Feminine beauty related to hormones

Feminine beauty related to hormones
A new study has proved that the levels of the female hormone oestrogen determine attractiveness in women. Oestrogen which is also responsible for fertility causes fertile women to have feminine features and makes them more attractive to men.

For the first time, scientists at the University of St Andrews have provided evidence to the notion that attractive and healthy looking women have higher fertility. The study published in the journal 'Proceedings of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences' has elucidated that oestrogen, the female hormone responsible for fertility and reproductive health in women, also leads to the development feminine features like large eyes, small nose and large lips during puberty.

Higher the levels of oestrogen, higher the fertility and higher is the attractiveness in looks. “Women are effectively advertising their general fertility in their faces,” explained Miriam Law Smith, Head of the study. Men use clues from the facial features of women to judge whether they are healthy and fertile.

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“Our findings could explain why men universally seem to prefer feminine women's faces. In evolutionary terms, it makes sense for men to favour feminine fertile women, those that did would have had more babies,” added Smith.

The researchers photographed the faces of 59 women aged between 18 and 25. The women were tested for their hormonal levels. Thirty volunteers, 15 male and 15 female were then asked to rate the faces on attractiveness. It was found that the women with higher oestrogen levels were rated as more attractive and feminine. No such relationship was seen in women wearing make-up.

It was concluded that make-up could improve appearance and therefore conceal the fertility clues given by facial features. “The implication is that women are employing a deceptive strategy. They can fool the male visual system with make-up,” commented Dr. Tony Little of the University of Liverpool.