Psychological studies have shown that people looking for a partner, make their selections based on parameters falling into three major categories.
1) Companionate factors like sense of humor, romantic engagement, and other personality traits that make us feel someone would be a good match.
2) Resource indicators that show a person could help support us and any possible children.
3) Appearance factors that are used as a general indicator of our partner’s genetic health.
As a general rule, men prioritize these factors 1-3-2. Women, 1-2-3. But what is commonly neglected is that we are ourselves constantly reassessing and self-appraising our own value to potential mates. This is why men suck in their guts when women walk by, and women straighten their posture in mixed company. Even if we’re not actively seeking a mate, we still want to look our best.
And every morning when we look in the mirror, we are constantly assessing our own genetic health by looking at our face. Some of the most important factors in assessing genetic health are seen in the face. First, there is facial symmetry, which is universally a standard of beauty for men and women, and one that can decay over time as slight asymmetries in musculature and bone structure become more and more evident through uneven shaping of the skin’s wrinkles. These wrinkles can often be corrected with facial plastic surgical procedures.
But an even more important appearance factor is overall skin health. And this is one that readily decays over time, leading to significant damage to our self-esteem. Fortunately, it is also one that is combated by a number of advanced cosmetic procedures. Two of the most common procedures for treating skin degradation caused by age are laser skin resurfacing and microdermabrasion, both of which give outstanding results, leaving your skin looking much healthier.
In large measure, looking good is feeling good.
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