If in the past, wearing a beard has been associated with messiness and being ungroomed, beards are working their way to the fashion world’s Olympus quickly today. Beards are now recognized as a characteristic of beauty and even chicness. Don’t you think you believe us? Look at your Instagram feed to see a number of attractive guys on their faces showing off “secondary sexual attributes.”
According to statistics, men who shave their faces spend an average of 3,350 hours of their life in the bathroom. Maybe that’s why wearing a beard in recent years has become a big trend. The good news is that it not only saves a man’s time, but it also attracts more women, leaving those clean-shaven, beardless guys in the dust.
Women find bearded men better looking as shocking as it might sound, which increases the latter’s chances of finding a lifetime romantic partner earlier. Not to mention the fact that beards help men stand out from the crowd, shadowing those in the dating pool without beards.
Scientists from several Australian universities as well as the University of Turku in Finland became increasingly interested in this trend and decided to find out how beardedness influences the attitudes of women towards this masculine feature and to learn the reasons behind these preferences.
Approximately 8,500 women were invited to participate in the experiment and photosets of the same men were shown: one photograph of a clean-shaven man in each set, a photograph showing the man with light stubble, and a full beard in the last photograph. Participants were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of these men and whether they would consider entering into a long-term or short-term relationship with them.
Most women noticed that they considered men with beards looking better and decided to have a long-term relationship with them, while for short-term relationships clean-shaven faces were preferred more. One possible explanation for this might be that beardedness could be considered a “signal of intrasexual formidability and the potential for direct benefits for women.”
In addition, beards tend to soften traits that are considered too masculine or even feminine, making men look more appealing.
Ultimately, beards are not only another trend in style, but they are also a device that balances men’s faces which look too masculine. Beards bring more appeal to those considered to be eternally serious because beards demonstrate that a person is willing to let go and have fun. And last but not least, beards favor those who want to enter a long-term relationship known as a serious game.
So, if you’re in need of a long-term, stable relationship, it’s high time you dug the razor and let your hair grow free. We’re just slaves to our basic impulses after all, aren’t we?
Let’s experiment with our own! What more do you like: bearded and clean-shaven men?
Preview photo credit Legends of the Fall / TriStar Pictures
