The Science of Beards

Here are a few facts that scientists have learned about beards as the world prepares to celebrate amazing facial hair on World Beard Day (September 3).

Strong Manly Beard

Men who have beards appear to be more dominant, aggressive, and strong, according to numerous studies[1][2][3] that have been conducted. In fact, men claim that growing facial hair makes them feel[4] more manly.

Men who choose to grow beards tend to have higher testosterone levels than men who choose to keep their faces clean-shaven, according to research. They are also more likely to be hostile sexists, or to support the patriarchy and male dominance, as well as to believe that women belong in the kitchen, according to research on this topic. The beards (and muscles) on these males might be used to enforce gender roles.

Professor R. D. Guthrie proposed in his book "Evolution of human threat display organs" from the 1970s that beards could be utilized to scare male rivals by improving aggressive and threatening jaw-thrusting behaviors and increasing perceptions of the size of the jaw. Additionally, studies have shown that people are slower to perceive happy or sad faces, but may recognize angry expressions faster[7] on a bearded face than on a clean-shaven one.

Guys may prefer a beard on themselves but not on other men, which can be explained by the fact that beards are a show of dominance.

[8] No need to be concerned. Others[10] have discovered that bearded men are no more likely to prevail in a fight than their clean-shaven counterparts, despite some researchers'[9] claims that beards developed to defend a man's face by absorbing and dispersing the impact of any strikes he could get on the chin.

Men with beards frequently appear older, more responsible,[11] of greater social status,[12] and more trustworthy.

[13] Male job seekers who appear young for their age may find this to be extremely helpful. [14] However, more recent research[16] reveals that men with beards are perceived as having more expertise than clean-shaven men and, as a result, are more likely to be invited to a job interview. In fact, previous research[15] found that men with beards are less likely to be offered a job than their clean-shaven counterparts.

Those who give counsel find beards to be particularly helpful. Dr. Sarah Mittal, an assistant professor of marketing, was inspired to research beards in 2020 by her husband, a boyish-looking co-owner of an IT firm who believed that his clients didn't take him seriously without whiskers. In one test, she and David Silvera, a marketing colleague, asked 127 participants to picture themselves shopping for a tablet or laptop. Each participant was asked to score the man's knowledge and dependability after viewing a randomly chosen photograph of a "salesman" sporting one of four different styles of facial hair: clean-shaven, a standard mustache, a handlebar mustache, or a full beard. The bearded version was consistently given the highest ratings, scoring 10.6% more knowledgeable and 11.6% more trustworthy than the clean-shaven version.

In a different experiment, the researchers utilized a photo of either a bearded or clean-shaven sales representative in a Facebook advertisement for a real company. The representative with the beard generated a click-through rate that was 2.66% greater than the one with clean-shaven skin. higher in fact than the 1.04% (technology) and 0.71% industry averages (industrial services). The survey also found that, independent of the salesperson's age, race, ethnicity, beauty, or likability, clients see bearded salesmen as being more knowledgeable and trustworthy than their stubbled, mustachioed, or clean-shaven counterparts.

Beards could boost sex appeal.

By shielding the user from the sun, beards not only hide age symptoms but also slow down the skin's natural aging process.

[18] Beards can conceal disease symptoms[19] and improve the sex appeal of men with small, weak-looking jaws in addition to shielding men from wrinkles, age spots, and shaving-induced acne. [20]

Facial hair is one of our optional accessories that goes in and out of style. Beards are far more popular now, despite the fact that they were once highly unpopular[21]. Research on whether women find bearded guys appealing, however, is conflicting. According to certain studies[22][11], men with full beards are favored for long-term partnerships but women find faces with the ability to grow facial hair more attractive than faces without it. [23] According to some research[24], women favor males with beards that are similar to their dads' beards (and that homosexual men prefer men whose beardedness matches their own). Ultimately, what appeals to one individual may not do so to another. [25]

It has been observed that population trends in facial hair rise when there are more single males than single women, indicating that beards are being used to signal masculinity[26] to potential partners. Some people[28] also think that the recent increase in beardedness may be related to the difficult economic times; men may be turning up their masculinity to 11 in order to attract partners in today's difficult economy. However, research[27] has also revealed that beards lose some of their appeal as they grow longer. Negative frequency-dependent sexual selection is the scientific term for this phenomenon, which basically indicates that humans tend to favor partners who are uncommon or distinctive because we believe they have a genetic advantage. One more man sporting facial hair in a culture where the beard has reached its zenith is hardly noteworthy.

Young youngsters don't like beards

Children as young as 21 months seem to think that men with beards look strong but very unattractive,[32] and their dislike only grows stronger with age. Research has shown that people think that men with full beards look trustworthy[29] and good[30] and that women think that they would make better fathers[22] than clean-shaven men, especially when they have children of their own. But as they approached puberty, their opinions began to shift, and they began to like them more. Personal experience matters, too: kids who have bearded fathers tend to have more favourable perceptions of facial hair.

A man with a beard is nevertheless regarded with suspicion by a child. According to another studies, children are more likely to choose a bearded ally to aid them in physically demanding tasks, such as slaying a dragon[33], but they favor a clean-shaven ally when they require someone trustworthy to assist them in hiding a treasure map.

Beards are beneficial to your health.

Having a well-kept beard has various advantages for a man's health. First off, beards can help with allergies. [34] The wearer is kept warm as well. In fact, it works so well that there is a theory[35] that male pattern baldness emerged in humans as a way to encourage heat escape through the scalp in order to make up for the development of a beard.

However, beards typically have a terrible reputation for cleanliness. One tiny 2019 study[36] found that a beard contains more germs than a dog's fur. But it's important to keep in mind that most germs are not hazardous, and quite a few are even helpful. In fact, studies have shown that beard bacteria might be used to create antibiotics,[37] which would be quite helpful given how quickly our existing supply is losing its effectiveness.

Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can cause skin infections, respiratory infections, and food poisoning. According to research[38], clean-shaven men are more than 10% more likely to be carrying colonies of this bacteria on their faces than their whiskered counterparts, and they are more than three times more likely to be carrying MRSA on their freshly shaved cheeks.

According to a recent survey[39] of 919 women, those who find insects repulsive, such as lice and fleas, are less likely to find bearded males attractive. However, it's interesting to note that individuals who were concerned about contracting dangerous bacteria or viruses were more inclined to find bearded males appealing. According to the study, those ladies either used their facial hair as a health indicator or it served to conceal any facial features that would indicate illness.

A beard is clamoring to be allowed out of every clean-shaven male, claims American psychologist Robert Pellegrini.

[1] Men who choose to listen to their inner beard should expect to feel more manly and have fewer microorganisms on their faces                                                                                                                                                                By SCITECHDAILY.COM