17 Oct Older Women, Darker Skin Tones Now Included In Modern Standards of Beauty
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Vashi
Neelam A. Vashi, MD
Assistant Professor of Dermatology
Director, Boston University Center for Ethnic Skin
Director, Cosmetic and Laser Center
Boston University School of Medicine
Boston Medical Center
Dr. Maymone
Mayra B. C. Maymone, MD, DSc.
Department of Dermatology
Boston University , Boston
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Societal interest with beauty dates back centuries; Plato described the 3 wishes of every man to include beauty, good health, and riches. Given this fascination, there are many people who have dedicated their entire lives to studying the concept of beauty and the implications it presents to society. The ability to set ‘beauty’ as a standard of comparison has shown us the advantages of being deemed beautiful – those who are more beautiful being able to get jobs easier and go out on more dates. Beautiful people are even more often attributed qualities such as likeability, social competence, and intelligence.
The study and concept of beauty are quite fascinating yet complicated. We have found that there are both biological/innate indicators and also subjective aspects. As discussed in my article, the classical conception of beauty is a matter of mathematical conceptions and instantiating definite proportions. However, this inflexible treatment of the concept of beauty as objective denies paying tribute to its many different aspects and the contributions of individuality, culture, and history. From our study, we can see that beauty standards are evolving and slowly drifting from the rigid standards once set. We found that compared to 1990, celebrities rated beautiful in 2017 were older, more often women, and had a higher rate of darker skin types and mixed race.
The study of beauty is a quite lengthy topic – I wrote a book on it: https://www.amazon.com/Beauty-Body-Dysmorphic-Disorder-Clinicians/dp/3319361988/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1508076953&sr=8-2&keywords=neelam+vashi.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Response: Historically, many cultures have deemed fair skin more beautiful.
Also, in literature and society, women who possess youthful features are consistently rated as more attractive than older appearing women. However, our data suggests that maybe our society is starting to embrace graceful aging, diversity, and the beauty we are born with.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Response: I think that we have a long way to go in understanding the perceptions of beauty and how it evolves with the ever changing society. There is a lot of potential for future research. This has inspired us to delve further into this topic. My research group is exploring and has next steps in place for future studies.
MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.
Citation:
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/2656675
Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.
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Last Updated on October 17, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD