Face masks make you look hotter, especially a medical mask, study finds

A Welsh study found that men who wore a medical mask were considered more attractive than when wearing a cloth mask or none at all

A separate Japanese study in 2021 found that women’s faces were rated more attractive and healthier with the presence of masks

Reading Time:2 minutes

A study has found we might find faces covered by a medical mask more attractive than one without. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15am, 18 Jan 2022

The pandemic has upended a lot of aspects in our lives, but it may have also changed what we find attractive in others.

Medical masks, originally a social taboo associated with sickness and disease, have now been found to increase attractiveness, according to a new peer-reviewed study by Cardiff University researchers published on January 10.

Admittedly, a mask does cover half of your face, so the increased attractiveness could be tied to the “beauty of occlusion”, the researchers say.

The study, in Wales, was part of continuing research exploring attractiveness and mate choice and how those norms have shifted after Covid-19. It involved the participation of 43 Cardiff University female undergraduate psychology students, who viewed 40 male faces, 20 of which were attractive and 20 of which were unattractive, based on previous ratings.

The increased attractiveness could be tied to the “beauty of occlusion”, researchers say. Photo: Shutterstock

The faces of the men were shown in four different ways: with a medical mask, with a cloth mask, with a book in front of their face or with no covering at all.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x