Can you imagine there was a time when dudes were expected to be smooth-shaven? It’s 2020, folks, and times are changing. Gone are the days of bare-faced boy bands and baby-faced hunks. Because according to a new study, women are more attracted to men with beards.
Remember when Justin Timberlake decided to do a hipster rebrand a few years ago? He threw on a manly lumberjack jacket and started playing an acoustic guitar? That could only be pulled off...with a beard.
In fact, science backs beards up. The Royal Society Open Science, a scientific journal, published research conducted at the University of Queensland and the University of Stirling—and found some interesting results.
In terms of hetero attraction, women like men with beards way, way more than men without. But the way they found this bit of info out is sort of, well, weird.
If a woman runs screaming from hair-dwelling creatures such as lice, ticks, fleas and the like, she’s likely to find men with beards much less attractive, according to a new study https://t.co/W34Uu99YU0
— CNN (@CNN) January 16, 2020
919 mostly-straight women responded to the men they were most attracted to, and it was always the men with beards and traditionally ‘masculine’ features, using these images:
The study also found that women who “expressed higher levels of disgust toward parasites and other pathogens were more likely to judge a man’s beard as unattractive,” according to CNN.
And women who were cool with ticks and lice liked beards. Huh. The idea is that humans evolved to have less hair because it would mean fewer parasites—and no woman likes a man covered in parasites. Definitely food for thought.
Twitter definitely had some thoughts, ranging from, “Is this real journalism?” to men tooting their own horns about their beards.
The year is 2020, this is considered journalism.
— Edward (@Lovablejerk07) January 16, 2020
You guys are really putting that journalism degree to good work tonight huh?
— Everette Cribb (@everette_cribb) January 16, 2020
— Mike Mcann (@mike_mcan) January 16, 2020
Really? pic.twitter.com/G1ZmIsb8En
— Rajnish Chauhan (@IronManRC) January 16, 2020
You don’t say…. pic.twitter.com/z7GUZBIKXE
— Joseph Rhodes (@QuantumZero29) January 16, 2020
Of course, not everyone was on the beard train—for understandable reasons:
A long time ago I had a date with a gentleman who wore a beard. We went to dinner and as he ate I watched his meal collect onto his beard. I couldn’t look at him it so turned my stomach. After that beards are a big no…thanks.
— MF is Im🍑ed (@MakeYourBed1) January 16, 2020
True. Beards seem dirty to me.
— hlh (@alucarduser) January 16, 2020
But mostly, people were rightfully confused about the study’s beard-bug correlation:
Curious about the women who like lice, ticks.and fleas 🤔
— Fryer Lint🧢 (@FryerLint) January 16, 2020
Are there people who don’t mind lice, ticks, fleas and the like?
— Vincenzo Lara (@vincenzolara) January 16, 2020
Whew, good thing I only seek out women who have lice, and fleas in their home. One lucky gal even had bed bugs. She loved my beard.
— Wait just a minute! (@ImALaughRiot) January 16, 2020
The girls who come running for fleas and ticks also love a hairy man.
— Zavadow (@V3rcingetorix) January 16, 2020
Who wants to be more attractive to women who are just fine with crabs?
Study shows that men with visable herpes may still be attractive to women who live in dumpsters.
— BingoWasHisGringo (@JackBurtonsTruc) January 16, 2020