Proposal for Appearance Improvement in Middle-Aged Males

While one’s first impression is clearly influenced by his/her facial features and expressions, the texture of facial skin is also an important factor that determines such impressions. We focused on the middle-aged males’ wishes that they be seen as appropriately aged and youthful. We therefore attempted to investigate what governs the impression of youthful appearance. Examining visually, we confirmed that apparent age was related to “Wrinkle” evaluation scores whereas youthful impression was related to “Spot”, “Blood color”, and “Dull color of skin” evaluation scores. Furthermore, based on eye-tracking measures, the facial portion where remarkably longer gaze durations were observed for “youthfulness impression evaluation” as compared to “apparent age evaluation” was found to be the cheek, where skin quality is most likely discernible. When middle-aged males repeatedly used a model emulsion, their youthful impression increased only from short distances, where the skin could be well-observed. For middle-aged males who have experienced age-related changes in skin quality, daily skincare is an effective means of promoting a youthful impression.