A study of UK women's face perceptions (Boothroyd et al. 2005) found that masculinized versions of male face images looked older, but not healthier, than feminized versions.
Generally, the results suggest that female faces are perceived as more masculine as they become older; and young faces (age 20 and 30) are judged as older as they become more masculine. Why do aging and gender interact?
More studies report an overall preference for 'feminine' male faces than for 'masculine' ones. It seems that women vary in how attractive they find masculine faces. Women at the fertile peak of their cycle favour more masculine faces, or at least less-feminine ones, than women not at the fertile peak or on the pill.
Masculine Face Structure
Some of the common masculine facial features often include a prominent chin with or without the cleft in the middle of the chin and a squared jawline with more pronounced definition at the gonial angle (angle of the jaw next to the earlobe).
In most men and some women, the thyroid cartilage on the throat is larger and projects forward to form the small bump known as the Adam's apple. The thyroid cartilage is not usually noticeable in women and this makes the Adam's apple one of the most prominent features creating a masculine appearance.
Most typically, a feminine face is oval or heart shaped, with a narrower, more pointed chin which accentuates this shape. Features are softer with more rounded contours. Dermal Fillers are one of the best ways to achieve changes in facial shape and contour.
Facial feminization surgery may involve solutions such as an eyelid lift, brow lift, neck lift, nose surgery, chin surgery, ear surgery, lip augmentation and dermal fillers.
For male faces, researchers have found that a square jawline and an oval-shaped face were the most attractive. This is especially true if they were paired with blue eyes, medium-thick eyebrows, brown hair, average lips, straight eyebrows and a straight, slim nose.
Square Face Shape
The angle of the jaw is sharp rather than rounded. This is the most classically masculine face shape.
Diamond. The rarest of face shapes in male-identifying individuals according to Grawe, a diamond-shaped face is narrow at the forehead and jawline but widest at the cheeks, which gives it that diamond shape. Diamond-shaped faces also tend to have narrower hairlines that lend the illusion of a smaller forehead.
Psychologists at New York and Princeton universities found that most women prefer men with more feminine shaped faces and darker skin. But the study found that men typically like women's faces to be feminine with plump lips and wide eyes, the Daily Mail reported.
Oval: Your face is often longer than wide, with the forehead standing out as the largest area of your face. According to Papanikolas, this form is typically regarded as the most attractive facial shape.
Men in their 30s are attractive to a wide range of women, from 20-somethings to women in their 40s. When it comes to being attractive to the most potential partners possible, 30-something men take the cake.
Male desirability to women peaks in the late 20s and does not fall below the average for all men until 36. Other research indicates that women, irrespective of their own age, are attracted to men who are the same age or older.
For most people, the answer to “At what age does your face change the most?” is sometime in their 50s or 60s. This is around the time that the effects of gravity and fat loss become extremely noticeable.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales analysed over 17,000 faces and found that squarer faces are perceived to be more aggressive, possibly because they're seen as an indicator of physical strength.
Diamond. The diamond shaped face is the rarest of face shapes, and is defined by a narrow forehead, wide cheekbones and a narrow chin. Diamond shaped faces are usually narrower at the eye line and jaw line, with high and often dramatic cheekbones.
Women in both experiments rated the male faces with feminine traits as more attractive than the distinctly masculine faces.
A study published in the journal Nature Communications found that men with high levels of the hormone testosterone and certain stress hormones also have stronger immune systems and tend to have more masculine facial features such as a strong jawline — a sexy physical trait.
There is a preference for darker skin, a narrower facial shape, not a plump one. The lips should be full and symmetrical. The upper half of the face should be broader, the cheek bones higher and the lower jaw more prominent. These are all indicators of higher levels of testosterone.
How does a round faces age? Round faces tend to age very well compared to other face shapes due to the fact they store a lot of fat in the cheek area. This can keep you looking younger for longer than those who lose fat quicker. This means that a gaunt and dull complexion takes longer to develop.