For most people, having attractive looks is like winning a genetic lottery you can thank your ancestors for. But researchers say that just like with other human traits, “there is not a ‘master gene’ that determines a person’s attractiveness,” Qiongshi Lu, assistant professor in the department of statistics at University of Wisconsin-Madison said in a statement. “Instead, it is most likely associated with a large number of genetic components with weak effects.”
And in reality, it’s just so much more complicated than simply inheriting your good looks from your parents. All of the different combinations of these genes come together to determine how you look. Even though we get all our DNA from our parents, each of us has a unique combination of genes. Sometimes that means we don’t look like them at all!
Moreover, what makes the genetics of our appearance even more complex is that your environment can change the way you look too. Spending time in the sun can make your skin darker, your hair lighter, or cause freckles. Getting enough food and vegetables can help you grow taller. Staying physically active can improve your fitness and so on. These external aspects directly influence the way you look.
Bored Panda reached out to Sally Choi, an MD trainee in diagnostic radiology and TikTok influencer. Sally’s video featuring a photo of her beautiful mom went viral, amassing 9.1M views. Having in mind that Sally only started TikTok this year, “because it looked fun, and it has been!” it’s really a great accomplishment.
“When my mom’s photos went viral (now over 9M views!!), I was honestly not very surprised because she’s the most lovely person to have walked this planet,” Sally said. On the other hand, sadly, she added that “I was not expecting this level of racism on such a wholesome post, however.”
“Seeing my parents so young in the photos wasn’t surprising to me at all. A lot of people online are in love with her big smile in the second young photo and my mom still has the same smile at 64 years old,” Sally said.
