Physical appearance - Definition and Overview

Variation in the physical appearance of humans is believed by anthropologists to be an important factor in the development of personality and social relations in particular physical attractiveness. There is a relatively low sexual dimorphism between human males and females in comparison with other mammals.

However humans are acutely sensitive to variations in physical appearance for reasons of evolution.

Some people have traditionally linked some differences in personal appearance such as skeletal shape with race, such as prognathism or elongated stride (but this is a controversial and sensitive matter).

Some differences in human appearance are genetic, others are the result of age or disease, and many are the result of personal adornment.

A dandy is a man who devotes particular attention to his physical appearance. This is comparable to the metrosexual in modern times.

Physiological differences in human physical appearance from individual to individual

• Height, weight, skin color, sexual organs, moles, hair color and type, body shape, somatotype (ectomorph, mesomorph, endomorph), body deformations, mutilations and other imperfections such as amputations, scars, and wounds. Genital modification and mutilation is particularly common in some cultures.

Long-term physiological changes in an individual

• Aging

Short-term physiological changes in an individual

• Blushing, crying, fainting, sexual arousal, reddening of the skin due to increased blood flow due to exertion. Sweating, Shivering, skin colour changes due to sunshine

Clothing and personal effects

• clothing, including headgear and footwear; some clothes alter or mold the shape of the body (e.g. corset, bra)
• style and colour of haircut (see also dreadlocks, braids, ponytail, wig, hairpin, facial hair, beard and moustache)
• cosmetics, stage makeup, body paintings
• body modifications, such as body piercings and tattoos
• decorative objects (jewellery) such as a necklaces, bracelets, rings
• medical or body shape altering devices (e.g. tooth braces, bandages, hearing aids, calipers, cervical collar, glasses, gold teeth)

Other functional objects, temporarily attached to the body

• headphones
• sunglasses
• goggles
• watch

See also

• Beauty, Body image, Common human variations, Eigenface, Fashion, Hair coloring, Physical attractiveness, Sexual attraction, Social role of hair, Vanity.

References

• A discussion of the possible effect of physical appearance on personality development at personalityresearch.org (http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/popkins2.html)
• Page with a list of links to discussions of the role of physical appearance in sexual selection and evolution. We need to link to their links directly, having read them, as this page is a blizzard of pop-up ads (http://www.beautyworlds.com/humanbeauty.htm)
• S. Ghirlanda, L. Jansson, M. Enquist; "Chickens Prefer Beautiful Humans" (http://www.archaeoworld.com/journals/humanNature/articleDetail.cfm?articleNumber=235), Human Nature, Volume 13, Number 3 (2002) pp. 383-389