Study at Brunel University found good looks do not protect against illness
Almost 5,000 British teenagers were scanned using 3D scanners
Results found no association between symmetrical facial features and 16 illnesses including measles, mumps, tonsillitis and flu
Symmetrical features long associated with being more attractive signalling a person has good genes and is in good health
Symmetry is thought to be behind the psychology of human mate choice
But new study flies in the face of past research into the issue
It's long been thought that symmetrical facial features are a sign of being more attractive, signalling a person's good health.
But new research has revealed beauty really is just skin deep, and does not protect against illness.
A study of almost 5,000 British teenagers found those with symmetrical facial features - regarded by many as being more attractive - were just as likely to fall ill as their asymmetrical counterparts.
The research flies in the face of previous findings that suggest there are fewer cases of illness among physically desirable people.
Perfect facial symmetry has traditionally been associated with attractiveness.
It is also thought to be behind the psychology of human mate choice, because it signals good health.
A team led by Dr Nicholas Pound, of Brunel University, used 3D face scans of 15-year-olds taking part to compare their features with a range of common illnesses as they grew up.
They found no association between the rate of 16 infections - including measles, mumps, tonsilitis, flu and glandular fever - and a person's looks.
In addition, when analysing symptoms including diarrhoea, vomiting, high temperature and earache, researchers found no link with good looks.
They say the findings suggest that preferences for symmetrical faces, such as those of George Clooney and Kate Moss, are unlikely to be explained by the evolutionary benefits of choosing mates of high genetic quality.
Dr Pound said: 'The idea that symmetry in facial traits is associated with attractiveness because it reliably indicates good physiological health,particularly to potential sexual partners, has generated an extensive literature on the evolution of human mate choice.
'But overall, this study does not support the idea facial symmetry acts as a reliable cue to physiological health.
'This suggests although gross facial asymmetries may be associated with specific pathological processes and injuries, subtle variations in facial symmetry are not associated with variations in general health during childhood.'
Earlier this year, another study of 15,000 young men and women found the more attractive they were rated, the less likely they were to suffer from a wide range of health problems including asthma, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Researchers in the U.S. said good looks may be a marker of good genes, which also signal good health, as well as increasing the likelihood of having healthy offspring.
The men and women were put into five categories - very unattractive, unattractive, about average, attractive or very attractive. The more attractive the person was rated, the lower the risk of ill health.
For instance, for each increase in the rating of physical attractiveness for men, there was a 13 per cent reduction in the likelihood of a diagnosis for high cholesterol, a 20 per cent drop in the risk of high blood pressure and a 15 per cent reduction in the probability of being diagnosed with depression.
Women who were rated as more attractive were 21 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with high blood pressure, 22 per cent less likely to have diabetes, 12 per cent less likely to be asthmatic and 17 per cent less likely to suffer from depression.
Both the men and women who were rated as very physically attractive were also more positive about their own health and had fewer days off work due to illness.
They also had a reduced number of chronic disease diagnoses, of psychological disorders and of disease diagnoses overall.
The new study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. It involved teenagers in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
