It’s always interesting to hear a beard fact you haven’t heard before. But did you know that a beard can be related to psychology and to how people perceive men with beards?

What is the purpose of beards?

Ok, not that psychological or deep. However, in this article, I will present the most interesting and funny psychological facts about beards. To get more of the science behind beards, check out our scientific beard facts article.

6 Psychological Facts About Beards

Below I have included some of the most exciting and science-confirmed psychological facts about beards. These will help you “grow” your knowledge of both beards and psychology. Let’s check them out!

Does Having a Beard Affect How People Perceive Us?

According to numerous studies, yes, it does. A beard can significantly heighten how people perceive our age, social status, and aggressiveness. Beard also has a significant and positive impact on a person’s masculinity.

Researchers have concluded that during evolution, having a beard was perceived as a survival-of-the-fittest trait. Studies also showed that an angry man with a beard looks angrier than one without facial hair.

Other studies have also concluded that bearded men are considered kind, trustworthy, generous, and attractive. These indicators can vary depending on factors such as the different cultural and social environments.

On the other hand, having a beard doesn’t always have to be related to masculinity. Since women tend to perceive bearded men as older, it can also be related to lower sexual drive. In this situation, a clean-shaven man may win in the battle for attractiveness.

Are Men With Beards Better with Babies?

Yes, they are… or at least, that’s how women perceive them. Research conducted by scientists Dixson and Vasey showed that there is a correlation between having a beard and being good with babies. However, this is a little odd since beards are associated with being masculine, and very masculine men are naturally not a great long-term choice.

In this psychological fact about beards, the good-daddy signal might operate differently. For example, since bearded men look older and of higher social status, they might be a better choice to provide for the offspring.

Are Bearded Men Sexier?

According to numerous studies, they are. It is a proven fact that having a beard brings a good chance of attracting the opposite sex on a short-term level. The busy, no-time-for-shaving look seems to be a lure for those looking for a partner without commitment in the long term.

Numerous studies have shown that bearded men are much more successful at picking partners for short-term commitments than clean-shaven ones. Of course, it also depends on the potential partner’s preference, but statistics are statistics. And obviously, it is essential to wear your beard with confidence.

Men, use this beard fact with caution or don’t; it’s entirely up to you.

Will Having a Beard Help Get You a Job?

This beard fact can vary wildly. However, wearing a beard can have a positive impact on getting a job, but it also depends on the type of work. For example, if the employer is looking to employ someone in sales and communication, wearing a beard can be helpful because it gives positive signals of maturity, trust, and confidence. Of course, positions such as CEO and directorship are mostly held by clean-shaven men, probably because those with beards aren’t considered ambitious and enterprising.

However, there can be a few exceptions to this rule. While doctors who wear beards have good expertise in their field, male hotel receptionists appear to have less competence needed for that role. In contrast, African-Americans who wear beards are considered to be great hotel receptionists.

Finally, a criminal who sports a beard is considered more aggressive, yet when you ask a child to draw a scientist, they will probably draw it with a beard.

Is Having a Beard an Advantage in a Fight?

Wearing a beard is not considered an advantage in a fight. To understand that, let’s take an evolutionary perspective on the beard and what signal it sends.

Similar to a mane of a lion, a beard can be perceived as a way of showing off. Since a man can easily grab another man’s beard during a fight, it can be seen as saying: “I am such a great fighter that even grabbing my beard won’t help you!”. Although there are not many studies that back up this theory, it would still be funny to see men grabbing each other’s beards during a fight.

Does Having a Beard Help You Feel Better About Yourself?

This psychological fact about beards surprised me. Having a beard, even a fake one, can significantly change your self-perception. It hasn’t been excessively researched, but an interesting study was conducted a few years ago. The study has clean-shaven men self-evaluate themselves while wearing either fake beards, bandanas, or nothing at all.

Those who wore fake beards evaluated themselves as more masculine than the other participants. Although the beards were fake, they stated that even seeing the outline of beards on their faces made them feel more manly.

Appearance generally affects self-perception. If your brain tells you that you are manly, you will act more assertively and dominantly. So, wearing a beard can affect the way you think about yourself. If you lack confidence, growing a beard might be one of the ways to solve the problem.

Psychological Facts About Beards – Wrap up

I hope you had as much fun reading these beard facts as I had while researching and writing. Did you learn what the purpose of beards are? Maybe not, but I’ll bet you learned something new.

I’ve also written a fun article about Historical Beard Facts you may want to check out. Fidel Castro and Abraham Lincoln both made the list with interesting and historical beard facts. 

I made a round-up of all the beard facts I could find in one post. Check out this post and let me know if there was any that I missed.