Researchers at Cardiff University, Wales have released a study that found that both men and women are perceived as more attractive when they are wearing a mask, reports Guardian.
Interestingly, similar studies before the pandemic had found that people wearing face masks are considered less attractive since people associate masks with diseases.
“Our study suggests faces are considered most attractive when covered by medical face masks. This may be because we’re used to healthcare workers wearing blue masks and now we associate these with people in caring or medical professions,” Dr. Michael Lewis from Cardiff University said. “At a time when we feel vulnerable, we may find the wearing of medical masks reassuring and so feel more positive towards the wearer,” he added.
The study also shows that a face covered with a disposable-type surgical mask is more appealing. During the test run by the institution, the participants said those wearing a cloth mask are significantly more attractive than the ones with no masks.
Dr Lewis said it is also possible that masks made people more attractive because they direct attention to the eyes.
