A new study from the Evolution and Ecology Research Centre at the University of New South Wales found the level of attractiveness of a man based on beard growth, reports Medical Xpress.
Researchers from the University of New South Wales conducted a poll seeking women's perspective on men's attractiveness over various stages of beard growth. A team of 351 women and 177 heterosexual men were shown various pictures of models posing in different stages of beard growth. Researchers asked 10 men to volunteer as models and they were photographed in four ways. Models were photographed initially fully shaven, then 5 days without shaving (light stubble) followed by a 10-day unshaven beard (heavy stubble) and finally a fully grown beard.
Each participant, both men and women, were shown these photographs and were asked to rate them based on their level of attractiveness. This helped researchers get a wider perspective of attractiveness not just from women, but also men.
Researchers then collected the scores given by the participants and after calculating them, it was found that women found men with heavy stubble to be the most attractive. A full beard and clean shaven photographs scored the second rank, while the light stubble was rated the least attractive.
Among men's rating, researchers noted that full beards were rated as just as attractive as fully stubble, while clean shaven faces were less attractive. But similar to women's rating, men also rated men with light stubble to be the least attractive.
Later, researchers questioned the women about their menstrual cycles to see if the oral contraceptives changed their opinion about finding the heavy stubble men the most attractive. It was found that the end result was not affected by this. In fact, women ovulating at the time of rating found men more masculine when more hair appeared on their face, says the report.
Researchers could not explain the psychological behavior behind choosing heavy stubble over any other beard form, but they suggested that it may be linked to displaying a mature and masculine image.
The findings of the study are published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior.
