There's a lot of research about beards harboring disgusting bacteria, but there is also research that indicates that beards may be more beneficial than we think. Researchers swabbed the faces of 408 men with and without beards who worked as hospital staff. They found that the men who did not have facial hair were prone to a certain type of bacteria resistant to antibiotics, according to the Independent.
Men without beards are at least three times more likely to be carrying methicillin-resistant staph auerus, or MRSA. So why the increased risk? The research claims that the micro-abrasions in the skin caused by shaving could be the perfect breeding ground for bacteria to proliferate.
"Overall, colonization is similar in male health care workers with and without facial hair, however, certain bacterial species were more prevalent in workers without facial hair," reads the study.
Not only could bearded men be more impervious to dangerous infections, but it seems that they may hold secrets to future biological breakthroughs. Dr. Adam Roberts with University College London believes that beards can also hold bacteria capable of eliminating other types of infections, according to The Inertia.
The study was published in the Journal of Hospital Infection.
