There has been much speculation recently about whether we’ve reached peak beard, and where it’s all over for face fur, leaving your best beard trimmer lonely in the cupboard.
In fact, we’ve seen articles throughout the last two years - ‘Is 2017 really the end of the beard?’ - and yet, as we walk down the street, we still see plenty of beautiful beards glistening in the midday sun.
- Speaking of notable facial hair, these are the best beard oils to make your beard a thing of envy.
But it looks like they’re very much still around; indeed, only a few weeks ago Prince Harry broke with military tradition and married Meghan Markle in his frockcoat uniform of the British Army’s Blues and Royals whilst sporting a beard (only after gaining permission from his Grandma, mind).
So why are they proving so resistant in the face of changing trends elsewhere? Well, science, because research suggests that men with beards are more attractive to women seeking a relationship.
A study (which quizzed over 8,500 women) published by the Journal of Evolutionary Biology in 2016 stated that a five o’ clock stubble was most appealing to women wanting a one night stand and a bushier beard for when settling down, as it’s suggested that facial hair gives off a signal that you’re more fertile and better adapted to survive.“Our findings suggest that beardedness may be attractive when judging long-term relationships as a signal of intrasexual formidability and the potential to provide direct benefits to females,” states Dr Barnaby Dixson, a psychologist at the University of Queensland.
He also goes on to say: “Masculine faces are judged as more attractive for short-term relationships over less masculine faces, whereas beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships.”
So if you were thinking about reaching for the razor anytime soon, maybe hold off.
After all, who wouldn’t want to be inspired by this?
