The Beard Dilemma

To beard or not to beard: that is the question. Fortunately, I just so happen to have the answer and a bunch of data to back it up. If you’ve been wondering if your prospective partner would prefer you with or without facial hair, you’re not alone.

It’s one of the most commonly asked questions I receive as a dating consultant. In fact, I found several studies regarding facial hair and attraction from a simple search on Google Scholar, which means that it’s been a source of curiosity for quite some time. Let’s get into it!

Warning Label

The contents of this blog are intended for those that don’t have a special attachment to the state of hair on their face. If you have a strong grooming preference, please don’t make changes based on what imaginary partners may or may not like best. It’s your face, you should like how it looks. If, however, you’re curious about the data, want to try something new, or want to min/max your dating profile, then I’m happy to share what I know.

The Basics

How much do people care about facial hair? A lot, apparently. Approximately 62% of straight women, and even more gay men, prefer some level of facial hair on their partner. This includes those looking for hookups, casual dating, and long term relationships.

Whatever doo you decide to do, appearance matters. According to multiple studies, patchy or unkempt facial hair is considered less attractive than a clean shaven face by most women. It’s also important to take care of your skin and those luscious locks. To avoid turning your flavor-saver into the chaser-away-er, let’s talk about basic grooming.

Wash your beard daily

Exfoliate to keep your skin looking and feeling healthy
Beard oil/beard conditioner to save your partner’s face from porcupine attacks
balms/waxs for shaping
Maintaining even, symmetrical lines

Santa Baby

Just because most women prefer facial hair doesn’t mean that you should grow out long mutton chops or go full Santa Claus. After reading 16 facial hair preference studies, the general consensus seems to be that some types of facial hair are vastly more popular than others. Here’s the rating system that was most consistent across research, from most to least attractive:

5 o'clock shadow

Most women prefer a short stubble over any other level of facial hair
Jason Statham. Geralt of Rivia.

Clean shaven

Almost tied with the 5’o’clock shadow, a lot of women prefer no facial hair at all.
Henry Cavil from Superman

Long stubble

Visible hair, not quite a beard
Think Chris Hemsworth, or basically any variation of Ryan Gosling

Short beard

Most popular among gay men and women looking for a relationship
George Clooney. Brad Pitt before he got sad. Pick your Hemsworth brother

Long beard

At this length grooming becomes significantly more important with regards to attraction
Anywhere between Jesus and Hagrid.

Mustache

The bit of fur above your lip. Super popular in the 70s, dropped dramatically in popularity for a few decades, currently experiencing a bit of a rebirth.
Tom Selleck. Yes daddy.

Goatee

Mustache + a pointed beard that lives primarily on your chin
Jafar. Evil, but hot.

Conclusion

Bumfluff. Chinstrap. Furface. Love curls. O’Bearded One. Abe Lincoln. The Gandalf. No matter what you wanna call it, facial hair has been seducing the masses for the past two hundred years with no sign of slowing down. If you’re interested in giving one a try, remember that maintenance is crucial, style is important, and never go full Chewbacca. If you’d like help with utilizing your newfound scruff on dating apps, check out my services, and I’ll get you sorted.

Cheers,
Chloe