Bearded men crowd clean-shaven handsome men not only on the pages of glossy magazines, but also in everyday life, driving manufacturers of shaving foam into depression. Why did facial hair become fashionable and is a beard really a sign of masculinity?
Why is the beard trending? How do psychologists evaluate this phenomenon? Does a beard really make a man more attractive? And how long will the fashion for facial hair last? The answers to these questions can be found in scientific research.
A beard adorns a man
Back in 1973, psychologist Robert Pellegrini from the University of San Jose (USA) found that bearded men are considered more attractive, masculine, mature, dominant, courageous, liberal, original, hardworking and successful. It would seem that it was a long time ago, in the era of freedom-loving hippies.
However, more recently, scientists led by psychologist Robert Brooks from the University of Sydney (Australia) came to similar conclusions.
Respondents of both sexes were shown photographs of the same man, clean-shaven, with little stubble and a thick beard. As a result, two days of unshavenness won in the attractiveness rating for women, and a full-fledged beard for men. At the same time, both of them agreed that it was a bearded man who was more likely to be perceived as a good father and the owner of good health.
“We still don’t know what a beard is for in the first place,” says Robert Brooks. “Obviously, this is a sign of masculinity, with her a man looks older and at the same time more aggressive.”
We are at the «peak of beardedness»
An interesting fact — the author of books on biopsychology Nigel Barber, analyzing the fashion for a beard in Great Britain in 1842-1971, found that mustaches, and in general facial hair in men, become popular during periods of an overabundance of grooms and a shortage of brides. A symbol of higher social status and maturity, the beard is a competitive advantage in the marriage market.
Nigel Barber also identified a pattern: multiple bearded men ultimately reduce the attractiveness of a beard. The charismatic «bearded man» is good against a hairless background. But among his own kind, he no longer gives the impression of a “man of dreams”. So, when even the most violent opponents let go of beards, the fashion for brutality will come to an end.
Your mustache has come unstuck
For those who are seriously considering growing a beard to look more masculine, but do not dare to radically change their image, a false beard from theatrical props will come to the rescue.
Psychologist Douglas Wood from the University of Maine (USA) argues that even a fake, but neatly matched to the color of the beard, the beard gives young people confidence.
“People tend to form a detailed and stereotyped impression of another person based on just a few physical traits,” he says. “The beard immediately catches the eye and sets the tone.”