Sorry, smoothies ... it seems ladies prefer a bearded man for a husband
FOR the past five years or so they have been a, well, growing trend. From carefully trimmed to full and bushy, beards have sprouted on the chins of everincreasing numbers of men.
Now scientists have proved what the hirsute probably knew all along – women see clean-shaven men as less attractive and believe those with beards are a better bet for long-term relationships.
The same is true for a short-term fling, although women after a dalliance prefer light stubble to heavy whiskers on their mate, a study found. The reason is unknown, but researchers suggest that beards ‘may signal men’s age and masculine social dominance’.
The findings are consistent with previous research that has found that when women are looking for a quick liaison, they are drawn to the most masculine features as a sign of the healthiest genes. Longer term, different factors apply, such as social standing.
To test the effect of facial hair or the lack of it, 8,520 women were asked to rate pictures of men manipulated on a computer to create a range of faces. Some were given more manly rugged jaws, others more dainty features. Facial hair varied from clean- shaven to light stubble (five days’ growth), heavy stubble (ten days) and full beard (a month or more).
The women were asked to rate the pictures for attractiveness in general, for a short-term liaison or for a long-term relationship.
Stubble was judged as most attractive overall, as well as for short-term relationships. But full beards were judged more attractive for long-term relationships. Given that women find stubbly chins most attractive, the popularity of shaving remains a paradox, the researchers from the University of Queensland said. Writing in The Journal of Evolutionary Biology, they said extremely masculine and extremely feminine-looking males were least attractive, irrespective of relationship context.
But beards have a ‘dampening’ effect. They help to make a man with delicate features look more manly, while softening the appearance of a rough-tough type.
However the study admitted fashion may play a part in women’s choices.