Is a beard a sexual signal?

What at first glance is simply a secondary character of men gives incredible play in all social areas. Some people hate it, others love it and in certain population niches there is an entire culture around it. Taking this into account, it is normal that many people wonder if a beard is a sexual signal.

The beard is one of the most visually prominent secondary male sexual traits. and a sexually dimorphic characteristic for our species. Therefore, it plays an important role in communication and in social processes such as competitiveness, aggression and sexuality.

In this space you can explore all the biological background of the male beard, from the approaches to its usefulness to the symbolism associated with it. If you want to know if this facial detail has any real relevance in choosing a partner, don’t miss what comes next.

Pogonophilia is the attraction to men with beards.

The biological usefulness of the beard

Primitive man is always conceptualized with a beard, since the first known razor blades are made of copper and are 5,000 years old. Therefore, there are good reasons to think that this facial hair serves a function related to survival.

Initially, the hypothesis was that it helped preserve body heat. However, this would make sense if females and human babies also had it, since anyone can get cold. In this sense, what really fulfills this function is the hair.

On the other hand, it has also been speculated that, in a similar way to the mane of the lion and other non-human animals, The beard has a protective function against attacks. In this regard, it is worth citing the 2018 study of professional fighters that found no evidence that facial hair was associated with fewer knockout losses or greater fighting ability.

Beards and non-verbal communication

If you want to find out if a beard is a sexual signal, the first thing is to evaluate its potential to transmit information. In fact, this characteristic directly influences the perception of facial expressions.

Angry faces are categorized more quickly and more accurately into bearded faces, followed by the beardless faces and then the clean shaven faces. In contrast, happy facial expressions had this same effect with clean-shaven faces, followed by beardless faces, and then bearded faces.

On the other hand, faces with full beards received the highest masculinity ratings and then clean-shaven faces. In summary, Behaviors associated with masculinity, such as aggressiveness and intrasexual status, are more related to beards.

Does this mean that aggression and sexuality are linked?

Clearly, the answer is no. Even if a person is sexually attracted to the masculine appearance that a beard gives, many more factors come into play. The most important one has to do with the behavior of each individual. Therefore, no, a man with a beard will not be attractive if he shows violent behavior.

Facial hair is related to strength, vitality and protection.

So, is a beard a sexual signal?

Since the evolutionary function of the beard is yet to be confirmed, it remains to demonstrate the functions it performs when it comes to relating. When it comes to aesthetic tastes (and fashions are ignored), variability is important: some people revere beards and others associate them with dirt or lack of personal care.

A study published in the journal Evolution and Human Behavior found that women were more attracted to bearded men in countries with lower average incomes. On the other hand, beards are more common in more populated geographic areas.

How can this possibly yield statistically significant results? Well, the authors of the study suggested that, in conditions of demographic overcrowding, which encourage anonymity, displays of masculinity tend to be amplified.

Therefore, following this reasoning, the beard would be a sexual signal, since there is a tendency to display it to stand out in front of potential partners.

In conclusion, it is necessary to emphasize the role of culture and aesthetic norms when evaluating what is considered attractive. Although there is a certain biological basis for this, the standards that indicate what is “attractive” respond to random patterns that are imposed on collective thinking. Therefore, whether you hate beards or love them, your tastes are acceptable.

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