World Beard Day (September 3rd) is here again, and the planet is ready to celebrate great facial hair.

A beard is definitely manly

multiple studies^[1] Have^[2] found^[3] Men look more masculine, dominant, aggressive, and stronger when they wear a beard.^[4] Having facial hair makes you look more masculine.

According to research, men with beards^[5] They tend to have higher testosterone levels than those who choose to be clean shaven, making them more likely to be hostile sexists.^[6] In other words, they support patriarchy and male dominance, and think women belong in the kitchen. .

A beard may be used to intimidate rivals

In his 1970s book, The Evolution of the Human Threat Display Organ, Professor RD Guthrie argued that beards were effective against male rivals by increasing awareness of jaw size and enhancing aggressive and threatening jaw-stabbing behaviors. I theorized that it could be used to intimidate.Additionally, his research revealed that people could recognize expressions of anger more quickly^[7] Bearded faces are slower to recognize facial expressions such as happiness and sadness than clean-shaven faces.

The knowledge that beards serve as signals of fearfulness may help explain why men prefer their own beards, but not others.^[8] they don’t need to worry. Although some researchers^[9] It suggests that beards evolved to protect the face of men by absorbing and dispersing the force of a blow that might hit the chin.^[10] It turns out that bearded men are less likely to win fights than clean-shaven men.

A beard adds maturity (and employability)

Beards often make men older and more mature.^[11] high social status,^[12] and more reliable.^[13] This is especially useful for job-seeking men who look young for their age.^[14] In fact, in previous research^[15] Bearded men were found to be less likely to be offered a job than clean-shaven men.^[16] It has been shown that men with beards are more likely to be invited to job interviews because they are perceived as having more expertise than men with clean-shaven beards.

Beards are especially useful for those working in advice-giving roles.^[17] The beard of her boyish-faced IT partner. In one experiment, she and her marketing colleague David Her Silvera had 127 people imagine they were buying a tablet or laptop. Each person was shown a randomly selected image of a “salesman” with one of his four beards, shaved, normal mustache, handlebar mustache, or bearded. We asked them to rate the person’s expertise and credibility. The bearded version always received the highest ratings. It gave her 11.6% more confidence and 10.6% more expertise than the clean-shaven version.

In another experiment, researchers placed Facebook ads for real businesses and used pictures of bearded or clean-shaven salespeople. The bearded representative generated a much higher click-through rate (2.66%) than the clean-shaven version. Indeed, industry averages of about 1.04% (technology) and 0.71% (industrial services) is higher than In this study, customers viewed bearded salespeople as more professional and trustworthy than stubble, mustache, or clean-shaven salespeople, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, attractiveness, or likeability. It also became clear that

A beard may add sex appeal

A beard not only hides the signs of aging, but also slows down the skin aging process by protecting the wearer from the sun.^[18] Besides protecting men from wrinkles, blemishes and shaving acne, beards can mask signs of illness.^[19] Enhances the sex appeal of men with small, weak-looking chins.^[20]

Like most optional accessories, beards come and go.While beards may have been incredibly unpopular^[21] It used to be much preferred now. However, research on whether women find men with beards attractive is mixed.some research^[22] suggestion^[11] Women find faces with beards more attractive than faces with beards, while men with thick beards are preferred for long-term relationships.^[23] some research^[24] found that women prefer men with the same beard as their fathers (and gay men prefer men with the same beard as themselves). After all, what’s attractive to one person isn’t attractive to another.^[25]

The demographic trend of facial hair has been shown to increase when single men outnumber single women, suggesting that beards are used to indicate masculinity.^[26] to future companions.some people^[28] We also believe that the recent increase in beards may be due to tight financial conditions. A man looking for a mate in today’s tough economic times may have his masculinity up to 11.^[27] We also know that the more beard you have, the less attractive you are. In scientific terms, this is called “negative frequency-dependent sexual selection.” This simply means that they tend to prefer rare or unique mates because they are believed to have a genetic advantage. In a society where beards have peaked, it is not remarkable that he has one more bearded man.

beards are not popular with young children

A survey revealed that people thought men with beards looked trustworthy, but^[29] And good,^[30] And women think they’re better fathers^[22] than a clean-shaven man, especially if you have children of your own.^[31] A 21-month-old child seems to think that men with beards look muscular but unattractive.^[32] And their aversion only intensifies with age. However, when you reach puberty, your way of thinking changes and you start to like it. Personal experience is also important. Children with bearded fathers generally judge facial hair more positively.

Still, kids don’t trust bearded men. Further research shows that children are more likely to choose bearded men to help them with feats of strength such as fighting dragons.^[33] But when I need someone I can trust to help me hide a treasure map, I prefer a clean-shaven ally.

beard is good for health

A well-groomed beard offers several health benefits for men. First, beards can fight allergies.^[34] It also keeps the wearer warm.So effectively, in fact, that there is theory^[35] Male pattern baldness arose among humans to compensate for beard growth by promoting heat loss from the scalp.

That said, beards tend to have a bad reputation when it comes to cleanliness. According to a small 2019 study,^[36] You can find more bacteria in a dog’s whiskers than in its fur. However, it’s worth remembering that the majority of bacteria are not harmful, and quite a few are actually beneficial. I know there is.^[37] It’s actually very useful, as the current inventory is quickly invalidated.

In addition, research^[38] Shaved men are more than 10% more likely to have colonies of Staphylococcus aureus (a bacterium that causes skin infections, respiratory infections and food poisoning) on ​​their faces, three times more likely than men with beards. I know it’s more than that. Because you likely have his MRSA on your freshly shaved cheeks.

Recent research^[39] Of the 919 women, those disliked by creatures such as lice and fleas were less likely to find bearded men attractive. Interestingly, however, those worried about contracting harmful bacteria and viruses tended to find men with beards more attractive. Researchers speculated that facial hair was used by these women as a marker of health or covered areas of the face that could convey ill health.

According to American psychologist Robert Pellegrini, “Some clean-shaven people have a beard that’s crying out for it to come out.”^[1] Men who choose to heed their inner beard can definitely expect a feeling of increased masculinity and reduced facial bacteria.

References:

1. psycnet.apa.org/record/1974-00999-001
2. pms.sagepub.com/content/68/3/921.full.pdf
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4. doi.org/10.2466/pms.1986.62.3.769
5. doi.org/10.1080/03014468800009551
6. doi.org/10.1007/s10508-015-0637-7
7. doi.org/10.1177/0956797619834876
8. doi.org/10.1177/1474704920961728
9. doi.org/10.1093/iob/obaa005
10. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.11.004
11. doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2008.05.007
12. doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arr214
13. doi.org/10.1080/13527260903157383
14. metro.co.uk/2014/01/09/having-a-beard-will-make-you-more-employable-and-heres-the-proof-4256788/
15. doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2003.92.1.201
16. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07293-7_25
17. doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.11.031
18. doi.org/10.1093/rpd/ncr418
19. wayback.archive-it.org/16107/20210313063918/http://blog.wellcomelibrary.org/2015/11/facial-hair-in-disguise/
20. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.08.004
21. doi.org/10.2466/pms.1977.44.2.533
22. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2013.02.003
23. doi.org/10.1111/jeb.12958
24. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.10.007
25. doi.org/10.1093/beheco/ars211
26. doi.org/10.1023/A:1012515505895
27. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2013.0958
28. bbc.com/news/science-environment-27023992
29. doi.org/10.4236/psych.2014.53029
30. doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2420240606
31. doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.04.005
32. doi.org/10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2019.06.002
33. npr.org/2019/07/30/746616246/kids-see-bearded-men-as-strong-but-unattractive-study-finds
34. yorktest.com/blog/can-having-a-beard-or-moustache-affect-my-allergies/
35. doi.org/10.1007/BF00636601
36. doi.org/10.1007/s00330-018-5648-z
37. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/306321
38. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2014.02.010
39. doi.org/10.1098/rsos.191209