London – Keep this in mind next time you go on a date. Drinking one alcoholic drink could make you look more attractive – but any more than that doesn’t help your chances, according to a new study.
As well as finding others more attractive while drunk, it now seems that a small amount of alcohol could make you look more eye-catching to others among a heavy-boozing crowd.
Mildly-intoxicated people were rated as better-looking after one drink compared to when they were sober. The attractiveness doesn’t stack up with every drink though, as the limit stands at one.
Researchers of a small study at the University of Bristol photographed faces of 40 students before they had a drink, after one drink – equivalent to 250ml of wine at 14% alcohol for a person weighing 70kg – and after a second drink of the same volume and strength.
Their neutral facial expressions were rated by a separate group of students in side-by-side photo comparisons. The images taken after one drink were said to look more attractive than drunk or sober ones.
A small amount of alcohol can drive blood flow to the cheeks to give a rosy or healthy-looking glow. It is also speculated that more relaxed and happy faces – usually enabled by the one drink – are deemed more attractive than those of people who drank another… and another.
Researchers were looking to see if sexual behaviour in social settings, particularly risky sexual behaviour, is influenced by drinking booze. However, they said that a larger-scale study would need to be held to delve deeper into their initial findings.
They said: “The present study suggests that alcohol consumption also increases ratings of attractiveness of the consumer by other people. That is, in addition to perceiving others as more attractive, an alcohol consumer may also be perceived by others as more attractive, and therefore receive greater sexual interest from potential mates.
“An increase in such attention from others may also positively reinforce alcohol consumption, particularly in social contexts.”
The study was published in the Alcohol and Alcoholism journal.
The Independent