TRUST THE ‘SCIENCE’: Bizarre study claims masks make you more attractive

According to the study's findings determing that face coverings could make mask-wearers better looking, men with masks appealed more to the opposite sex than an uncovered face and wearers with blue medical masks ranked the most attractive.

On-the-street interviews conducted by FOX 5 New York found mixed results with some agreeing with the study's results and others noting that faces are obscured by the masks. "Abosolutely, because it shows that they care about their own health and safety and the health and safety of others," another woman said.

"We choose mates based on safety and being protected and therefore equating the masks with some sort of protection is what may be in the unconscious mind of the person viewing an individual wearing that mask," said Dr. Jeff Gardere, a clinical psychologist intereviewed in the local outlet's video, who appealed to principles of evolution. "We have come to trust the blue medical mask with medical workers. Medical workers equates to safety, equates to treating people and stopping spread of disease..." Gardere explained to the television station. "And therefore, when you see someone wearing that mask, you feel much safer around them."

People finding masks attractive may be a pandemic-related phenomenon. "Interestingly enough, a pre-pandemic study in Japan found that masks induced thoughts of disease and aversion of wearers – the phenomenon is called the 'sanitary-mask' effect," the report concludes, which is cited in the study.