Not only the secret is out, the science has also proven that WOMEN LOVE BEARDS!
One of the studies shows that women prefer to marry men with facial hair, while another study has proven that women judge how attractive the man is based on his beard (or lack of one).
And guess who they find more attractive?
That’s right, bearded guys.
If you’ve ever been told that facial hair has zero effect on women, you’ve been lied to.
However, if you have a thick beard at the moment or if you’re in a process of growing one, you probably already know how irresistible women find you judging by their looks when you enter the room.
And well, if you grew a beard for this reason (ahem, ahem, to get more girls), you already know all this.
But why is the beard so irresistible to women?
Well, that’s exactly what you’re going to learn in this article where we give you 13 scientific reasons and go into the nitty-gritty details behind them.
Table Of Contents
- Benefits of Growing a Beard
- Short History of Beards and Masculinity
- 13 Reasons Why Women Love Beards According to Science
- Beard Signifies Masculinity
- Beard Makes a Man More Attractive
- Bearded Men Are More Patient
- Women Prefer a Beard Rather Than a Mustache
- Beards Look Really Sexy
- Beards Are Fun to Kiss
- Beards Give a Royal Look
- Beards Imply Trustworthiness
- Man with a Beard Is Seen as a Good Protector
- Bearded Men Are More Independent
- Beard Length Matters
- Bearded Men Make Better Dads
- Women Prefer Beards During Ovulation
- Women Who Dislike Beards
- Do’s and Don’ts
- FAQ
Benefits of Growing a Beard
Beards have gained popularity all over the world. They not only shape a person’s style but are used to make a statement.
However, not all people are into beards. Some think beards are cool, while others would rather see them go away for good.
Thanks to Movember and No-Shave November campaigns, men have embraced facial hair and see it differently.
In the hope of debunking one of the greatest beard myths, here are a few benefits of growing a beard that you should be aware of.
Keeps You Warm
Thousands of years ago, beards were kept for survival during cold months and the same applies today.
While we no longer live in caves, a beard will still keep you feeling warm during the winter months.
Beards prevent the skin from chapping and turning red, which keeps you warm without needing a ski mask.
Masculine Look
While some men can’t grow a beard at all, a beard makes you look masculine, especially for men who have a babyface or a weak jawline.
As long as you keep the beard clean and well-groomed by using a brush or the world’s best beard comb and beard products such as premium beard oil, you can maintain that rough look that women are attracted to.
Saves Time
You never have to drag yourself out of bed when you have a beard because you need to shave before heading to work, thus saving you valuable time.
In addition, constant shaving leads to cuts as well as abrasions. Such nicks and cuts can lead to infections, ingrown hairs, and folliculitis, inflammation of the hair follicles.
While maintaining a beard might seem like an impossible chore, it will save you the time you could have spent shaving when done right.
Filters Harmful UV Rays
A beard serves as a natural sunscreen in that it protects the skin from the harmful effects of UV rays which can lead to skin cancer.
Studies have pointed to the fact that beards offer about 50 to 90 percent protection against UV rays.
However, the amount of protection that the beard provides will depend on the angle and length of the beard, in which case a longer beard offers more protection.
Makes You Look Attractive
Various studies have concluded that a majority of women are attracted to men with beards than those without.
A trimmed and shaped beard looks most attractive since it highlights your eyes and covers up a weak jawline or chin, in addition to making you look more masculine. The only thing you need to do is take care of your beard to help it grow bigger.
Helps Maintain a Healthy Skin
Beards protect the skin against exposure to the sun, harsh weather, and wind while reducing the effects of aging.
When combined with the lack of cuts and nicks because there is no shaving, you are left with smoother skin.
Once you stop shaving, you reduce your chances of bacterial infections and irritated follicles, which tend to dry and age your skin.
Reduce Asthma and Allergies
Beards can be used to prevent asthma attacks and allergic reactions. This is because they prevent asthma and allergy-causing pollen grains and dust from entering the nose, which leads to respiratory problems.
Facial hair also helps ensure that you don’t inhale pollutants that can aggravate asthma and allergies.
Short History of Beards and Masculinity
The legend and history of beard and masculinity go many years back. During prehistoric times, researchers believe that men kept long beards for three reasons.
The first reason is warmth. The beard provided a cushion that offered protection from the elements and acted as a shield to protect the mouth and the lips.
Prehistoric people also grew beards for protection because beards helped to cushion blows to the face.
The third reason why long beards were common during those times was for intimidation, something that exists even today.
Due to this reason, beards, in prehistoric times, were regarded with respect and honor and were only cut as a sign of punishment.
For so many cultures, the beard has meant more than just facial hair and has been seen as a symbol of masculinity.
In Celtic tribes, for instance, the beard was revered in such a way that Otto the Great usually swore by his beard when he had something of great importance that he needed to say.
In ancient India and some other eastern cultures, beards were held higher than everything else. Long beards stood for wisdom, dignity, strength as well as courage.
Beards in such cultures were so revered that they were used in the prosecution of crimes. For instance, anyone caught committing adultery would have their beard cut off as a punishment to show everyone that they were not worthy of the honor of having a beard in society.
In addition, it was common for men to pledge their beards when it came to the payment of debts.
A beard also happens to be a personal thing. During the middle ages, touching another man’s beard was considered offensive and could act as a ground for a duel.
In ancient Egypt, the beard was regarded as a symbol of power, wealth, and importance in society. During those times, the rich and powerful men had their beards dyed and plaited with an interwoven gold thread to drive the point home.
The ancient Greek and Mesopotamian cultures also dressed their beards and treated them with a high level of respect.
Then came the Vikings, raiding, exploring, and trading their way across Europe and other parts of the world with the most legendary beards in the history of beards.
The Vikings were seafarers who used their beards to intimidate their opponents.
Recent archaeological discoveries have found out that Vikings took great care of their beards through personal grooming despite their rough appearance.
During the Middle Ages, a proper beard was used to display a Knight’s honor and virility. The Catholic clergy, however, was always clean-shaven to signify their celibacy.
Based on this, it is clear that the beard has always had a significant role for men. This is even more evident when it comes to the military application of beards.
Century after century, besides the knights of yore, soldiers worldwide have always had facial hair.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, French troops had specific types of beards for different roles. Grenadiers, for instance, wore large and manicured mustaches, infantry chasseurs wore goatees and mustaches, while the gendarmes were mandated to keep a mustache until that changed in 1933.
Following that trend of aggression and virility, British Army troops were mandated to have a mustache between 1860 and 1916.
Fast forward to today, men are bringing the beard culture back such that the beard is no longer for woodsmen and lumberjacks.
According to statistics, women are even more attracted to men who have facial hair than those who do not.
Different surveys also demonstrate that full-bearded men tend to appear older, more respectable, powerful, and of a higher status than clean-shaven men.
The only difference between beards in ancient times and today is an array of products that you can use on your beard to maintain a well-groomed look.
13 Reasons Why Women Love Beards According to Science
Beard Signifies Masculinity
While different kinds of beards have different effects on women, one clear thing is that any form of facial hair has a masculine vibe.
A 2016 study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology confirmed that women perceive bearded men as not only masculine but generous, industrious, sincere, and confident than those who don’t have beards.
Beard Makes a Man More Attractive
Beards give a totally different look to any man in that it makes a man look more attractive, especially those who have weak chins and jawlines.
A beard helps a man build a reputation and command authority in any field, which is tied to aggression and the main reason women prefer a bearded man to a clean-shaven one.
Also, guys with ginger beards look handsome and will attract women more than dark-haired ones.
Bearded Men Are More Patient
It is perceived that bearded men tend to be more patient than those who don’t have beards.
This can be tied to the fact that it takes a lot of patience to grow a beard having to deal with itchiness and patchiness at the initial stages bearing in mind that shaving can’t make your beard grow faster.
Therefore, it is believed that such men can handle any situation that life throws at them with patience, which makes them less short-tempered.
Women Prefer a Beard Rather Than a Mustache
In a survey conducted by WhatsYourPrice.com involving 2,500 women, more than 60 percent said that they find facial hair attractive in a man.
Out of the 1,500 women who checked the box for whiskered men, beards beat mustaches, whereby only 6.44 percent of the women preferred a mustache without a beard.
At the same time, 43.27 percent of the women preferred a beard alone, with 50,29 percent preferring a mustache and beard on a man.
Beards Look Really Sexy
In addition to making a man look attractive, beards are also considered sexy. As such, they are the main point of attraction for most women, and you are more likely to get laid when you have a beard than when you don’t.
This is because beards make men appear older and more mature, which women find extremely sexy.
Beards Are Fun to Kiss
For most women, kissing a bearded man is really fun especially considering that such men are perceived to be mature.
It’s a feeling out of this world, especially when the bead is clean and well-groomed.
Contrary to popular belief, beards don’t interrupt anything when kissing a woman unless you have a dirty and unattractive beard.
Beards Give a Royal Look
Going back in history, most bearded men were considered powerful, strong as well as potent. As such, beards were associated with wealth and power, as seen by different cultures in history.
Every king and powerful person in ancient history has some form of facial hair, which is why beards give a royal look to date.
Beards Imply Trustworthiness
Men who have some form of facial hair are considered trustworthy and as such, women perceive such men as keepers of promises.
Man with a Beard Is Seen as a Good Protector
Bearded men in society are considered protectors mainly because beards are associated with aggressiveness and masculinity.
Women are more likely to start families with bearded men than those who don’t have beards.
Bearded Men Are More Independent
Bearded men are perceived as aggressive and therefore very independent such that they can do whatever they want, which women find attractive.
Bearded men are alpha males who will remain loyal, but it’s not a must that they will always agree with you since they believe in living their lives the way they want.
Beard Length Matters
The beard length says a lot about a man. A University of New South Wales research that involved 315 women and 177 heterosexual men was used to weigh in on the perception of men with different beard lengths.
While a scruffy beard isn’t very popular, men with heavy 10-day facial hair were considered more attractive. In contrast, men with light stubble got the lowest score in attractiveness, health, masculinity, and parenting agility.
Bearded Men Make Better Dads
Since bearded men are considered masculine, it’s no wonder they are perceived to make better fathers than the clean-shaven ones.
This is mainly because masculine traits are tied to health. In a study published in the journal Evolution & Human Behavior, women are more likely to rank bearded men as better fathers than non-bearded ones.
Such men are also viewed as more likely to stick around to not only protect but invest in their future offspring.
Women Prefer Beards During Ovulation
In the same study, women view bearded men as more masculine and better parents, increasing during ovulation.
Women Who Dislike Beards
While it’s clear that most women are drawn to men with beards, not all women hold this view. As such, there is a good percentage of women who prefer their men clean shaved.
A study revealed that such women fear parasites in hair and skin hence the reason why they prefer non-bearded men.
Contrary to popular belief, beards are not always viewed as clean and to some women, a beard is a sign of poor grooming and they will most likely avoid such men.
On the other hand, women who have a high level of pathogen disgust are more likely to prefer bearded men than non-bearded ones, which indicates that they view beards as a sign of good health.
The beard represents freedom, rebellion, uniqueness, something that appeals to the female species; just look a the top-rated movies in history and look for those trends.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s
- Do ensure that your beard is always clean because this will go a long way in ensuring that you remain attractive.
- Do use grooming products such as beard oil, beard combs, and brushes to keep your beard looking and feeling good.
- Do trim and shape your beard to make it look cleaner so that you can accentuate your features to remain attractive.
- Do trim the beard every once in a while to maintain the shape and ensure that the beard doesn’t get into food and drinks.
- Do consider working on your body as well if you do decide to grow a beard. The last thing women want is an unfit man with a beard.
Don’ts
- Don’t grow a beard if you can’t grow a full beard. If your beard grows in patches, you would rather not grow any at all because a patchy beard looks unkempt.
FAQ
Do beards make you look hotter?
According to a study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, women find bearded men more attractive and sexy. Most women view men with stubble as more attractive and fit for a short-term relationship or a fling, while men with full beards are considered ideal for long-term relationships.
What are women saying about beards?
Forget all those surveys and polls you have read about claiming that women have no more feelings for a clean-shaven guy than a stud with a face full of hair.
Chances are pretty good that these results are skewed, conducted by jealous guys who can’t grow a beard, so they try to diminish the power of the beard in guys who can grow them easily.
The truth of the matter, guys with beards are sexy. If there is a room full of guys and one has a beard, the female species can sense his presence without looking.
These bearded studs are like the cherry on top of a whip cream sundae, and these ladies will make any excuse to get as close as possible to the alpha-male by striking up conversations, bumping into them accidentally, or making eye contact until he notices her.
Women are saying these guys are hot, sexy, powerful, dominant, and they’re unable to focus elsewhere once he comes up on their radar.
What attracts women to beards?
The answer to this question might appear complicated because many guys without beards try to paint a picture of a dirty, unkempt, reckless guy. At the same time, women are too busy trying to clear the fog in their brains and thinking about how dominant this is guy must be behind closed doors.
Most guys don’t know this; no matter how strong a woman appears, she wants a guy to grab hold and take charge, especially in the bedroom.
Girls might pretend they want a soft, caring, delicate, kind, and gentle, loving man, but strip away all her defenses; she wants a guy to grab her hand and show her what comes next.
A guy with no facial hair wants to ask a million times. Is everything fine? Is it okay to try this? Are you comfortable with that, whereas in her mind, the guy with the beard takes charge.
Women may say they want things equal, but a bearded guy changes all the rules.
What is sexy in beards?
If you still think the ladies are not into beards, take a walk to the bookstore or visit Amazon books today.
Those romance novels are the absolute best-selling books; women can not buy and read them fast enough.
There is a good reason the majority of the shirtless guys have beards on those book covers; women have had enough of guys being boring in the bedroom.
The beard establishes this guy as an alpha male; he takes off his clothes, then he takes off her clothes, then he does whatever he wants.
He pleasures her his way, not asking if she likes things; he knows she loves them.
A bearded guy is telling the world he is confident about his looks, and the ladies pick up on that signal and get weak in the knees at the thought of letting him dominate without trying to be sensitive and caring.
Is every guy with a beard hot?
The potential answer is yes; the trouble is guys don’t use the power of the beard in most cases—Guys who grow beards and then act overly caring and sensitive water down the power.
Less is more when it comes to the beard, and what I mean by that is any guy can grow a beard, then stop talking when you see a hot woman.
By not talking, not trying to cater to her every whim, her wires get crossed and she can not understand why she is being ignored.
She then goes on the offensive and moves in, and all he has to do is play it cool, and the beard does the rest.
She then imagines how dominant in bed he is, how reckless he is, how he doesn’t have a care in the world, and how other women must be drawn to his mystique.
Any guy can utilize the power of the beard if they stop with the chatter.
Conclusion
While relationships are built around several factors that go beyond looks, one clear thing is that women are likely to disregard other factors if a man has a well-kept and attractive beard.
Whether to grow a beard or not will depend on several factors such as age, genes, work and your own preference.
At the end of the day, however, based on various studies, it is evident that beards make a man look not only attractive but mature and aggressive, which are factors that women consider when looking for both short-term and long-term partners.
Michele Meesh Antunes is the lady of the Beardoholic writers team and a genius when it comes to hair and beard styles that suit any face shape. She’s been a barber for years now and, no matter your personal style, she knows exactly what beard, hairstyle and length suit you. She brings the women’s perspective on beards, beard care, haircuts and hairstyles and male grooming.
Not sure if she wants me or my beard… 😀
true true…
WOW… now I am a gay man so I may not have a leg to stand on, but as much as I know some woman (and some men) may really get off on a dominant, self-assured man, I can not imagine that most women would consider this advice to be acceptable. To me it sounds misogynistic to say that a man should not worry about what the woman wants or that if you act overly caring and sensitive you “water down the power.”
I agree that beards are incredibly sexy and show virility and make a man look more manly. However, I also believe a great beard and a lot of caring goes a long way. Be a hot sexy bearded man. Be dominant and take control… just make sure she is having the time of her life as well.
As a woman, I say this is BS. It is a matter of personal preference whether you like beards or not. I don’t like beards much at all. They are scratchy and get in the way. I think clean shaven is way sexier. Beards usually mean they don’t feel like shaving every day. And all that take charge crap is bull too. I’ll take a considerate thoughtful man over one that takes over. Again, every woman is different.
So when I clicked, while looking for a gift for hubby, I had expected the article would #1 be written by a woman or #2 at least have a woman’s perspective other than “uhh just cause” but it seemed more like something my teenage son would say and some other hormonal teenager would believe it just because he said it.
A bit of research on the topic shows that women of different cultures have been drawn to a beard for reasons such as when looking for a mate or even knowledge. Unfortunate as it is some polls have shown women can be intimidated by a beard or just not like them for whatever reason. I watched a documentary once and they were talking about how we are first visually drawn to a mate and one aspect was actually facial hair and especially when we are ovulating we are more attracted to beards . (I mean one aspect was a mans butt and how a nice firm butt and breeding… well anyway) Or the Official Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society study and how it showed that perception of masculinity increased with amount of facial hair.
A facebook poll or other social media asking women why they want the B not why a man thinks she wants it. If history has taught us anything it is that men rarely know what we want and lets be honest we women change our minds more often than men can comprehend. Saying women want a man to be dominant and leave off the sensitivity? I guess it depends on what your are looking for in life and maybe if your looking for a man for the night not a man for life that would be ok… maybe. Personally why can’t we want a man to have it all? I mean Lord knows men want us to know our way around the kitchen and the bedroom so why shouldn’t a man be sensitive and still be able to make you weak in the knees? I mean I get it, I personally like a man’s man, but nobody wants a heartless man. My husband is a big bearded dude who works in the oilfield but show him a baby and he turns to mush.
Oh.. and as far as any man “can” grow a beard. That drives me crazy, you see these little city boys going around who can’t change a tire but they have a mans beard!! What is up with that? Or then there are men who have a patchy beard or scraggly I haven’t showered this week looking beard. No no… either grow it right or shave it down to a shadow. I have never heard a woman say she liked a fuzzy, weak beard, hot mess of a beard, and yes we women talk!
So although I love my husbads crazy sexy beard, I know not all women are into them and that’s cool. I mean we can’t all have a sexy bearded man who you can take home to momma and still make you weak in the knees. 🙂
Come on! You can’t generalize when it comes to beards or facial hair.
If you do you’re assuming every women has the same likes and dislikes. They can’t be much different than guys who like women with or without makeup. Some do and some don’t, yet others like moderate amounts of makeup, whether it’s lipstick, mascara or highlighters.
I know I don’t much like the taste of it, lipstick or other cosmetics. If some makeup is tastefully applied to heighten, either soften or bring out certain feature lines then it’s fine for her. It’s not so much for me, but her. Treating me like her fuzzy teddy bear or a baby faced softie albeit with a kind heart is in my opinion not very genuine. I want her to laugh spontaneously with me, certainly not at me. If she enjoys my strong silence or my sense of humor then that’s great. We can talk and maybe embark on a romantic interlude. All channels must be open to talk unabashedly about each other’s likes and dislikes. Be fair and adult about it, no secrets or ‘ mysteries ‘ YKWIM? Some times brief game playing is fun and can be tantalizing, yes!
If she responds favorably to my look and how I feel against her, then it can be a genuine turn on….or not. That depends on the level of acceptance, shall I say. She has to like and love you for who you are and not just for how you look or feel. Love has to be reciprocal, not condescending or a bargaining chip, don’t you think?
Some look good in while others look not so good in it it all comes down to his facial features and some times it looks something is missing on his face for some people
You’re exactly right in every way. Spot on. Totally correct. Thanks for telling the truth about us bearded guys.