In Western societies, it’s widely accepted that facial scarring makes a person less attractive. You only need to look to scores of films and cartoons where the “bad guy” has a huge scar on his cheek to know that many people attribute certain negative qualities to those with facial disfigurement. In fact, a study conducted in the ‘70s revealed that those with facial scars were unfairly presumed to be less honest, sincere, popular, attractive, and kind. Today, things look a little different: while there is still a level of stigma surrounding more severe facial trauma, newer research shows that women find some facial scarring attractive in men, especially when a woman is considering him for a fling.
One study published in the journal Elsevier revealed that today, men with non-severe facial scarring advertise more “valued traits” than in the past. The researchers gathered 147 female and 76 male subjects and asked them to rate how attractive they found photos of people of the opposite sex. The images were digitally altered to exhibit photorealistic scarring on half of the faces, and the subjects were asked to consider the person in the photo as a potential short-term partner.
Though the male subjects rated women with minor scars on par with the women who had none, female subjects reported feeling increased levels of attraction toward men with minor facial scarring.
The research team theorized that “under certain circumstances scars may advertise valued information about their bearers,” leading women to infer certain desirable qualities from a scar. For example, "scars that are acquired through combat or other heroic behaviors” might make a woman subconsciously think the man is brave, honorable, or strong. “Furthermore, post-traumatic scars may signal a risk-taking personality or above average masculinity. Male risk takers are more attractive, particularly for short-term relationships,” the researchers added.
For that reason, it mattered whether the women viewed the scarring as post-traumatic, accidental, or non-traumatic. “A preliminary study was conducted to determine how the scars were perceived to have been caused,” the study explained. The scars on men were more frequently presumed to be the result of a trauma (for instance a fight or war wound), which could explain the gender gap in how it affected attraction. Women’s scarring was more typically attributed to an accident, which gives fewer clues about a person's personal traits or social standing.
The study leaves plenty of room for further research, but it does serve to illustrate that attitudes are ever evolving when it comes to attraction. Where before a scar might’ve subconsciously signaled a lower social standing or an unseemly lifestyle prone to violence, it now takes on a new meaning. And, for those scar-sporting individuals out there looking for a fling, it could just work in your favor. And for more on qualities women find attractive, check out The Easiest Way to Make Yourself More Attractive.
