Photo: George Rudy / Shutterstock
Throw away your razor.
By Christine Schoenwald — Written on Nov 29, 2022
Beards are huge (in popularity and in mass) right now: bushy beards, scruffy beard patches, over-groomed beards, under-groomed beards, and beards that could tell you every meal their owner had for the last three months.
Beards can entirely change the way a man looks, and some men grow them out when they want a drastic change, while others superstitiously refuse to shave until their sports teams are eliminated.
You can't escape that beards are here to stay, and they seem to be getting bigger every day, overtaking male faces at rapid speeds, especially since the panic that poop was in most beards has been proven to be false. Sigh of relief from all those with Pogonophila (fetish for men with beards).
Here are 5 scientific ways having a beard makes you healthier and hotter:
1. It helps prevent cancer
According to researchers from the University of Southern Queensland, a thick, bountiful beard can make its owner better looking and healthier. For their study, the researchers put a group of bearded and not bearded mannequins under the brutal Australian outback sun.
When they looked at the amount of radiation absorbed by each mannequin participant, the researchers found that the beards blocked an astounding 90 to 95 percent of harmful ultraviolet radiation rays from the faces of the mannequins.
2. It slows the aging process
Facial hair helps keep the skin moisturized, and coupled with less sun exposure means fewer wrinkles and skin damage. Unfortunately, beards can make a man look older and more distinguished, so the fact that you're not aging under all that hair may have to be your secret.
3. It reduces infections
No shaving means no ingrown hairs, no bacterial infections, and no folliculitis (where the hair follicles become inflamed by bacteria or fungi).
4. It keeps allergens out
Just like nose hair, facial hair works as a filter and helps to prevent allergy-causing substances such as pollen and dust. Beards are the obnoxious doormen of your face.
5. It prevents colds
Beards can help keep you warm, and cold viruses thrive in a colder environment. Winning!
Say goodbye to your hairless chin, and start growing that beard.
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Christine Schoenwald is a writer and performer. She's had articles in The Los Angeles Times, Salon, Bustle, Medium, and Woman's Day.