Why do men have beards?

Why do men have beards?

If we’re talking genetics and hormones it’s because facial hair follicles respond aggressively to testosterone and men produce more testosterone than women. It’s just the way we’re genetically constructed, fellas. We’re as lucky as we are blessed.

But that’s not what we’re talking about. We’ve been wondering why men choose to have a beard. Because while all men can grow facial hair, most choose not to.

What made you ditch the razor and then, once the hair began taking over your face, what made you leave it there?

This question has been nagging at us like an itchy beard, so we set out to find answers. We surveyed over 1,400 Mo Bro’s customers — 83% of whom are male — to find why do men have beards.

Improving appearance

The biggest reason we found for having a beard was appearance. 28% of bros grew their man mane to look better.

Makes sense.

Beards do make you look better, most of the time.

Take a look at Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju before and after growing a beard:   

Image credit: Bored Panda

Or Houston Rockets’ James Harden:

Image credit: Imgur

In 2014, Braun conducted a study of its own to find out about men's grooming practices. They found that over half of men felt more attractive with a beard. 55% said they were complimented about their facial hair and 41% were more confident with a hairy face.

Beard is best.

It’s how nature intended

21% of men say they have a beard because that’s the way nature made them. Can’t argue with that.

Mammals are hairy. We’re meant to be hairy beasts. And there’s no razor on earth that can stop our hair from growing through.

In Sikhism, cutting or shaving bodily hair is forbidden, which why so many Sikh brothers rock cool beards.

There are also people like this guy who’ve never shaved. Ever! Just like nature intended.  

Shaving? No thanks!

14% of men say their reason for having a beard is because they dislike shaving. Plain and simple. Why do something you don’t like?

If you dislike shaving but continue to do it anyway, here are some reasons you might want to stop:

• Beards block out up to 95% of the sun’s harmful UV rays
• Facial hair can keep airborne bacteria out of your mouth
• Having a beard reduces the chance of bacterial infections like acne
• Having a beard keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer
• You’ll have a whole lot more time on your hands

Also, it feels like a good time to say this: shaving does not make hair grow back faster.

Best of the rest

It was a fairly even spread across the rest of the reasons:

7% of men have a beard because it’s masculine, which it absolutely is.

4.9% say a beard helps them stand out, which it absolutely does. According to you a YouGov study, only 18% of men in the UK have a full beard and moustache. 17% have stubble, 3% have a moustache only and 2% have a beard only (no ‘stache).

Whichever one of those you have, you’re in the minority. You stand out from the crowd.

4.3% of men say they have a beard because women love it. Beards have sex appeal, there are studies to back this up. According to Psychology Today, stubble is more attractive for a sex partner, while a fuller beard is perceived as indicative of someone with good fathering ability and more investment in offspring.

Finally, 3% of men have a beard because it's trendy. Beards are trendy and they always will be trendy. They’re bigger than fashion and they complement any outfit. 

Casual? Check.

Image credit: Just the Design

Gym gear. No doubt.

Image credit: The Beard Mag

Whether you have a beard for yourself, for the ladies or just because you can’t be bothered with the hassle of shaving, we love you for it.

Beard on, brothers.

If you want to check out some other blog posts on beards and moustaches then look no further than some of our blog posts below.

1. Beards Through Time
2. Style Your Beard
3. 7 Myths About Beards
4. 5 Beard Grooming Mistakes
5. How To Optimise Your Beard