In a study of 1,453 bisexual or heterosexual women, researchers at the Australian University of New South Wales found that the more women were exposed to images of bearded men, the more likely they were to find clean-shaven men more attractive, and vice-versa.
The women were shown 36 images of men's faces — “the first 24 pictures were exclusively of bearded or clean-shaven men, while the final twelve offered up a mix of facial hair styles.” As they viewed each picture, they were asked to rate each man's attractiveness on a scale of four to negative four.
In a classic case of supply and demand, the women who saw lots of beards found themselves more attractive to men without them.
Head researcher Professor Robert Brooks said that men who grew beards to be more sexually attractive may have lost their allure as facial hair became more popular among other guys. “We may well be at peak beard,” he quipped.
But if you're a bearded man not trying to attract a female, please carry on just as you are, you bearded wonders.
(image via)
