Brad Pitt, Prince William, and Boris Johnson all look better with facial hair, don’t you think?
It’s not just personal preference; there’s a scientific reason people find facial hair appealing.
Facial hair is what scientists refer to as a “secondary sexual characteristic.” It may have evolved to help men attract more partners, as reported by Daily Mail.
Since ancient times, a thick beard has helped men showcase their strength. Researchers believe this phenomenon continues today.
Do Beards Really Make Men More Attractive?
While studies vary, many have concluded that facial hair can boost a man’s attractiveness to women.
In a 2014 study, researchers showed photographs of men who had grown beards voluntarily to 1,453 women. Participants rated the men, who were shown with light stubble, full beards, or bushy beards. Most women said all the styles improved the men’s appearance, though different women preferred different beard styles.
The effect also depended on the man’s age and face shape. So, depending on the impression a man wants to make, he may need to adjust his beard accordingly.
Previous studies have shown that men with thick beards tend to appear more mature than those who are clean-shaven. Thick beards are often associated with physical strength, long-term relationships, and a readiness to raise children.
However, for movie stars like Ryan Gosling or Tom Hardy, light stubble often better suits a handsome, charming look.
Dr. Wesley Pech of Seton Hall University said, “Beards generally highlight masculine facial structure, leading people to perceive the individual as older, dominant, and of higher status. Young men can take advantage of this.”
Researchers believe that beards are a nod to our evolutionary history. In ancient times, facial hair signaled anger and aggression, helping men ward off rivals.
Dr. Pech pointed out that beards likely arose through sexual selection. They not only helped with survival but also helped men find mates.
What Influences Beard Fashion?
Understanding the evolutionary signals sent by beards helps explain why beard fashion changes so rapidly.
In overcrowded cities or during periods when there are more single men, the number of beards per capita tends to rise. Men strive to stand out.
British researcher Nigel Barber, who studied beard fashion from 1842 to 1971, found that the popularity of facial hair depended on the ratio of single men to women in society. The trend for beards peaked during times when there were fewer women in the marriage market.
Additionally, research from the University of New South Wales (Australia) showed that when beards are rare on the streets, women are more likely to prefer them.
Dr. Pech said, “Signals carry more information when few people are sending them.”
Take guppies, for example. Those fish that nature has endowed with rare coloring are more successful in finding partners. This leads to an increase in guppies with that pattern until the coloring is no longer rare and the evolutionary pendulum swings the other way.
Similarly, the number of bearded men gradually increases, reaches its peak, and then declines again.
“When almost everyone is clean-shaven, a beard can say more about status, maturity, or identity than when beards are common,” says Dr. Pech.
To beard or not to beard? Paraphrasing Shakespeare, do you ask yourself this question every morning in front of the mirror? Here’s a tip: stop pondering. Make a decision before someone else has the same idea.
Photo: Unsplash
