Study reveals men with beards are found more attractive

Does the beard make the man? Not necessarily, but a study among dating singles has found that beards are a big turn-on.

And now there’s hope for those who thought they could never grow a healthy beard as well.

A dating.com survey revealed that a majority of singles (86%) enjoy facial hair on men as it makes them appear more masculine and mature.

Interestingly, researchers also noted that, on average, men with facial hair in one or more dating profile picture received three times more matches than those with no such imagery.

Properly grooming your fantastic follicular feature piece is massively important, though, with 77% of respondents sharing that it is a turn off if the beard or moustache isn’t properly groomed. 45% of those surveyed reported that even though they enjoy facial hair, they don’t like when a man only has a moustache, they prefer a beard and moustache combination

In fact, less than 5% of those surveyed shared that they absolutely will not date someone with facial hair.

Other research by Jeremy Nicholson (M.S.W., Ph.D) found that women find men with light stubble most attractive, and men with full beards as most masculine, and that a fuller beard is perceived as indicative of good fathering ability and more investment in offspring.

And the effect is more than skin deep. In various other studies, men have reported feeling more confident when sporting a healthy beard, and less insecure about physical imperfections that a beard helps to mitigate.

“Whether you prefer the little scruff or five o’clock shadow that 65% of respondents in the study preferred, or a full-blown wizard’s wonder, it’s tough to get your beard game on when you simply don’t have the coverage or thickness that it requires,” says Dr Kashmal Kalan, Medical Director of Alvi Armani South Africa in Sandton City.

“Your age, genetics, ethnicity, testosterone levels, immune conditions like Alopecia, your eating habits and even your stress levels can all lead to an inability to grow a healthy beard.”

The good news is that beard transplants are becoming increasingly popular – putting it within anyone’s reach to have exactly the jaw-dropping lip-and-jaw-dressing that they want.

With Alvi Armani’s FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) beard and moustache transplants, experts in hair restoration can assist patients with a detailed consultation, as well as tailor-made beard and moustache design, using their own hair follicles, in a safe, relatively simple and almost painless procedure, to achieve the look they’ve always wanted.

Dr Kalan explains: “With the patient under topical anaesthetic, healthy follicles are individually extracted from a hair-rich donor area – typically at the back and sides of the head. They are then individually transplanted into the sparsely recipient areas, at specific angles to achieve a completely natural effect. These follicles will start generating healthy hair after about three months following the procedure. They also tend to be much more resistant to the factors that cause hair loss and should keep producing healthy hair with proper care.”

He stresses that it’s absolutely imperative to do thorough research when it comes to the clinic that you choose and the techniques they use, focusing strongly on their credentials, their reputation and the client reviews they receive.

“A beard transplant performed by the experts, combined with a good skin- and hair care routine, a healthy diet and a balanced, active lifestyle could see you sporting exactly the look you’ve always wanted within just a couple of months, with the confidence to match,” Dr Kalan concluded.

BEARDS: YES OR NO FOR YOU?

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Beard transplant (before and after). Images: Supplied