Is beauty really in the eye of the beholder − or does science determine what makes someone attractive?

It’s a question fiercely debated in comments sections across the internet, and one at the heart of a field of study known as facial aesthetics.

That field has taken on a life of its own online.

On TikTok, users tout apps, filters and artificial intelligence services that supposedly tell you how good-looking you are. Reddit forums too are chock full of people asking others to rate them on a scale of one to 10. One YouTube channel, QOVES Studio, has amassed over 800,000 subscribers for videos breaking down the research behind what makes a face objectively beautiful. For hundreds of dollars, people have even submitted photos of themselves to the creator to receive a “facial analysis,” detailing the weak and strong points of their face.

These corners of the internet are full of talk about canthal tilts, brow ridges, nose slopes, eye shapes and the supposedly “golden ratio” of facial features − markers that are pretty much impossible to change outside of surgery and which, like it or not, determine your attractiveness.

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Or do they?

Facial aesthetics is a complicated topic, experts say. While it’s true some beauty markers are objective, the entirety of one’s attractiveness can’t be boiled down to them. This is because how beautiful people think someone is usually results from a combination of these objective markers, cultural standards, the observer’s own preferences as well as idiosyncratic features that make someone’s look memorable.

Plus, while it’s normal to find the research behind beauty interesting, it’s important not to pin your self-worth on it, as doing so can take a significant toll on your mental health.

“A lot of facial aesthetics is facial harmonizing and balance. There’s certain traits that are studied throughout history that humans tend to find aesthetically pleasing,” says Dr. Anthony Rossi, a dermatologist and surgeon. “I always tell people that, we’re applying scientific skill and rigor to it, but it’s not a true science, because a lot of it is psychological.”

Is beauty objective? Yes and no.

While it’s true there are some basic universal principles that, in general, make a face attractive, they don’t tell the whole story.

For instance, many facial aesthetics enthusiasts insist symmetrical faces are most attractive; however, some faces which are widely-considered among the most beautiful contain asymmetries.

“For the most part, people like things like averageness and things that deviate to the median, because it’s common,” Rossi says. “However, some of the most beautiful people that people think are some of the most attractive people in the world tend to be outliers as well. Some models who are super attractive actually are outliers.” One QOVES Studio video cites Bradley Cooper and Priyanka Chopra as examples of highly attractive people whose faces have asymmetries.

It’s also important to note that many facial aesthetics standards aren’t born from nature or evolution, but from culture and history. In the West, for instance, many standards come from classical antiquity, Rossi says.

“Some of these are based on Greek and Roman sculptures, so the neoclassical or classical sculpture,” Rossi says. “But when we think about that, that’s very much a western European female or male ideal, so it doesn’t always transcend all ethnicities and all cultures.”

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Rossi also encourages people to keep in mind that “objectively attractive” features don’t look good on every face. That’s because how our features sit in harmony with each other is often more important for our appearance than how they look in isolation. For instance, someone may want to surgically alter their nose to fit a certain beauty standard, but that type of nose may not look attractive in relationship to their chin.

“We don’t want to homogenize everyone and make them into one sort of same recipe,” Rossi says.

When facial aesthetics fervor goes too far

Psychotherapist Stephanie Sarkis isn’t surprised that facial aesthetics has become a hot topic online. After all, she says, it “seems like a logical progression” in our visual culture’s obsession with looks.

The discourse around this topic and what supposedly makes someone objectively good-looking can take a dark turn when people take it too seriously or become obsessive over it. Doing so, she says, can result in body dysmorphia, which can keep people from living their lives to the fullest extent.

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“It can be dangerous when you are rating something that somebody can’t fix,” she says. “If you have someone that’s already not feeling good about themselves, this can be devastating.”

If you’re thinking about getting a facial aesthetics report or asking an AI service to tell you how attractive you are, Sarkis encourages you to stop and reflect first. You should ask yourself: Why do I want to do this − and is this desire pointing to a deeper issue within myself?

“We have to look at what is the benefit of doing this,” she says. “What is the ultimate good that comes from it? … I would say, for most people, it probably results in self-criticism and can also possibly trigger body dysmorphia and other issues.”