Is a beard unprofessional?

Author: Dr. Allan McKenzie PhD  |  Last update: Sunday, January 4, 2026

As long as the beard is well-groomed and clean, many workplaces will let you have at it. This trend isn't limited to American workplaces, either. In Canada, bearded men are also widely accepted in the professional sphere.

Is beard considered unprofessional?

Beards should be kept professional, neat, and trimmed to maintain a polished and polished appearance. You can keep it if you're sure enough that your target company accepts it. Though, you must keep it look professional, neat, and trimmed.

Is it unprofessional to have a beard for an interview?

Yes, beards are generally considered acceptable in professional settings today, including interviews. However, the appropriateness can depend on the industry and company culture.

Can I look professional with a beard?

Professionalism: A well-groomed beard can look professional. If you maintain your beard neatly and it aligns with your workplace's culture, it is generally acceptable. Client Interaction: If your role involves frequent client interactions, consider the image you want to project.

Is it harder to get a job with a beard?

A beard is inconsequential as long as it is groomed and clean, except in situations where a business/position might have some restrictions. That can only be checked on a case-by-case basis however.

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Is it OK to have a beard at work?

Companies are recognizing the importance of letting employees express their personalities and meet the demands of a diverse workforce. As long as the beard is well-groomed and clean, many workplaces will let you have at it.

Are beards attractive or unattractive?

The results indicated that the women found men with light stubble most attractive; these men were preferred as both short- and long-term partners. However, the women perceived male faces with full beards as the most masculine, aggressive, and socially mature; the women also thought these men looked older.

Do any CEOs have facial hair?

There are lots of respected professionals with beards, mustaches, goatees, and strategic stubble – just consider these current executives and CEOs with beards: Richard Branson of Virgin, Google's Sergey Brin, Shantanu Narayen of Adobe Systems, Tope Awotona at Calendly, and former CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein.

Can I refuse to shave my beard for work?

From a legal perspective, employers can require male employees to shave as long as it doesn't infringe on their civil rights, or cause undue hardship.

Are beards more respected?

Surveys demonstrate that full-bearded men appear older, more respected, more powerful, and of a higher status than more non-bearded men.

Do employers discriminate against beards?

Well, if the company has a policy around facial hair in their dress code and it forms part of your contract with that company, then yes they can! They need to ensure they're not discriminating against you. If you have a beard for religious or medical reasons they CANNOT make you shave it off.

Can my boss tell me to shave my beard?

If there's a no facial hair policy within your company and it's written into an employee's contract, then you can make them shave their beard. There's an even greater case for enforcing this if facial hair poses a health and safety risk.

Is beard a problem for interview?

As fashion trends change in our everyday lives, they also evolve in the workplace. Beards are a popular trend both seen in the workplace and out in public. In some cases, it's appropriate to have a clean-shaven face when interviewing for a job, which means no beards, goatees, sideburns or any other facial hair.

What jobs do not allow beards?

Police officers and firefighters

Most US police and fire departments do not allow beards in the workplace. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), beards interfere with the sealing of masks.

Can an employer make you cut your beard?

Simply put, your company or a company you are applying to cannot discriminate against you based on your wearing of religious based clothing such as a head covering or specific dress dictated by your religious beliefs, or require you to change grooming habits, i.e. shave your beard.

Is having a beard intimidating?

Studies show that beards intimidate other men, reducing their subliminal dominance behaviors towards you and thus increasing your own subconscious dominance behaviors. In regular terms, beards help you step into a far more confident frame.

Does OSHA allow beards?

The OSHA standard does allow beards with the use of respirators that do not rely on a tight facepiece seal between the respirator inlet covering and the underlying skin (i.e., both loose fitting helmets and hoods are acceptable in this regard).

Why are beards not professional?

In some fields professionalism includes hygiene first and foremost as well as maintaining a polite attitude and body language. A beard is not hygienic as hairs can fall off and provenly, bacteria infests the hair and skin plus it covers your facial expressions.

Is it considered unprofessional to have a beard?

Having a beard is not an issue, so long as it is properly trimmed, maintained and looks aesthetic. If facial hair is all over the place, then it looks unhygienic and may negatively impact perception in the interview.

What does psychology say about beards?

As a secondary sexual trait, men's beards could affect the social perception of their age, social status, and dominance, all of which are primarily important in male-male competition and secondarily in attractiveness to females.

Are beards less trustworthy?

Individuals who played the trust games were more likely to trust men with narrower faces than men with greater facial width (Stirrat & Perret, 2010). Since the presence of a beard gives off the illusion of a wider jaw line, bearded men are more likely to be perceived as less trustworthy (Stirrate & Perret, 2010).

Is facial hair attractive on a guy?

This study asked over 8,500 women to rate men with different lengths of facial hair. The ladies were presented pictures of men who were clean shaven, wearing light stubble, heavy stubby, and a full beard. Once again, the results showed women were more attracted to those who had some sort of facial hair.

Do girls prefer beards or clean shave?

The majority of women preferred clean-shaven male faces (43.84%), followed by heavy stubble (26.03%) and light stubble (16.44%).

What length of beard is most attractive?

According to a 2013 Australian study, heavy stubble is the most attractive beard length.

Do men look better or worse with a beard?

A study conducted by the Official Journal of the Human Behavior and Evolution Society found that men with moderately full beards are found most attractive, and men with full beards may be perceived as better fathers who could protect and invest in their children. “Men with beards have a powerful look,” Dr. Harvey says.

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