The paradigms of female beauty

Throughout history, the perception of female beauty has been shaped by cultural and historical values as well as evolutionary patterns. Understanding these paradigms is essential to grasping these concepts and their evolution, and to applying them to contemporary treatments. This comprehensive review aims to synthesize historical, evolutionary, and anthropometric data regarding female beauty, tracing its evolution to modern clinical applications in aesthetic medicine. We analyze the various standards of beauty from antiquity-spanning ancient Egypt, ancient Greece, and Rome-up to the present day. From a biological perspective, evidence shows that certain characteristics-such as facial symmetry, sexual dimorphism, skin characteristics, youthful appearance, and signs of health-are consistently perceived as attractive and as indicators of beauty. Throughout the history of civilization, beauty has demonstrated an interplay between evolutionary biology, culture, psychology, history, and technology. Standards of beauty remain highly variable and continue to evolve. Social media and "influencers" are among the key factors shaping beauty standards today. A balanced, evidence-based, and safety-conscious approach to understanding beauty and treatments is essential in the field of aesthetics.

Abstract from PubMed