Pogonophilia: the strong attraction to men with beards

Are men with beards more attractive than the rest? Maybe not for everyone, but they are for those who manifest pogonophilia. This term refers to the strong attraction that some people feel towards men who wear beards.. In fact, it can be a kind of fetish in certain cases.

Is there a scientific explanation for this phenomenon or is it just a trend? According to the available evidence, several factors contribute to this attraction. Beards could be linked to desirable characteristics that would increase sexual attractiveness.

Lumber fashion and pogonophilia

Fashion is constantly changing and new trends regarding appearance appear from time to time. One of the most recent is the “lumber” or lumberjack style among men. Thus, we see celebrities who wear plaid shirts with mountain boots, jackets and winter hats. However, the feature that stands out the most among them is on their face: a thick beard that can be long or trimmed.

Now, This trend has become very common and more and more men decide to grow a beard.. We even see a lot of products on the market made specifically for beard care. Due to this trend, pogonophilia has become more evident in the general population, also to the scientific community.

There are undoubtedly people who feel a particular attraction to beards on men. So, the question would be if this phenomenon has to do with fashion or if there are other deeper reasons. According to some studies, biological and psychological reasons can be found that explain the attraction to beards.

Causes of pogonophilia

Following the previous thread, Dixson and Brooks (2013) conducted a study to evaluate the role that facial hair had in male attractiveness. To this end, the researchers showed women photos of shaven men with light, thick and long beards. They then analyzed the judgments that the participants made about the attributes of said men.

The conclusion was that Women find men who have a thick two-week beard more attractive.. Meanwhile, long beards were linked to greater parenting ability. From this, the authors conclude that beards play an important role in the perception of masculinity and physical attractiveness.

However, other research indicates that beards do not increase physical attractiveness directly, but do so through the perception of social status. Both men and women from different cultures consider beards a sign of higher status (Dixson and Vasey, 2012).

The beard and its relationship with health

It is possible that pogonophilia is not only related to the presence of facial hair, but also to other factors. Based on what we know about male physiology, different variables participate in beard growth. One is testosterone, whose levels increase significantly once puberty begins.

On the other hand, having healthy skin favors a thick beard. Eating a low-fat diet and exercising regularly also improve facial hair growth. Additionally, genetic inheritance may contribute.

Taking this into account, It could be hypothesized that a beard is a characteristic that increases attractiveness if we take into account the traits that we understand, consciously or unconsciously, to be characteristic of a healthy man.. In other words, people could have the perception that a man with a beard is healthier, and therefore, more attractive.

Likewise, the idea that a beard is associated with higher status seems to have its origins in our evolutionary history. It is said that it is likely that the beard was an attribute related to aggressiveness, which is why it favored competition and reproduction.

How do I know if I have pogonophilia?

It is necessary to clarify that considering that a man with a beard is attractive is not synonymous with pogonophilia. This word is used to talk about an attraction that has a fairly marked intensity. So much so that it can produce some of the following manifestations:

The pulse accelerates when seeing a man with a beard. Significant increase in sexual desire. Sweating. Notorious rejection by men who do not have a beard.

In the same way, It is important to note that this is not a mental condition recognized by any scientific institution.. Rather, it is a relatively recent phenomenon and is associated with certain trends in men’s fashion.

Pogonophobia, the other side of pogonophilia

Just as people are known to feel a special attraction to beards, there are those who express an intense rejection.. This behavior is known as pogonophobia, a form of intense fear or repulsion towards beards.

Like other phobias, pogonophobia would be an acute manifestation of anxiety that is related to beards. Along these same lines, it is an irrational fear or rejection in which we find significant individual variability.

In closing, although pogonophilia is not a pathological condition, it is a curious behavior that highlights interesting aspects of humans. To date, there have been no reported cases where attraction to beards causes special discomfort.. However, the human mind is complex and surprising, so we cannot rule out this idea just yet.

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