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Characteristics and facial shape of a person are generally determined by the genetic inheritance of the parents. That's why you most likely look like either parent or parent. However, did you know that it turns out that your childhood experiences also affect the shape of your face? What is the relation? Come on, see the facts from his research below.
Childhood experiences affect the shape of a person's face as an adult
Whether your face was symmetrical or not as an adult can tell a lot about your childhood. This statement was made by a group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Their findings were published in the journal Economics and Human Biology. What have they actually researched to come to a conclusion?
The researchers examined the facial features and other physical characteristics of 292 elderly people— they were all 83 when their facial symmetry was measured, while body symmetry was checked when they were 87. These physical features are examined using special detectors that observe the position and shape of the eyes, nose, mouth and ears.
After gathering information about the facial shape of each participant, the researcher then gathered information about the socio-economic status of childhood and middle age. Participants' socioeconomic status during childhood included information on whether housing facilities (such as the number of toilets and bedrooms) were proportional to the number of occupants; as well as what their parents used to do and how much they earned each month.
Researchers also collected data about the health conditions of each participant as a child. For example, nutritional adequacy, history or risk of certain diseases, to air quality at home (is there exposure to cigarette smoke and pollution fumes).
The results found that the more symmetrical a person's face shape is when they are adults, the more they have a happy childhood. In that sense, their nutritional and socioeconomic status were classified as good. This could mean that they are well nourished / well nourished, do not have a history of serious illness, good parenting, and include a middle to high income.
In contrast, groups of people who went through a difficult and deprived childhood reported having less symmetrical faces. The same is the case with people who were previously poor, but become rich in adulthood. Their facial shape was also reported to be asymmetrical when compared to people whose childhood was happy, but who were destitute as adults.
Why is that?
Professor Ian Deary, a senior scientist involved in the study, said that facial symmetry is one of the markers of developmental stability. According to experts, developmental stability is how well the body's ability to withstand and adapt to external environmental stresses, so that its development does not go off track.
Researchers suspect that whether a person's facial shape is symmetrical or not can be a "living witness" of a collection of stresses he faces throughout his life, which then affects his physical development. Indirectly, a more symmetrical face shape can be a sign that the person is in good health and a prosperous socioeconomic status.
Scientists further argue that how symmetrical a person's face is can be related to the risk or history of diseases they have, such as the risk of hypertension and premature death from severe stress.
However, Professor Deary emphasized that the results of this study cannot be used as a benchmark for how childhood can guarantee the status and shape of a person's face in the future. He believes that other research is still needed to strengthen his research and find out what the cause-effect relationship is.
