Variations In Male and Female Faces

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Male and female faces have fundamental differences that are seen across the majority of people, many of these differences can be traced back to ancestral roots through evolution. Dr. Stephen Marquardt studied human beauty for years and through surveys studying perceptions of facial beauty and analysis of the human face in history found that beauty is related to phi. He created an archetypal beauty mask which uses the pentagon and decagon as it's foundation and embody phi in all the dimensions. The mask is the 'perfect' face and the more closely a face fits the mask the more beautiful a person is.

The phi mask is actually a a woman's mask, therefore the male image and mask is actually a variation of the female one. Developmentally, all human faces are essentially feminine and men's faces change and alter through multiple exposures to testosterone. However, they start out the same as a female (pre-pubescent males look extremely similar to pre-pubescent females and if dressed the same are often mistaken). Generally the female face is considered more attractive than the male face and this appears to be for the primary function of male attraction. Female attractiveness advertises health, the absence of disease and the ability to bear good children. This is important as in history males would be the sex to chose the mate, leaving the females to 'attract' the mate. It's because of this that females are attractive to other females, just not in a necessarily sexual way, because the face of a woman who fits the phi mask should be attractive to everyone - adults, children and infants.

The male variation of the mask is similar to the female mask but different in significant ways - 'characteristic' male variations.The archetypal male face is typically more protective, intimidating and sexually dissimilar than the female face.

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Variations on repose frontal generally include:

1) Prominent supra-orbital (brow) ridges resulting in deeper set eyes

2) Flatter and narrower eyebrows

3) Slightly narrower eyes

4) Eyes less 'wide open' (eye lids slightly closed)

5) Slightly longer and/or wider nose

6) Slightly thinner lips (especially top lip)

7) Square/angled or larger jaw.

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Variations on repose lateral generally include:

1) Prominent supra-orbital (brow) ridges resulting in deeper set eyes

2) Flatter eyebrows

3) Eyes less 'wide open' (eye lids slightly closed)

4) Slightly longer and/or wider nose

5) More obtuse nose-lip angle

6) Slightly thinner lips (especially top lip)

7) Square/angled or larger jaw.

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All of these variations work together to make the male face appear more intimidating and protective than that of the female, the female face is more attractive and nurturing.

 Stephen Marquardt. Face variations by sex. [Online] Available from: http://www.beautyanalysis.com/beauty-and-you/face-variations/face-variations-sex/ [Accessed 12^th February 2015]

Other differences between men and women:
 - men generally have more body hair than women
 - Men's skin is thicker and oilier than women's skin; women's skin tends to be smoother
 - Women generally have smaller waists in relation their hips; that is, their waist to hip ratio is smaller than that of a men
 - A man's index finger (second digit) tends to be shorter than the ring finger (fourth digit), whereas women's index finger tends to be longer than the ring finger
 - Women tend to have lighter skin coloration than men, on average, by as much as 3% or 4%
 - Women tend to have a lower center gravity than men - that is, shorter legs and longer torsos relative to their height - as well as a larger hip section.
 - Women generally have a higher percentage of body fat than men
 - Women tend to have higher voices than men
 - Men tend to have a more prominent laryngeal prominence, or Adam's apple, than women
 - Women have enlarged, functional breasts
 - Men generally have greater muscle mass and physical strength
 - Men tend to have shoulders that are wider than their hips
 - Men's skeletal structure is generally heavier than women's
 - Men tend to collect fat deposits around the abdomen and waist (apple shape), whereas women tend to have greater fat deposits around the buttocks, thighs and hips (pear shaped)

Debreceni, T (2013) Special Makeup Effects for stage and screen. 2^nd edition. Abingdon. Focal Press (pg. 74-5)