Bearded Men Not As Attractive As Clean-Shaven Ones: Study

Who doesn't love the manly, distinguished look of a full-grown beard? Apparently many women don't, according to psychologists Paul Vasey of the University of Lethbridge in Alberta, Canada; and Barnaby Dixson of Victoria University of Wellington, in New Zealand.

Vasey and Dixson's research reveals some bad news for bearded men: "Women…do not rate bearded faces as more attractive than clean-shaven faces,” the researchers wrote in their study, published in the journal Behavioral Ecology.

While the preference may be culturally based -- the more than 200 women surveyed consisted of Europeans from New Zealand and Polynesians from Samoa -- there was an interesting upside. Both women and men associated bearded faces with higher social status than the same men with clean-shaven faces.

Alternatively, images of bearded men displaying an aggressive facial expression were rated as significantly more aggressive than when the same men shaved, findings that Vasey and Dixson say are consistent with the hypothesis that the human beard evolved primarily via "intrasexual selection between males and as part of complex facial communication signaling status and aggressiveness."

Simply put: Scarier guys got the girls.

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Comments

[Schroederville]

06:59 PM on 04/10/2013

I could not agree more! I cannot STAND the current trend of hipster beards. Ugh. SOOO GROSS! Fellas: We women are held to rigorous grooming standards in society, you should be too!

[tbyrd201]

04:56 PM on 11/22/2012

Would rather not have a huge beard on them, some side burns and a tight trimmed beard looking good. Hairy...not so much gotta wear it right

[baconizer]

10:54 PM on 08/25/2012

And yet 63 percent of your readers prefer a beard.

[Chim Richalds]

10:47 AM on 03/09/2012

After shaving everyday during my military career (I still had a moustache for most of my career), I decided that I would wear some type of beard once I separated. Sometimes I wear it full and sometimes I only have a goatee. It is always neat no matter how I wear it. Plus, I think clean shaven men look like child molesters.

[Vondrazy Priest]

09:47 AM on 03/09/2012

As long as they're Black it doesn't matter to me at all.

[Karl Pugh]

03:10 AM on 03/09/2012

Im a clean shaven man. In the military, you have to be clean shaven..otherwise..you will be court marshalled. So Sorry men, if you want to serve in the military, SHAVE!!!

[Polarchinois]

05:07 PM on 03/11/2012

martialed

[agarose]

10:49 PM on 03/08/2012

The headline is incorrect - the study states that bearded men were not rated more attractive, not that they were "not as attractive". In other words, they were the same.

[agarose]

10:46 PM on 03/08/2012

The headline is incorrect: the study showed bearded were not rated more attractive, but they were not less attractive either.

[ChaCubed]

10:28 PM on 03/08/2012

If you've got a good face structure, don't hide it with hair. I look at photos of Brad Pitt or Johnny Depp with that awful scraggly facial hair and I think, "Would they paint a beard on the Mona Lisa or glue some hair onto the statue of David?" You don't mess with perfection.

If you don't have a good face structure, hide it or redefine it with some hair; and consider getting some advice because facial hair can really make a difference if done well.

[Bernard Xavier]

09:07 PM on 11/08/2012

That line of argument can be used for anything. Would you cover your perfect arms with hair; or would you cover the statue of david with hair on his arms or legs? Why don't men remove every inch of hair on their body? Ugh, I seriously think that women who prefer men with no hair are looking for boys rather than men. It is very disturbing.

[P-Woman]

10:16 PM on 03/08/2012

The salient point in the report of the study is the culture in which it was performed. I rather doubt that the results of the study in the United States would support the findings and conclusions of the study cited in this article.

[tamiakh1989]

08:17 PM on 03/08/2012

It depends of the beard and the man.

[amystika18n]

07:21 PM on 03/08/2012

It depends on who he is and his general sense of style. Usually it has to be a guy I already like suddenly growing a beard for me to like it.

[Lish57]

07:17 PM on 03/08/2012

I love a bearded man! So handsome and virile. If no mustache, then really no interest.

[Chandra Deas]

05:57 PM on 03/08/2012

What a horrible study. I woudn't trust a clean shaven man for anything! Lawyers and car salesmen are clean shaven. Men should look like men and have facial hair of some sort!

[omegas3]

03:31 PM on 03/08/2012

I think it depends on the man. Not every man can rock a beard, like me....