Faces show the secrets of youth, study says - Vancouver Sun

The story of your life really is written on your face, according to research.

In some people, the weather-beaten skin and deep lines that crease their face make it obvious that they have led a hard life, but scientists have discovered that everyone's facial features may betray their upbringing.

The University of Edinburgh study found that it is possible to learn about a person's childhood by looking at how symmetrical their face is.

Using 15 different markers on the face, they concluded that people with asymmetric features tended to have more deprived childhoods than those with symmetrical faces.

Their findings suggest that factors in early childhood such as lack of nutrition, illness, exposure to cigarette smoke and pollution and other aspects of a difficult upbringing leave their mark in facial features.

However, faces are not affected by socioeconomic status in later life, suggesting that even those who undergo a rags-to-riches shift can never escape their past.

It may explain why celebrities who had difficult and impoverished childhoods, such as Hell's Kitchen chef Gordon Ramsay, can have such distinctive asymmetric faces despite having amassed fortunes.

Prof. Ian Deary, from the department of psychology at the university's centre of cognitive aging, said: "Symmetry in the face is thought to be a marker of what is called developmental stability: the body's ability to withstand environmental 'stress factors' and not be knocked off its developmental path.

"We wondered whether facial symmetry would faintly record either the stressors in early life, which we thought might be especially important, or the total accumulated effects of stressors. The results indicated that it is deprivation in early life that leaves some impression on the face."

The team examined the facial features of 292 people at the age of 83 who took part in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921, a study that has followed the participants throughout their life.

They examined 15 facial "landmarks," including the positions of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears, and were able to compare the facial symmetry of participants to information about their social status in childhood, including their parents' occupations, how crowded their home was and whether they had an indoor or outdoor lavatory.

There was a strong association between social class and the symmetry of the face in men, but the results in women were less strong and the researchers want to carry out further studies.

The scientists found no correlation between facial features and social status in later life. Prof. Tim Bates, who co-wrote the study, said "A small link from parental status to facial symmetry doesn't mean people are trapped by their circumstances. Far from it - as shown by the high levels of mobility in society, not just people like Gordon Ramsay, but to lesser degrees by millions of people."

The link might explain why symmetrical faces are thought to be attractive. Lop-sided features may unconsciously signal that a person is less desirable as a mate, as stress in early life could leave them vulnerable to disease.

The study, published in the journal Economics and Human Biology, suggests that facial symmetry could be used with medical markers such as blood pressure to identify those who might be at an increased risk of illness.