Men with beards are more common now than any time in the past 50 years. Some of that is fashion, some is the relaxation of office dress codes, and then a lot of men grew beards during their time at home during the pandemic. Maybe you were one of them. Should you shave that beard off now that it's time to return to the office? That is totally your call, but science knows what others see when they look at you with a beard.
A study from the University of Queensland divided photos of men into four categories: clean shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble, and full beard. Women rated these photos as to attractiveness. Women who were looking for dating fun preferred men with light stubble and heavy stubble. Women who were looking for a long-term relationship preferred those with heavy stubble and full beards. Clean shaven men came in last for each group of women participants. Another study out of Brazil found that gay men also preferred men with facial hair, the more the better.
There was another study that looked into the perception of men with beards in various emotional categories, which you can read about at Inc. Read all about these studies before you reach for the razor. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: Australian War Memorial collection)
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