The psychotherapist named the reasons for the subjective attitude to people's appearance.

The perception of beauty depends not only on the symmetry of the face and compliance with the standards of appearance. When evaluating a person, the brain simultaneously analyzes facial features, emotions, familiarity, context, and one's own condition. Elena Fedkina, a psychotherapist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg clinic), told Izvestia about this on September 6.

According to the expert, beauty is not a separate mathematical category for the brain. When a person looks at a face, they evaluate several factors at once — the shape and proportions, the expression of emotions, the degree of familiarity of the features, and how safe and inviting the interlocutor seems.

"Beauty does not exist for the brain as a separate mathematical category. When we look at a person, we simultaneously evaluate their face, emotional expression, familiarity, context, and our own emotional state, so the perception of attractiveness is always subjective to a certain extent," explained Fedkina.

One of the features of perception is that it is easier for the brain to process familiar and structurally understandable objects, so symmetrical and proportional faces are often perceived as more attractive. However, the doctor noted, absolute symmetry is not a prerequisite for beauty. Almost every person has a slight asymmetry and often becomes part of their personality, making their appearance more memorable.

In addition, the perception is influenced by familiarity. According to Fedkina, a person may seem more attractive as they communicate, because the brain perceives already known images better.

"We tend to relate better to what we already know well. This also applies to appearance. If a person is constantly around, his face becomes more familiar to the brain, and familiarity can affect the feeling of attractiveness," the specialist noted.

Emotions also play an important role in evaluating a face. The smile, the expression of the eyes, the position of the eyebrows and the general emotional background can change the perception of the same features. According to the therapist, a friendly facial expression can make a person visually more attractive, and a neutral or tense one can create the impression of coldness or inaccessibility. This is because the brain evaluates not only appearance, but also social cues. A person subconsciously tries to figure out if the other person is safe, if they can be trusted, and what emotions they are experiencing.

Emotional attachment can also change the perception of appearance. When liking and falling in love, the brain receives additional positive reinforcement, which makes familiar features more attractive.

"We often think that at first the person was beautiful, that's why we liked him. But relationships can also work in the opposite direction: emotional attachment gradually changes our perception of appearance. What used to seem like a disadvantage becomes a feature that we love," explained Fedkina.

According to the expert, it is impossible to create a universal list of traits that make a person beautiful. The perception is influenced by culture, fashion, personal experience and emotional history of each person.

Separately, the specialist talked about why people often evaluate their own appearance more strictly than someone else's. According to Fedkina, a person knows every feature of their face — asymmetry, small skin changes or other details that others may not even notice. Constant attention to these features can increase self-dissatisfaction.

If worries about appearance take up a significant part of the time, interfere with communication, work or relationships, this may be a sign of anxiety disorders or dysmorphic phobia. In such cases, according to the doctor, it is worth seeking help from a specialist.

SOKOLOV jewelry brand analysts reported on April 24 that social media has become the main factor of pressure on the appearance of women in Russia, forming the so-called beauty race. About 21% of respondents try to simplify care by limiting themselves to basic procedures, while 19% perceive it as a necessity. At the same time, 88% of women admit that they feel the pressure of society to look attractive in any situation.