Men with beards make better partners, study suggests

Every woman in the study found at least some facial hair desirable

Every woman in the study found at least some facial hair desirable

Men with beards make better partners, study suggests

Every woman in the study found at least some facial hair desirable

Lovers of bearded men, rejoice: Science says they make better partners than the no-scruff fellas. The science-backed conclusion comes courtesy of a study led by Barnaby Dixson and published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology in 2016. It determined that men with beards were more likely to be considered long-term relationship material, compared to those without.So, what's the logic behind this? Apparently, men with beards straddle the line of masculinity and femininity and the beard essentially alters the face shape of a man. Women apparently think this is more attractive because, in general, they don't like men too masculine or feminine. Add to that the idea that facial hair indicates testosterone, and testosterone indicates maturity. But what if you prefer a clean-shaven man? The thoughts of a razor-sharp, hairless jaw might sound good, but according to the study, an impeccable jowl suggests the guy will fall short in a relationship. This is because women associate masculine features with unreliable suitors. In other words: A full-blown beard has the ability to mask a masculine face — a face women would otherwise only consider for a short-term relationship — or balance out a feminine face — a face women might not deem "masculine" enough for a long-term relationship; hitting that elusive attractiveness "sweet spot." Of 8,520 women asked, a mind-blowing 8,520 women (all of them) showed a preference for facial hair when asked to rate men (both with and without facial hair) on a scale from 1 to 6 on attractiveness and on a spectrum of "relationship longevity." The most-liked facial hair look was a heavy stubble, according to the study. That's pretty conclusive, no? Guys with bountiful beards were considered more for marriage, while guys with little-to-no scruff were generally considered casual relationship material.

Lovers of bearded men, rejoice: Science says they make better partners than the no-scruff fellas.

The science-backed conclusion comes courtesy of a study led by Barnaby Dixson and published in the in 2016. It determined that men with beards were more likely to be considered long-term relationship material, compared to those without.

So, what's the logic behind this? Apparently, men with beards straddle the line of masculinity and femininity and the beard essentially alters the face shape of a man. Women apparently think this is more attractive because, in general, they don't like men too masculine or feminine. Add to that the idea that facial hair indicates testosterone, and testosterone indicates maturity.

But what if you prefer a clean-shaven man? The thoughts of a razor-sharp, hairless jaw might sound good, but according to the study, an impeccable jowl suggests the guy will fall short in a relationship. This is because women associate masculine features with unreliable suitors.

In other words: A full-blown beard has the ability to mask a masculine face — a face women would otherwise only consider for a short-term relationship — or balance out a feminine face — a face women might not deem "masculine" enough for a long-term relationship; hitting that elusive attractiveness "sweet spot."

Of 8,520 women asked, a mind-blowing 8,520 women (all of them) showed a preference for facial hair when asked to rate men (both with and without facial hair) on a scale from 1 to 6 on attractiveness and on a spectrum of "relationship longevity." The most-liked facial hair look was a heavy stubble, according to the study.

That's pretty conclusive, no? Guys with bountiful beards were considered more for marriage, while guys with little-to-no scruff were generally considered casual relationship material.

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