Revealed: This is the real reason men grow beards (and it isn’t because women like them)
It's not simply about attracting women - men tend to cultivate thick face fuzz to feel stronger and more aggressive... and here's why
THESE days, you can’t walk down a single British street without passing some chap sporting bushy hipster face fuzz.
Of course, voluminous facial hair is all the rage these days – but men have been growing beards since time immemorial.
Popular opinion would have you believe that men wear beards to increase their chances of attracting a mate.
But research has cast huge doubt on this theory.
For starters, surveys have revealed that women don’t necessarily find men with beards appealing – some quite like the stubbly look, others prefer a clean-shaven mug.
Therefore, men can’t be solely motivated to ditch the razor in a bid to turn ladies’ heads.
However, a recent study by Northumbria University revealed that the beard’s presence is all down to men boost their standing among other men.
Tamsin Saxton, of Northumbria University, added: “To reproduce, it’s often not enough to simply be attractive.
“You also have to compete with the same sex for mating opportunities.
“The funny, shy guy at the back of the bar isn’t going to stand a chance when competing with his bolshier brothers otherwise.
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“And there’s evidence that beards evolved to help men do just that.”
While women aren’t necessarily more attracted to men with beards, the research did find that those with a thick spread of facial hair appear “older, stronger and more aggressive than others” – in the eyes of both genders.
Similarly, voices can also convey dominance and strength.
Tamsin added: “People tend to vote for leaders with lower-pitched voices, and during competitive tasks men lower the pitch of their voice if they think they are more dominant than their opponent.
“Like facial hair, voice pitch also easily distinguishes men and women.”