The surprisingly unexpected sign that a woman is a psychopath: study

Psychopathic serial killer Dorothea Montalvo Puente is pictured at her trial in 1988.
Psychopathic serial killer Dorothea Montalvo Puente is pictured at her trial

Remorseless female psychos never blush.

A surprising new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior has uncovered that lady psychopaths are less likely to wear makeup.

Scholars from the University of Sao Paulo asked 1,410 Brazilian women about their cosmetics usage across different social contexts, including at home, on a first date, in a business meeting, and at the gym.

Psychopaths never blush: Women who scored highly on the psychopathy scale were less likely to put on lipstick, eyeliner and blush in all social situations. djile – stock.adobe.com
Psychopaths never blush: Women who scored highly on the psychopathy scale were less likely to put on lipstick, eyeliner and blush in all social situations. djile – stock.adobe.com

The volunteers were subsequently asked to complete surveys to measure their “Dark Triad” traits —machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy.

The researchers found that women who regularly wore lots of makeup scored highly on the narcissism scale.

Conversely, however, women who scored highly on the psychopathy scale were less likely to put on lipstick, eyeliner and blush in all social situations.

While the findings may initially appear unexpected, they’re perhaps unsurprising given that psychopaths are generally unbothered by how they are perceived by others.

“These findings underscore the nuanced relationship between makeup usage and personality,” the study authors stated, saying that women who wore lots of makeup were also found to be more agreeable in most social contexts.

Psychopathic serial killer Dorothea Montalvo Puente is pictured at her trial in 1988. Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Psychopathic serial killer Dorothea Montalvo Puente is pictured at her trial in 1988. Tribune News Service via Getty Images

The findings come just three months after a separate study uncovered another sign that could indicate you’re in the company of a lady loon.

Academics from the University of New Mexico found female psychopaths are more likely to move their heads when they talk.

“Nonverbal behaviors (i.e., head dynamics) represent an important, yet understudied, form of communication that may enhance our ability to detect certain forms of psychopathology, including psychopathy,” said study authors.

Surprisingly, female psychopaths are more common than most would think.

Clive Boddy, an Anglia Ruskin University professor who specializes in corporate psychopathy, recently suggested that female psychopaths likely go unnoticed due to societal gender bias.