media and advertising that make women appear more visually attractive.

Dr Wassiliwizky said: “This study is based on the largest collection of facial attractiveness data worldwide to date.

“This suggests that judgments extend far beyond heterosexual partner choice.”