Influence of aging on facial attractiveness perception in individuals with normal occlusion

To evaluate the perception of orthodontists and laypeople of facial attractiveness during aging in participants with acceptable, untreated occlusion.

Frontal and profile facial photographs of 24 participants (13 male, 11 female) with acceptable, untreated occlusion, taken during adolescence (mean age = 13.3 years) and late adulthood (mean age = 61.2 years) were used. Groups of 30 orthodontists and 30 laypeople scored the facial attractiveness using a scale from 1 (unattractive face) to 10 (very attractive face). Raters indicated the apparent age at T2 and the most and least pleasing facial structures. Three-way analysis of variance was used to assess the influence of sex, age, and rater group on facial attractiveness. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare males and females regarding the apparent age perceived by raters at late adulthood (P < .05).

Mature age was judged with lower scores on facial attractiveness (mean = 5.43) by both groups compared with adolescence (mean = 6.51). Facial attractiveness was not affected by sex. At late adulthood, females were considered younger by both groups of raters, while men were perceived more similar to their actual age. Laypeople were slightly more critical than orthodontists in the assessment of facial attractiveness. Thirty percent of the raters indicated the eyes as the most pleasant region and the chin and nose as the least pleasing structures.

Facial attractiveness slightly decreased from adolescent to mature ages. Women appeared younger than their actual age at late adulthood.