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Do women like beards? What is the most attractive beard length that women found attractive?
If so, what type of beard? Or maybe women prefer clean-shaven?
We had the same questions and decided to get to the bottom of it.
The only way to find the real truth is to ask a large representative sample of women the right questions.
That is why we performed a major nationwide survey of over 300 women in order to find the answer.
The results presented below will tell you the true consensus of what types of facial hair women find most attractive.
Please refer to the table of contents below to jump to the sections most important to you.
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Below is a short video of the top 5 highlights from the survey results.
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Also, be sure to check out the many other informative graphics and interesting findings per the rest of the article below.
Why & How We Performed This Survey
Most advice on what facial hairstyles are most attractive to women is provided by one or two “experts”.
As much as I respect the opinions of these individuals, I decided to take a different angle and obtain the information straight from the source (i.e. the women).
As I am a true believer in the law of large numbers, I am not just talking about asking the opinion of one or two women, I am talking about getting the opinion of a large representative sample of women that is sufficient to arrive at statistically significant conclusions of what women really think is attractive.
That is why we contracted a world leader of web-based surveys to assure we got a true representative panel of women, who provide truthful and thoughtful responses, so we can be sure the data collected and conclusions presented are credible and accurate.
Stratification
We also took the analysis a step further and identified any significant differences in facial hair preferences between various geographic locations and demographics.
We examined the differences between the following segments:
- Age
- Type of Community
- Geographic Location
- Income Level
- Relationship Status
Sample Design
Provided are the details of the random stratified sample as well as the precision estimate calculations.
For more details, refer to the Survey Methodology here.
Most Attractive Facial Hair
We asked women to rank 7 of the most popular facial hairstyles from most attractive to least attractive.
The following are the results and analysis for the US Population as a whole.
Conclusions of Total Population
The “Short stubble” beard is the #1 most attractive facial hair.
It received an average rank of 2.6 with 80% ranking short stubble in the top 3, including 24% of respondents ranking short stubble as the #1 most attractive facial hairstyle.
“Clean-shaven” was a close second as the most attractive facial hairstyle.
It received an average rank of 2.7 with 72% ranking clean-shaven in the top 3, including 38% of respondents ranking clean-shaven as the #1 most attractive facial hairstyle.
“Long stubble” came in 3rd place with an average rank of 3.7.
“Full beard” and “Goatee facial hair” were practically tied for 4th/5th place.
“Mustache” and “Circle beard” were ranked as the least attractive facial hairstyles.
So do women like beards?
Well, based on the results above, it seems to depend on what type of beard.
Questions:
Why do women find short stubble the most attractive facial hairstyle? Is it because certain celebrities or publications feature short stubble beards or is there a more technical explanation?
Is the short stubble a recent trend or has it been the most attractive facial hairstyle for a long time and will it continue to be so?
Feel free to comment or pose your own questions in the comment section down below.
Beards vs. Clean-Shaven
Responses About Beards
Attractive – “I like the way they feel on my body”
Attractive – “All the men I like are with beards. They are way hotter. Beards are like makeup for men.”
Attractive – “I tend to like manly men. To me, a man with facial hair is a bit more manly. Rough and tough.”
Unattractive – “I don’t like kissing men with beards, it feels weird.”
Unattractive – “Because I don’t like a ton a hair on a man’s face, it’s disgusting!”
Unattractive – “Nothing to explain, beards are gross! They hide facial features and make all men look the same.”
Responses About Clean-Shaven
Attractive – “It looks more hygienic”
Attractive – “Physical appearance is a lasting impression. It’s a professional and neat appearance.”
Attractive – “I like a clean shaven face, nicer to kiss.”
Unattractive – “Makes them look young”
Unattractive – “I like facial hair. What is a man without a beard? A woman.”
Unattractive – “I like a man, not a boy”
Conclusions of Total Population
More women find beards “attractive” compared to clean-shaven ones.
But…
More women find beards “unattractive” compared to clean-shaven ones.
There is a much greater polarity among women’s opinions of the attractiveness of beards versus the clean-shaven look.
14% more women think beards are “attractive” relative to clean-shaven (57% vs 50%).
But 21% also think beards were unattractive, including 8% that think they are “very” unattractive.
Compare that to clean-shaven where only 7% think clean-shaven is unattractive, including only 2% “very” unattractive.
That means 3 times more women think beards are “unattractive” relative to clean-shaven.
More women had a neutral stance for clean-shaven as almost 2 times more women selected neutral for clean-shaven (43%) versus beards (22%).
So do women like beards or clean-shaven?
It looks like some women really like beards but others find them repulsive while slightly fewer women find a clean-shaven look attractive, not as many women find a clean-shaven look unappealing either.
Many women responded that the attractiveness of the beard was contingent on the quality and upkeep of the beard.
It seems many who have beards don’t do the proper maintenance necessary to keep their beards looking neat, clean, and healthy.
But there has definitely been a significant increase in the number of products available for beard care including a large variety of artisanal beard oils and high-tech beard trimmers.
They even have specially formulated beard shampoos and beard conditioners.
This is a sign that there is increasing awareness of the need for proper beard maintenance.
Questions:
Why do women have stronger opinions on the attractiveness of beards (both attractive & unattractive) versus clean-shaven?
Do you believe women’s attraction to beards and clean-shaven have always been like this or is it constantly changing? Where do you think it is headed?
Feel free to comment or pose your own questions in the comment section down below.
Results by Age Group
We segmented the data between 3 age groups (18 to 24, 25 to 34, 35 to 44) to determine if there were any statistically significant differences in their attraction to facial hair.
Conclusions by Age Group
Women 25 to 34 find beards significantly more attractive and clean-shaven significantly less attractive compared to women 18 to 24 and 35 to 44.
While only 12% of women ages 25 – 34 find beards unattractive, 26% of women in the age groups 18 to 24 and 35 to 44 find beards unattractive.
In other words, more than twice the amount of women 18 to 24 and 35 to 44 find beards unattractive relative to women 25 to 34 (117% to be exact).
This preference for facial hair by women 25 to 34 was also reflected in the question regarding the attractiveness of a clean-shaven look in which 29% more women 18 to 24 and 35 to 44 find clean-shaven attractive versus women 25 to 34 (54% vs. 42%).
Based on the results above, whether women like beards seems to also depend on certain demographics such as their age.
Question: Have women 25 to 34 always been more attracted to beards than other age groups or is it more of a generational influence due to the passing golden era of beards?
Feel free to comment or pose your own questions in the comment section down below.
Here are the results of the most attractive facial hair by age group.
Results by Community Type
We broke down the following data between the 3 types of communities where the respondents were currently residing (Rural, Suburban, Urban/City) to determine if facial hair preferences differ based on the type of community women live in.
Conclusions by Community Type
Women residing in rural communities find clean-shaven significantly less attractive than women in cities or suburban communities.
24% more women of city or suburban communities find clean-shaven attractive compared to women in rural communities (52% vs 42%).
4 times more women of rural communities find clean-shaven unattractive compared to women of city or suburban communities (16% vs 4%).
Question: Is there a specific cultural influence in rural communities that may explain why they don’t find clean-shaven as attractive?
Feel free to comment or pose your own questions in the comment section down below.
The following are the results of the most attractive facial hair by community type
Results by Geographic Region
We segmented the data by geographic region to determine if there were any differences in women’s attraction to beards among the different parts of the country.
Below is the data as well as a map indicating which states are included in each region.
Conclusions by Geographic Region
Women from West South Central (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana) find clean-shaven the most attractive out of any region with 75% selecting it as attractive.
Women from West & East North Central find beards the least attractive but were also fairly neutral of the clean-shaven look.
Women from the Mountain region were the most polarized for both clean-shaven (attractive:50%, unattractive:15%) and beards (attractive:65%, unattractive:27%).
Results by Income & Relationship Status
Income Level
72% more women with household incomes of $100,000+ found beards unattractive when compared to women with incomes less than $100,000 (31% vs 18%).
Relationship Status
No statistically significant differences in women’s facial hair preferences were identified when segmenting the data based on relationship status.
Submit Suggestions for Next Survey
Please submit questions you want to have included in the next survey in the comments below!
It can include anything related to grooming, style, and beyond.
These surveys are expensive to conduct but we will do our best to include as many requests as possible.
Also, please submit any comments or questions you may have regarding this survey as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
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2. Is Merkur a reputable brand?
Overall, the best safety razor. Merkur, a German razor company, was mentioned more than any other brand, praised for its long history, low price point, and reputation for quality manufacturing.
3. How long will a Merkur blade last?
Lasts 3-7 shaves.
Merkur is a well-known brand. They are appealing because they can provide a very close shave without being as aggressive as other brands. They are rust-resistant due to their platinum coating, and one blade can typically last between 3-7 shaves.
4. Where are Merkur razors manufactured?
MERKUR safety razors are made in Germany and provide complete corrosion protection as well as exceptional durability due to the zinc die casting process.
38 to 24%. Clean shaven would win, no?
Hey Tim,
Well, more women rated it #1 but the average position of “short stubble” was 2.6 vs “clean-shaven” which was 2.7. The average position is how I ranked the facial hair styles.
Cheers!
Clean shaved for me. I find beards very UNATTRACTIVE. Yuck! Won’t go out with a guy if he has a beard. Won’t go out with a guy unless he’s 100% Vegan either.
You make me want a beard and to eat a steak
Chill
Why did you leave out all the women over 44 years? Do you think hey stop looking at men? Or do you believe that women over 44 are irrelevant because only women under age 44 are appealing to you?
Hi Susie,
Thanks for your question and I assure you the last thing I wanted to do is to offend anyone so I sincerely apologize if this was the case.
This segmentation in no way reflects my own preferences in any fashion.
The initial reason I conducted this survey was due to the fact that there was a large demand from PrimandPrep.com’s readership. The demographics of my readers are primarily between the ages of 18 to 44. As the per respondent cost of these surveys are costly, I decided to focus the survey on these age ranges.
Now that the survey was a very large success and received significant coverage beyond just the PrimandPrep community, I will be sure to invest more and assure greater inclusivity of the total population, including all ages.
I hope this response is satisfactory and please don’t hesitate to ask me any more questions or provide any more suggestions for the next survey.
Very interesting read. I am a 34 year old man, English, also homeless and have myself a few months growth on my face which I am going to get cut along with my hair. Decided to keep it and try look after it after going through everything to get to this length (the itchy period around 15-45 days and the dry skin around cheeks which is better than it was but still there) it’s a lot harder living on the street but this the longest beard I have ever had and it suits me!
Im thinking of french crop haircut (faded from 0.5 to 1 to 2 them short on top cut with scissors and swept forward flick at front) and then have beard faded in from hair at 0.5 and be like a reflection of hair length like a sun set on a lake! Does facial hair grow quicker and more dense when it’s cut?
Sounds like a solid plan and no, its a myth, your facial hair will not grow faster or more dense the more you cut it. Good luck!
Hey Ricky, Glad to hear the beard is working for you! Just need to make sure to try to keep it clean and trimmed. Maintenance is essential.
I’m a 63 year old female and it doesn’t insult me at all that you didn’t include my age category, but just an FYI I’ve always thought at all stages of my life that facial hair on men was extremely unattractive. Mustaches especially are germ factories, everytime a man sneezes or blows his nose the germs get caught in his facial hair and grow. Everything a man eats and drinks gets into his facial hair and makes it smell and grow germs. I will never date or kiss a man with facial hair because I associate it with filth and germs. Facial hair on men is dirty looking and disgusting and definitely makes most men look nasty. I think men look so HANDSOME with a smooth, clean shaven face any day of the year. I like to see their facial features and touch their smooth skin. I don’t want to see a fur face-so ugly.
Yap. On top of it all men with beards pamper their treasure and spend tons of money on it, which is unappealing to me. Whenever my husband grows a week stubble, he complains of terrible itch and scratches himself like a monkey. My male colleagues confirmed to me that the itch is a natural thing, everyone has it, and they sell products for it. Not appealing. Plus, men should take advantage of the opportunity to shave regularly, as shaving is the best way to peel off dead skin.
Women over 44 are useless sexually so they don’t count…..unless you are Hale Barry or Jennifer Lopez.
Well Done!
Thanks! Glad your found it insightful.
It’s great– really well presented analysis.
It’s always interesting to see how my intuition about of societal preferences differ from the actuality– I thought way more women were into beards!
Honestly, I’d be interested in the dispersion of data and if the findings would be similar with a larger corpus of data. 300 isn’t a huge representation. How were the subjects chosen?
Hi Geb,
I’m so glad you found this survey enlightening.
The survey was conducted through Survey Monkey Audience who perform a random selection of respondents throughout the United States consistent with generally accepted survey practices. Based on the sample size, the calculated margin of error is 5.4%. Based on this calculation, I think the dispersion of data would be fairly consistent if a larger sample size was used.
Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Best Regards,
Ben
Great study man and I really appeciate the research you put into this.
So glad that you found it helpful. I will be performing many more in the future so be on the lookout!
Interesting article!
I like a clean shaven man. Got plenty of face “rashes” from making out with guys with scratchy stubble.
A beard hides the man and an older guy with a gray beard?
Looks like Santa Claus. Not a good look, not a turn on – at all. They look like they have given up. Even my old Grandad shaved every day.
The very handsome Keanu Reeves looks better without his beard, although at least his beard looks soft, is not heavy and does not obscure his looks too much.
By the way I am over 44 and NEVER dated a guy with a beard. (Keanu may be excepted if he is interested.)
Didn’t bother to shave for a few days, okay. Back woodsman or ZZ Top? Not so much.
Also, most men with beards have a part of their breakfast or lunch in their beard. It’s just kind of gross.
Thanks so much for your insight Freida. Very much appreciated. Its really fascinating to hear all of these different perspectives.
I am 32 & I legit had to beg & bribe my 33 yr old significant other to clean shave just once 🙄… his excuse, “Bcus I had to do it in the Army all the time & he ‘hates’ the way it feels” 🤦🏼♀️… Like bro… do you even knowww what I go through to shave for you? Clearly not. Anyway, I most definitely came to realize that facial hair to men is the equivalent of makeup to women. I love his face clean shave bcus it looks more professional… & less… homeless 😏.
Hahaha, I really enjoyed reading your perspective on this topic. Based on many of the survey responses, you are definitely not alone. Thanks for sharing. Good luck!
Can’t stand guys with facial hair. For larger men it does NOT hide your size, but accents it. Also, many beards look unkempt and can show an attitude of laziness.
Thanks for sharing your opinion Sarah!
I think it depends on the guy and how well-kept the facial hair is. That being said, I’ve not seen many men who would not have been much improved in appearance by a little stubble. It looks rough and manly and sexy, generally speaking. If women are so worried about a little beard burn, maybe men aren’t exactly their cup of tea. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your opinion Patricia!
How long is “Short Stubble” ?
Great question Gevo, Short stubble is between 1mm to 3mm in length. This develops for most men between 2 to 5 days without shaving.
I always used to be clean shaven right through my 20’s up until about 29 and I noticed when I had a little bit more of a rugged look going on I’d get more looks from the women…
Now I’m 35 and I’ll leave just enough stubble even when I’m dressing up and it’s a winner every time..
Too much stubble though and it stsrts to look lazy and yuk in my opinion..
1 or 2 days growth is perfect for me..
Thanks for sharing your experiences Adrian. The more the better!
Hi There,
I am also sad that you did not include female respondents in their 50s and 60s. So many men in my generation have let themselves go, and have beards that are unkempt and ugly. I have seen some frightful things recently–and these same men complain they can’t meet women. Unkempt or dirty beards are completely unappealing and signal an unwillingness to also take care of themselves in other ways. I wish more men knew that as we age, whatever gender we are, cleanliness and grooming standards increase in importance and can help attract prospective partners who may then be willing to get to know us for other fine qualities. None of us have perfect bodies, faces, or bank accounts, but we can always be clean and well-groomed. (Clean fingernails…another must!)
In general, my personal preference is entirely for clean-shaven men with clean, long hair, though a bit of stubble is okay from time to time. I can’t even consider dating men with facial hair beyond stubble. And mustaches make men
look like 1970’s adult movie hasbeens. They are the worst and it looks like women in your survey don’t like them much.
Thanks so much for sharing Amy! We will be sure to include respondents of all ages in all future surveys! Thanks for the suggestion!
In my personal experience I have found many women actually liking a well groomed full beard. Many men shouldn’t grow a beard if it is unkept or patchy. Stubble are for those that well just can’t grow one in the first place and who the hell wants to feel sandpaper rubbing on their face. We all can take surveys and find different results, so this one has no relevance over any other one.
very interesting read.
But can it be that we are missing out an underlying influencer? From the results I suspect maybe that women have no preference over beard style at all, as long as it is short or absent but instead care more if a man looks ‘manly’. So if a grubby beard makes a man look manly, then that scores high. If a shaven men is deemed mature and manly, then that scores high anyway. It would explain why older age groups care less about a grubby beard, assuming they have more well-developed ways of judging how ‘grown up’ a man is (from their life experience).
It would give your article a different conclusion: if you want to be attractive to younger women, wear a grubby style if your face looks boy-ish otherwise.
If you want to attract more mature women, just get your act together and stop fooling around with your facial hair.
Thanks for the insight Rob. You make some very good points.
ps culture/ethnicity is a thing too, or is it?
I believe you are right. I actually analyzed the results by ethnicity but decided not to publish it as I was concerned that people may be offended.
I too was wondering about white, black, hispanic, etc. I can say that I have been wearing a beard the better part of my 60 yrs. I live in the Savannah, GA area. There tend to be more blacks here and with me being white, I have noticed more black women are attracted to me than white women. Maintaining a long stubble to a #3 length tends to instill in women, in general, a perception of a more manly, gentlemanly, maturity, confidently and a more believable atmosphere when trying to get my point across. Also, a rough and tumble and dont mess with that guy is sometimes perceived of me. As a direct salesman, I find the beard holds peoples interest longer in what I am saying and tends to breakup the monotony.
I have also found that black men with the short stubble look that is sculpted is appealing to most everybody here. However, I do agree with your findings as well as some of your readers, that a groomed appearance is essential if you are going this route. People will not tolerate bearded creatures that are unkempt, the Duck Dynasty look, or your goals of being the next ZZ Top.
100% of bearded men couldn’t care less what women think about facial hair 😁
How many of my fellow bearded men have beards to actually attract women? Me: No
I get a lot more looks from girls when I’m clean shaven or have just a little stubble. (I’m a very attractive man with a well defined jawline). but I feel like a manly beast when I grow out my beard (I’ve grown it out past 10 inches). I met my last girlfriend of 4 years when my beard was incredibly long. And she liked it a lot, but once I shaved it off she liked that a lot better because then she realized I was male model material 😅. But overall she preferred it with about 4-5 days stubble because 1st day end of day shave felt like sandpaper when we would kiss. I’ve been thinking about growing my beard back out but have been on the fence.. I’ve got about a quarter inch of growth right now. haha but now after reading this I think I want to shave it again. I broke up with that last girl even though I love her because there were a lot of issues and I feel deep down that she isn’t the ultimate one for me, although the sex was incredible and she is extremely hot, as well as a beautiful person on the inside – although a little crazy sometimes. But that is all in the past now and I am waiting to meet my true love someday and want to look my best for her when I do meet her ❤️Anyway, that’s my ramble. Have a beautiful day everyone.
Thanks for sharing Taylor!
Some observations: the long stubble was ranked 3rd for all ages and communities. What was the ranking across geographical location? Also, the relative ranking of most styles appeared semi-consistant. What was the distribution per ranking?
From this, I gather women’s preferences were more likely to be polarized for beards versus not. They also have a higher likelihood of being neutral for cleanshaven opposed to bearded. Its a shame the ethnic backgrounds were not posted, but I understand why.
This was a fun read! Hopefully you can conduct a larger survey in the future.
Hi Jessie,
I am glad you enjoyed it and found it insightful. You are welcome to email me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss further. I am more than happy to provide you the data based on ethnic background as well as the raw data so you can analyze it however you would like. 🙂
SUGGESTION: Instead of asking 300 women, just ask one woman 300 times. 🙂 As for me, ‘Lorelie’, a member of the Windsor Balet, told me she likes clean shaven, so, clean shaven it is, forever.
Hahahaha, Thanks Wubba!
Hahahaha…..lol.
Props on the amount of analysis represented here as well as what seems to be an appropriate sample size and subject diversity.
(Now here are the “but(s)” & “however(s)”; sorry)
(And forgive me if I missed something)
I would expect that the data to also be analyzed in the following manner:
– Overall, facial hair vs. no facial hair with the appropriate binomial statistical analysis (you have a fantastic sample size, use that ‘power’ to reinforce your findings)
– Then, within facial hair , the rankings of most preferred to least preferred (which is close to what you did but it kinda muddies the interpretation when throwing the control or null condition of ‘no facial hair’ into the ranking & other analysis as an evenly weighted variable to each type of facial hair) (That’s probably why you get a very confusing & contradictory finding of “More women find beards attractive AND unattractive compared to clean shaven; which makes very little sense)
Again, I’m not trying to bag on your analysis. In fact, this is one of the best examples of how the scientific approach can address popular culture questions.
Regards,
A retired (& hopefully not rusty) behavior scientist
Thanks J! I appreciate the insight!
Hey Ben,
Excellent job man. I really enjoyed the study. I’m curious how the ethnic data turned out. I understand why you decided not to include it (so many hurt feelings and PC these days). I mean its just data right? Anyway, I found the results very interesting, thanks for sharing your work!
Women’s who like clean shaven ……who thinks beards are awful..so dirty ……i must ask to them do you have that power to grow on your own face😁…if you like beard then raise your hand if not then raise your standard😆.
Women’s who like clean shaven men……if you expect clean shave from men then men’s also expect clean shaven hair..😁 ..if you can do that ..then you can expect same thing from men..lol.😁
Mist men will grow beards to hide there little undeveloped chiny chin chin and there lips ratio. The unbalanced symmetry of the jawline and ro also hide all the wrinkles.
Some men with beards will only use then to hide there little nasty chimney chin chin. There chin isnt symmetrical with there face and there lips are hidden. The beard conceals there wrinkles and frown lines!!! M So, when they finally do save…. you got to scream with fear because it like the beast from within!!!!! It’s like, “RUN SCOOBY….RUN!!!!!!”.
What dom woman think of men over 55 years of agewith beards or without beards