Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but the reverse is also true, finds research published in Ethology. You’ve heard that the eyes are the windows to the soul. But if those windows are bloodshot, not too many people will want to plumb their depths, says research that indicates that people with bloodshot eyes are sad, unhealthy and unattractive.
Bloodshot eyes occur when small blood vessels on the usually transparent surface of the eye become engorged with blood. This imparts a red tint to the whites of the eye which is generally thought to indicate a person’s emotional and/or physical health.
“If you met a friend with bloodshot eyes it may be unclear whether you should offer sympathy or medical assistance because red eyes may be a result of weeping, allergies or infectious diseases,” says study author Dr. Robert R. Provine, University of Maryland. “Comments from our colleagues also suggest that red eyes prompt feelings of discomfort, ranging from increased monitoring of their own eyes to a hint of sympathetic tearing.”
To find out how people react to bloodshot eyes, Dr. Provine and his team showed 238 University of Maryland volunteers, comprised of 93 males and 115 females, 200 images of eyes. Half of the orbs had clear, white sclera (the whites of the eyes) while the other half had been digitally enhanced so that they appeared bloodshot. Volunteers were asked to rate the eyes by how sad, unhealthy or unattractive they were. And, yup, you already know the results. The bloodshot eyes were considered unhealthy, unhappy and unattractive.
“Standards of beauty vary across cultures, however, youth and healthiness are always in fashion because they are associated with reproductive fitness,” said Provine. “Traits such as long, lustrous hair and smooth or scar-free skin are cues of youth and offer the beholder a partial record of health. Now clear eye whites join these traits as a universal standard for the perception of beauty and a cue of health and reproductive fitness.”
Move over creams and cosmetics. Given this information, it’s time to make room for eye drops that “get the red out.”
The full report can be read here.
