Men with ruddy complexions are irresistibly attractive to women

Rather than pale and interesting, women prefer their men to be rosy and glowing, research has found. In a study, women were asked to manipulate pictures of men’s faces to make them more attractive. The first thing they did was make their skin tone redder. It is thought that rosy cheeks are a sign of good circulation and therefore an indication of good health. The researchers showed 45 women computerized photographs of 21 young men and asked them to manipulate their complexions to make them more attractive. The women, who had the choice of adding red or yellow tones, tended to plump for a degree of pinkness. They added even more red when asked to make the men look as dominant as possible. The study also found that the women associated very red faces with aggression. The researchers have shown that increased redness enhances the appearance of dominance, aggression and attractiveness in men’s faces viewed by women.