The beard trend of recent times has caused facial hair to be so prevalent in fashion-conscious cities around the world that furry faced men are now the norm while clean shaven faces have become more distinctive and therefore, according to the study, more attractive.
While I can't predict the exact timing of trends, the clean shave look has been making a resurgence in recent years, particularly as many people opt for a polished and professional appearance. Influences from celebrities, fashion runways, and social media can accelerate this trend.
As of August 2023, clean-shaven looks were still popular but not necessarily the dominant trend. Facial hair styles, including beards and mustaches, have seen a resurgence in popularity over the past several years.
Industrialization and Professionalism: As societies industrialized and moved towards urban environments, a clean-shaven look became associated with the emerging professional class. Businessmen and professionals often adopted this style to present themselves as polished and serious.
"2025 will be all about a relaxed yet well-groomed look. I expect the clean-shaven style to regain popularity – ideal for those who appreciate a fresh, minimalist aesthetic. For those who prefer a little more texture, the stubble look remains a classic: a natural yet well-maintained shadow that requires little upkeep.
Whilst numerous media noted the possibility that beard prevalence had peaked in the early 2010s, a YouGov poll suggested that beards had become more commonplace in November 2016 compared with August 2011. This was reflected in the persistent decline in the sales of razor blades between 2013 and 2015.
Summary: Cut Throat Club carried out a study, surveying over 100 women and found that overall women preferred men either clean shaven or with a well groomed beard.
As a result, we asked our 108 ladies which they found most attractive – a clean shaven look, a full beard, or stubble: Clean Shaven: 38.89% Beard: 30.56% Stubble: 30.56%
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.
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. This is especially true in organizations that have strict appearance and dress codes like military agencies or some emergency services roles.
There are exceptions, but studies show that, on average, a beard will age a man's appearance by roughly 8-10 years. If you're 25 you'll look closer to 35 with a beard.
Sporting a clean shaven look makes one appear professional, elegant, and is one of the best ways to highlight your facial features such as a strong jawline among other stand-out facial features. Your face is one of the first things people around you notice and develop an impression about you.
Are beards in for 2025? Totally yes, and that means it's time to refresh your look. Facial hair changes the shape of a man's face and completely modifies the way he looks, so give up on the traditional shape that you used to wear and give a try to the best beard styles in 2025.
The Timeless Clean-Shaven Look
Moreover, clean-shaven can be a low maintenance choice, compared to the constant trimming and shaping needed to keep a beard looking sharp. And let's be honest, it's still a look favoured by many ladies. Even among younger men, there's an emerging trend back towards the clean-shaven look.
Your mid-20s to 30s are often considered the golden years for beard growth. As a matter of fact, most men don't hit peak beard growth until their early to mid thirties. This is when testosterone, the hormone primarily responsible for facial hair growth, peaks.
The bacteria on your skin breaks down the sweat, which creates the unpleasant smell. The bottom line is this: shaving armpits and body hair leads to fewer bacteria and less smell.
Male participants' own faces
In the study sample, 57.14% declared having facial hair and 42.86% had clean-shaven faces (see Table 4). The tendency to actually have facial hair among the study men was non-significant.
It tells others that you are organized and detail oriented. You're willing to take the time to clean up and shave each morning. You have time for what's important and won't be overcome by the occasional temptation to be lazy. The clean cut look may be youthful, but it's also straight laced.
Even though beards should not make or break your ability to secure the job you're after, it will all come down to the nature of the industry, the type of company, or what looks professional or not to the boss or the people who will interview you.
A combination of polls shows that 80 to 90 percent of women prefer some amount of grooming for starters. Only 10 to 20 percent prefer guys with a completely unkempt bush; this means that going wild below the waist is not the default look. It may require less work, but you're not playing the odds.
According to a 2013 Australian study, heavy stubble is the most attractive beard length.
Their study, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests muscles in men are akin to elaborate tail feathers in male peacocks: They attract females looking for a virile mate. "Women are predisposed to prefer muscularity in men," said study author David Frederick of UCLA.
The study also found that women were not only more attracted to them, but expected to have longer relationships with men rocking a beard.
Women judged faces with heavy stubble as most attractive and heavy beards, light stubble and clean-shaven faces as similarly less attractive. In contrast, men rated full beards and heavy stubble as most attractive, followed closely by clean-shaven and light stubble as least attractive.
A new study shows that facial hair says a lot about a man and that attractiveness peaks at the "heavy stubble" phase. Researchers photographed 10 men at four stages of beard growth: clean shaven, 5-day "light" stubble, 10-day "heavy" stubble (shown), and fully bearded.