Women can read age, adiposity and testosterone level from a man’s face

A study in Poland found that women perceive men with lower adiposity (body fat) as more attractive. Facial masculinity, in turn, was positively associated with higher testosterone levels and age. While women initially rated faces of men in worse cardiometabolic health as less attractive, this association was fully explained by adiposity, age, and testosterone levels. The research was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Throughout human history, people have used physical attractiveness as a cue of an individual’s biological condition when choosing a mate. Choosing an attractive partner enhanced an individual’s reproductive success as it increased the likelihood that their offspring will be healthy. Studies indicate that facial attractiveness is a key predictor of overall attractiveness. This is likely because human faces naturally attract more attention than the rest of the body.

In men, traits such as facial symmetry, clear skin, and a balanced body composition are seen as indicators of good genes and developmental stability. Features like a strong jawline or pronounced cheekbones reflect testosterone levels, which historically indicated strength and dominance. Broad shoulders and muscular build are also valued because they suggest physical capability and protection potential.

Study author Wioletta Czernicka and her colleagues wanted to test whether a man’s facial appearance—specifically, his perceived attractiveness and masculinity—is an honest cue to his metabolic health. They conducted a study examining the relationship between these facial ratings and a broad panel of cardiometabolic health indicators, including lipid profile, markers of insulin resistance, liver enzymes, and inflammation levels. Because health differences become more pronounced with age, they focused on men between 30 and 45 years old.

The study began with a larger group, but after applying exclusion criteria, the final analysis included 105 healthy men recruited from the general population. To be included, participants had to be non-smokers, not undergoing hormonal treatment, and free from chronic diseases or ongoing infections. Men with beards were also excluded to ensure facial features were clearly visible.

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Participants provided fasting blood samples, allowing researchers to assess various biochemical and hormonal parameters. They also completed a questionnaire on their demographics and health history. Finally, they posed for standardized photos of their faces with a neutral expression.

These photos were then rated in an online survey by women aged between 27 and 48. The photographs were presented in a random order, and for each face, women provided two ratings on a 9-point scale: one for attractiveness and one for masculinity.

The results showed that women tended to perceive older men and those with higher testosterone levels as more masculine. Men with higher adiposity were seen as both less masculine and less attractive.

Initially, faces of men in worse cardiometabolic health (e.g., with higher insulin resistance or triglyceride levels) were rated as less attractive and less masculine. However, these associations disappeared after the researchers statistically controlled for adiposity, age, and testosterone levels. This suggests that facial appearance is not a direct signal of specific health markers, but rather a signal of broader factors like body fat and hormone levels, which are themselves linked to health.

“The hormonal system, body composition, and overall cardiometabolic health are a network of interconnected factors that simultaneously affect appearance and broadly understood ‘biological condition,’” the study authors concluded. “As a result, testosterone and body adiposity may account for a significant portion of the variance in cardiometometabolic functioning, potentially mediating the relationship between specific cardiometabolic markers and physical appearance. It is plausible that sexual selection favored sensitivity to broader morphological cues of health or fertility, such as higher body adiposity or reduced testosterone, rather than for any specific physiology-dependent health problems.”

The study sheds light on the nuanced links between health and facial appearance. However, it is important to note that preferences for facial appearance can show cultural variability; in some cultures, higher adiposity may be valued as a sign of wealth or resilience. Additionally, the cardiometabolic health indicators were measured only once, while these values can fluctuate more rapidly than a person’s facial structure.

The paper, “Facial Appearance and Markers of Cardiometabolic Risk in Healthy Adult Men,” was authored by Wioletta Czernicka, Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz, Judyta Nowak‑Kornicka, and Bogusław Pawłowski.