Do Women Find Men with Beards Attractive? Let's Find Out

Ask anyone in the current dating scene what it’s like and more often than not you’ll receive a lukewarm answer. So it’s only natural that you’d want to do what we can to stand out a little more from the crowd. Yes, we believe in the old adage that it’s what’s on the inside that matters, but we also believe in the power of physical attractiveness. Do women prefer a clean shaven lad? Maybe they prefer a bearded jungle man? Or perhaps something in between. Keep on reading to see what we found!

After looking into some research, it is undeniable to see that the state of a mans facial hair has an impact on women’s perception of their attractiveness. A 2020 study done by Barnady J. Dixson and Robert C. Brooks had women quantify judgments of attractiveness, health, masculinity and parenting abilities through photographs of men in various stages of beard growth. The study found that women perceived me with full beards to be the most healthy and the most suited for parenting. The length of the facial hair correlates with the level of masculinity. 

This result was further strengthened by another study done in 2016 by the Journal of Evolutionary Biology that had women rate men with varying lengths of facial hair. They were asked to give a numeric indication of attractiveness on pictures of men with clean shaven, stubble, heavier stubble and a full beard. The results again showed that physical attractiveness was higher with any variation of facial hair.

As you can see from this graph, levels of perceived attractiveness are significantly higher with facial hair than without facial hair. In addition to just physical attraction, women perceived men with longer facial hair as having a higher ability to maintain longer relationships and be more masculine overall. And while men with longer beards were deemed as “older, more masculine, socially dominant and aggressive”, it was still preferred to a clean shaven man. It’s a clear indication that having some sort of facial hair is always better than having none.

Just for fun, we’ve looked into a piece done by Buzzfeed polling readers on their preference of facial hair or lack of facial hair on their favorite celebs. Out of the 20 celebrities listed, readers preferred 15 of them with beards as opposed to clean shaven. Now this isn’t exactly science, we know, but it’s enough evidence to convince us: facial hair reigns supreme. 

So there you have it gents. If you’re looking to raise your chances of getting cuffed, start growing out that beard. Once that beard grows, make sure it stays maintained by adopting a good beard care routine. You can find everything you need for a healthy, groomed face in Zeus Beard Care Sets. There is something for everyone, no matter where you are in your beard journey. Shop Here