Beard styles and and trends are constantly changing. These days it seems the trends are generally in favor of men who choose to sport a little hair on their faces, whether they rock a full beard or go for the more scruffy look of stubble.
Despite some reports claiming “beards are over,” it seems as though facial hair is here to stay.
Facial hair is, afterall, an important aspect of many men’s identities and can play an important role in their love lives.
Thanks to a recent study by BodyLogicMD, we now have a little more insight into just what makes facial hair so important. So, what doe women really think about beards?
Beard Statistics & The Perceived Benefits Of Having A Beard
Facial Hair Preferences
A study of 1,000 Americans found that women find men with facial hair more attractive than men without. However, if you’re a man who is unable to grow facial hair, you will be happy to know there are women who prefer their man to have a clean shaven face.
It appears that more than half of women prefer their man to have facial hair. At the same time, almost 58% of women also report that they wouldn’t care if their partner could not grow a full beard. So if you find yourself among those men who have trouble growing it out, it’s not all that bad!
Short stubble appears to be the most desirable by a wide margin, and – perhaps surprisingly – a clean shaven face is actually second! A full beard follows closely behind being hair free.
Men who choose to grow out their facial hair are generally perceived as more attractive than those who don’t. Other studies have found that facial hair is also more attractive when it is rare, so if you find yourself among lots of other men who choose a clean-shaven look, wearing a little facial hair might be the edge you need to set yourself apart from the pack.
Additional Benefits Of Having A Beard
The study also found a correlation between a man’s overall confidence and his ability to grow a thicker beard. Since beards and masculinity tend to go hand-in-hand, this makes perfect sense.
A bearded man may also be perceived as distinguished and respectable.
Any man with a great beard has probably been complimented on it many times, and that goes a long way towards his confidence. Looking at the data, men who are able to grow a beard consider themselves attractive more than men who can’t, although the gap between the two statistics is only a few percentage points.
However, as obvious as it may sound, if you’re unable to grow a full beard, you can probably make up for it by grooming yourself in other ways like getting a better haircut, purchasing some nicer fitting clothes or improving your level fitness. Doing those things combined with some light stubble are a recipe for attractiveness!
Facial Hair Satisfaction
The majority of men (roughly two thirds) aren’t fully satisfied with their facial hair. The top 3 complaints are that it doesn’t grow in thick enough, it doesn’t grow in the places they want it to, and that it grows in too patchy.
If you’re one of those men who are unhappy with their beard for being too patchy, don’t worry. A lot of the time men simply do not give their beard a chance to grow in and fill in the patches. It can be a hard route to take for a couple weeks but may be worth it in the end. If that doesn’t work, take comfort in the fact that women seem to prefer short stubble and keep it short! See our top tips for growing a beard here to help you grow a beard and overcome any barriers.
Men who are able to grow a full beard are generally more satisfied with their sex lives as well, with 67% of men saying they are happy with their sex lives. Comparatively, only 53% of men who couldn’t grow a full beard said the same.
Summary
No matter what his partner prefers, a beard can be an essential part of a man’s identity.
Men with beards are generally more confident and happy with their love lives. However, if you are a man who can’t grow facial hair very well, you’re not alone and you can make up for it in other ways. As attractive as beards are, it seems the real issue is confidence – whether you have hair on your face or not, confidence is key.