Here’s another trend that almost ruined something us ladies love instinctually – beards. If it’s clean and devoid of any bits of food, beards are pure joy-givers. So, what were these guys thinking? Somehow, these weird photos make the whole idea of beards appear more satirical than attractive.
Beards are the undisputed flaunt for masculinity and you wouldn’t be surprised to find males – even teens – going to crazy lengths to grow some. [1] Most guys would begin to grow beards anywhere from the adolescence to the later stages of puberty, and sprouting a full, gapless beard is like the unofficial rite of passage from boy to man. While not every man will ever grow a full one (blame genetics), most would spend their lifetime trying. In reality, the presence of a beard has nothing to do with a man’s true nature or his masculinity, although it may boost his confidence superficially. However, most ladies get primal when healthy beards are involved, and it’s just what it is.
And then they had to go ruin everything with this crazy trend that shows beards might just be overrated after all. Guys online are taking selfies with their chins held up, showing what their beds look like from the underside, and the photos are just so hilarious. Some are even making drawings on their necks and stuffing glasses down their hair.
See for yourself:
Why do ladies find beards so attractive?
In simple terms, women are attracted to the sheer masculinity and “strong-man image” projected by beards. Whether it’s a goatee, a Van Dyke, a Balbo, a ducktail, or a full mass of facial hair, statistics show that over 60% of women find beards attractive. [2] While some prefer mustaches to beards, only a few women would attest to disliking all forms of masculine facial hair.
A 2020 study conducted by researchers at the University of Queensland reported that most women are attracted to bearded men because they appear more physically strong and socially dominant. [3] They also found that women who display higher levels of “moral disgust” were more likely to find facial hair attractive.
The study tested 919 American (mostly Caucasian) women between the ages 18 of 70 with online picture questionnaires. The ladies were required to rate 30 pictures of men who sported different stages of facial hair growth based on instant attraction.
The photos were digitally altered to make the men look either feminine or masculine with or without beards. The researchers found that the more facial hair a man had, the more likely the ladies were to select him as attractive, particularly because they seemed more mature and more suitable for long-term relationships.
“Facial hair had a significant main effect on women’s short-term and long-term attractiveness that also received strong support in Bayesian analyses,” the authors wrote. “Faces were more attractive when bearded than when clean-shaven for both short-term relationships and long-term relationships. Facial masculinity also had a significant main effect on long- and short-term attractiveness ratings that received strong support in Bayesian analyses. Unmanipulated and highly masculinized faces were rated as more attractive than every other level of masculinity for both short-term, and long-term conditions. The most feminine faces were rated as least attractive for both short-term, and long-term attractiveness.”
Other studies have also found that women are more attracted to beards during the peak periods of their cycles when they are most hormonal. [4] As I mentioned earlier, it’s a primal thing.
Back to the photos:
References
- ” The real reason men grow beards.” BBC. Tamson Saxton. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- “Why Women Prefer Men With Beards, According To Science.” Bustle. Kristen Sollee. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- “A multivariate analysis of women’s mating strategies and sexual selection on men’s facial morphology.” Sci-Hub. Clarkson et al. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
- “Do women’s preferences for men’s facial hair change with reproductive status?” OUP. Dixson. Retrieved July 6, 2020.