Men sporting clean-shaven faces might now consider ditching the razor as the team's results showed that beards, heavy
The study confirmed that “intermediate” beardedness is what most women find the most attractive in a man. Conversely, a man with a full beard is better perceived to be a father and provide security and protection to their family.
Growing a beard isn't an overnight transformation—it's a journey. The golden rule? Commit to at least three months. No shaving. Resist the urge to reach for that razor, no matter how patchy or awkward things look at first.
While most guys are busy trying to blend in with the dark scruff of the masses, your golden beard will stand out in the best way possible. Blonde beards have a rugged, sunlit charm that screams effortless cool. They don't just look great — they have an edge you can't ignore.
Blonde beards not only are rarer, and thus a naturally showstopper look, but also extremely aesthetic. Think about it this way, blonde beards add a golden, platinum or copper touch to your style, without you even having to splurge on jewellery. Now, that's one nifty advantage.
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.
Maturity, Masculinity, and Style
A full and well-groomed beard can clearly convey an image of masculinity and maturity. Sporting this beard style is often associated with experience and wisdom. Men who have a full beard tend to project an image that exudes seriousness, confidence, and sometimes even power.
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.
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%
Overall, you should not grow a beard if you want simplicity, professionalism, or if you want to look younger. However, if you think you'll feel better and more confident with a beard, and don't mind the extra patience and maintenance requirements, then go ahead and grow one!
Rule #5: Clean Your Trimmings
If you have a beard, that means you're a man. And if you're a man, you should act like it and clean up after yourself.
Some men are able to grow full beards in their teens, and others have to wait until their late twenties – but in general, the trend is the same: Thickening growth over time until about the age of 30.
Traditionally, certain ethnicities have been known for growing thick beards, including those in the Middle East, Mediterranean, and South Asia. Other ethnicities are less likely to have thick, full beards.
"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.
You can see that women prefer a decently muscular build, but when you get to a bodybuilder level with super high muscle definition, the ratings taper off precipitously. As another study concluded, women prefer a physique with moderately developed musculature and a rather slim build.
Our Planet Fitness survey found that more than half of women think dad bods are sexy and even prefer the dad bod over muscular men.
Many girls are totally into shy guys, and are attracted to them for their quiet mystery and thoughtful nature.
The beard hair itself may harbor substances such as pollen, dust, or certain grooming products that can trigger an allergic reaction or irritate sensitive skin. Additionally, the texture of the beard hair rubbing against the skin during kissing can cause friction and further irritate the skin.
To break things down even further, the same study showed men with full beards to be the most masculine, aggressive, and socially mature, while light stubble was preferred for both short and long-term partners. In other words, anyone who wore some type of facial hair was found to be more attractive in general.
The pattern indicates that clean-shaven men and those with longer, full beards are considered by women to be best for long-term relationships. Whereas, those with stubble-short beards are seen as more attractive for flings or casual dating.
Interestingly, other research has shown that men find women with lighter hair to have more positive perceptions in terms of relationship and parenting potential. Women, on the other hand, care more about overall appearance and dress size, which generally leads to darker hair being preferred by women.
For the first time in decades more men sport some form of facial hair than not, making the hirsute male the majority. A study by YouGov has found that most men (54 per cent) now say they currently have a beard or moustache, up from 42 per cent in 2016 and 37 per cent in 2011.
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.