Attractiveness and colour of the skin directly depends of the quality of nutrition, according to researchers from the universities of Bristol and St. Andrews in the UK. They say, it is possible to have desirable complexion by following a good diet regime. The work will be published in the December issue of Springer’s International Journal of Primatology.
Researchers asked the participating Caucasians to manipulate the skin color of male and female Caucasian faces on the computer screen to make them look as healthy as possible. They chose to increase the rosiness, yellowness and brightness of the skin.
“Most previous work on faces has focused on the shape of the face or the texture of the skin, but one of the most variable characteristics of the face is skin color,” said Dr. Ian Stephen who is now at the University of Bristol.
“We knew from our previous work that people who have more blood and more oxygen color in their skins looked healthy, and so we decided to see what other colors affect health perceptions. This has given us some clues as to what other skin pigments may relate to a healthy appearance.”
More number of blood vessels in the outer skin is an indicator of healthy and glowing skin. This condition reflects good functioning of heart and lungs as they are flushed with blood and full of oxygen. Contrary to this poorly oxygenated blood reflects on the skin as it is the case with smokers and people with diabetes or heart disease. As they have fewer blood vessels in their skin, it appears less rosy.
Then, coming to complexion, the presence of ‘carotenoid pigments’ reflect in skin's golden or yellow-toned. One can increase these nutrients in their blood by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are powerful storehouses of antioxidants that soak up dangerous compounds produced when the body combats disease.
When we look at beautiful coulour fish or birds, we are actually feeling their good diet through our eyes. The colour and tone of the skin is also useful in attracting good mates in animals as well as human beings according to the researchers.
“In the West we often think that sun tanning is the best way to improve the color of your skin,” said Ian Stephen, “but our research suggests that living a healthy lifestyle with a good diet might actually be better.”
Melanin, the pigment that causes the tan color when skin is exposed to the sun makes the skin darker and more yellow, but participants in the study chose to make skin lighter and more yellow to make it look healthier.
“This discovery is very exciting and has given us a promising lead into cues to health,” said Professor David Perrett, head of the Perception Lab at the University of St. Andrews, where the research took place.
“What we eat and not just how much we eat appears to be important for a healthy appearance. The only natural way in which we can make our skin lighter and more yellow is to eat a more healthy diet high in fruit and vegetables.”
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