Age-dependent changes in skin features and perceived facial appearance in women of five ethnic groups

Objective

Research documents effects of skin features on assessments of age, health and attractiveness of female faces. Ethnic variation also has been reported for the impact of age-related changes in skin features on face assessments. Here, we investigate women's self-ratings across age cohorts and ethnic groups and discrepancies with (non-expert) assessor ratings of facial appearance together with age-dependent changes in skin features.

Methods

Faces of women 20–65 years from five ethnic groups (each n = 36) were imaged. Participants provided self-ratings of age, health and attractiveness, and were judged on these attributes by members of the same ethnic group (each n = 120). Digital image analysis was used to quantify skin gloss, tone evenness, wrinkling and sagging. Age-dependent changes in ratings and skin features within and between ethnic groups were assessed by comparing information from 10-year cohorts. We also tested whether menopausal status could be predicted by self-ratings, assessor ratings and image-based skin features.

Results

Women of all ethnic groups judged themselves younger and higher in attractiveness and health compared to third-party assessors, with the largest discrepancies for age in French women and for attractiveness and health in South African women. In Indian and South African women, specular gloss and skin tone evenness were lower compared to other participants, and sagging was higher in Indian, Japanese and South African women compared to Chinese and French women. Women's menopausal status could be predicted from assessor ratings and image-based skin features but not from self-ratings.

Conclusion

There are differences between women's self-ratings and assessor ratings of facial appearance. These discrepancies vary with female age and ethnicity. Age and ethnicity effects also are evident in age-dependent changes in skin features within and across ethnic groups, which together with assessor (but not self-) ratings of facial appearance predict menopausal status.