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Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a yes or no answer to every question of aesthetics?
It’s certainly how magazines and pop culture presents things when it comes to how a man should or shouldn’t look.
But that’s rarely how the human brain works. As we’ve discussed before in regards to style, there are definitely some black/white rules, but for the most part each man needs to discover what works best for him. He needs to express himself through his style choices, within some basic frameworks.
One fascinatingly complex issue that has come back into the spotlight recently is that of facial hair. It’s not something you can break down into basic good/bad or right/wrong strategies. It all depends on the individual.
Forget anyone who tells you that beards are a 100% guarantee to be an alpha male lady-killer. Also forget anyone who says they’re an automatic job-loser and impossible to pair with a business suit.
It’s just not that simple.
With a little bit of research, you can figure out the length and style of facial hair that’s right for your life, your career, and your goals.So, what kind of signals does facial hair send to others?
Here’s the most basic breakdown. When you have distinctive facial hair (anything visible, even stubble), these are the traits people tend to associate with you:
- aggression and dominance
- maturity
A clean-shaven man, on the other hand, is associated more with the following traits:
The article then goes on to talk about different aspects of facial hair:
- sociability
- health/cleanliness
Facial Hair and Societal Perception
Aggression & Facial Hair
Maturity & Facial Hair
Sociability & Facial Hair
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| Which fellow would folks feel more comfortable approaching? |
Facial Hair and Employment
The takeaway: for job interviews, you need either a clean shave or a very neat beard. Make sure the outlines are razor-sharp (no pun intended) if you go bearded.
Facial Hair, Self-Perception, and Behavior
Beards and Sexual Appeal
We’ve saved the best for last, because this is what most of you really want to know: will a beard help you with women?
Well?
- Studies have indicated that women find facial stubble the most “attractive” look when it comes to facial hair. One study went a step further, separating “light stubble” from “heavy stubble,” at which point women found heavy stubble the most attractive and light stubble the least — call it the “no peachfuzz, please!” value judgement.
- Unsurprisingly, women found men with facial hair more “masculine” than men without.
- Likely tied to the idea that greater masculinity=better provider, women rated men with full beards as most likely to have good parenting skills.
- Clean-shaven and full-bearded men were rated higher on personal cleanliness than men with stubble of any length.
So, long story short, how facial hair will help you in your quest for love depends largely on the sort of partner and relationship you’re looking for.
If you want to settle down and have kids, and are looking for someone that feels the same, a full beard might be best. If you’re just flirting and having fun, a few days of stubble will work better — but make sure it’s thick and even.Here's a video to wrap things up for you:
Whenever I grow my beard, there's definitely quite a difference of opinion. Last year, for the first time I actually shaved off most of it and kept a goatee for a little while. Maybe I'll do that again this year.
Interesting days
Next Tuesday - Peanut Butter and Chocolate Day, Gorgeous Grandma Day, International Yada, Yada, Yada Day and Sprinkle Day
July 20 - 28: Moth Week
August 16 - Men’s Grooming Day, Rollercoaster Day, Tell A Joke Day, Airborne Day, World Bratwurst Day and Rum Day
August 12 - 18: Afternoon Tea Week
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