The evidence that transparent masks do not impair the recognition of emotions suggests that emotional displays are largely detected on the basis of specific individual details—and the mouth in particular—rather than on a holistic processing of the whole face. This hypothesis is in line with huge amount of data highlighting the role of the mouth region in the recognition of many emotional expressions, and in particular happiness 13, 28, 29, 30, thus suggesting that transparent masks provide a workable alternative to standard masks to face the Covid-19 emergency and, at the same time, to allow individuals to share emotions and to convey face-mediated social intentions and non-verbal communication in a standard fashion. Many cases of translucent skin simply occur due to genetics. If your father or mother have visibly pale or translucent skin, you most likely inherited it from them.

De Gelder, B., Vroomen, J., Pourtois, G. & Weiskrantz, L. Non-conscious recognition of affect in the absence of striate cortex. NeuroReport 10, 3759–3763 (1999).

Ekman, P., Sorenson, E. R. & Friesen, W. V. Pan-cultural elements in facial displays of emotion. Science (80-) 164, 86–88 (1969). The RNID has reported a rise in people losing their hearing aids while putting on and taking off their face mask. It recommends face coverings which tie around your head and don't touch your ears, to keep your hearing aid or cochlear implant secure. All the original databases used in the current study are publicly available. To obtain visual stimuli for the masked TM and SM conditions, a professional graphic designer edited each unmasked stimulus, creating two versions of the same stimulus by superimposing two different masks: a standard medical mask and a transparent one, in which the mouth could be seen through the transparency of a plastic part (Fig. 1A). Measurements and Statistical analysis The face is the part of an animal’s head that contains three sensory organs: the eyes, nose, and mouth, and through which animals exhibit a wide range of emotions. The face is important for human identity, and harm to it, such as scarring or developmental defects, has a negative impact on the psyche. Some users told us they prefer a fully clear mask, as the ones with a transparent window still obscure some of the face, and some people felt that this didn't do enough to improve communication.

Suggested solutions included using dishwashing liquid, shaving foam or specific anti-fogging spray (a couple of people suggested a spray that is used on motorbike helmets). While opaque masks can make it extremely challenging or impossible for some people to communicate, the level of improvement offered by a clear mask seems to depend on the type.Dunn, J. R. & Schweitzer, M. E. Feeling and believing: the influence of emotion on trust. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 88, 736–748 (2005). This work was supported by Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, School of Health Professions Faculty Research & Scholarly Assistance Program. Conflict of Interest