Changes in Women's Facial Skin Color over the Ovulatory Cycle are Not Detectable by the Human Visual System

Human ovulation is not advertised, as it is in several primate species, by conspicuous sexual swellings. However, there is increasing evidence that the attractiveness of women's body odor, voice, and facial appearance peak during the fertile phase of their ovulatory cycle. Cycle effects on faci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2015-07, Vol.10 (7), p.e0130093-e0130093
Main Authors: Burriss, Robert P, Troscianko, Jolyon, Lovell, P George, Fulford, Anthony J C, Stevens, Martin, Quigley, Rachael, Payne, Jenny, Saxton, Tamsin K, Rowland, Hannah M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acne
Adolescent
Adult
Attraction
Beauty
Carotenoids
Change detection
Color
Digital imaging
Digital mapping
Evolution
Face - anatomy & histology
Face - blood supply
Female
Females
Fertility
Fertility - physiology
Hormones
Humans
Luteal Phase - physiology
Mens health
Menstruation
Monkeys & apes
Odor
Odors
Ovulation
Ovulation - physiology
Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology
Perceptions
Photography
Phylogenetics
Receptors
Researchers
Sexual Behavior - physiology
Skin
Skin care
Skin pigmentation
Studies
Visual system
Voice - physiology
Women
Womens health
Zoology
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Summary:Human ovulation is not advertised, as it is in several primate species, by conspicuous sexual swellings. However, there is increasing evidence that the attractiveness of women's body odor, voice, and facial appearance peak during the fertile phase of their ovulatory cycle. Cycle effects on facial attractiveness may be underpinned by changes in facial skin color, but it is not clear if skin color varies cyclically in humans or if any changes are detectable. To test these questions we photographed women daily for at least one cycle. Changes in facial skin redness and luminance were then quantified by mapping the digital images to human long, medium, and shortwave visual receptors. We find cyclic variation in skin redness, but not luminance. Redness decreases rapidly after menstrual onset, increases in the days before ovulation, and remains high through the luteal phase. However, we also show that this variation is unlikely to be detectable by the human visual system. We conclude that changes in skin color are not responsible for the effects of the ovulatory cycle on women's attractiveness.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0130093