In recent years, beards have made a strong comeback in British culture and rightly so. From celebrities, actors, footballers and fashionistas, the face fur is here and we hope it’s here to stay.
This begs the question, why do men have beards? We at Wolf & Raven Beard Co. have had a look into “Why Men Grow Beards”, looking at studies and our own anecdotal research, and from this have found the top 5 reasons why.
A YouGov survey, found that since 2011 men who have decided to grow a beard have increased. In 2011, 37% of men had grown a beard, up to 42% in late 2016. And we have seen a steady increase since then of men with beards.
In this blog post we are going to try and understand why men grow beards, and give some reasons of our own to why this might be the case.
The Top 5 Reasons Why Men Grow Beards
1. Laziness
Unsurprisingly, laziness came in at no.1 for why men grow beards. As I’m sure our better halves would agree, men can be quite lazy at times when it comes to grooming. So, growing a beard would clearly come in at the top.
As men we understand, shaving everyday can be tiresome and laborious. Keeping that face fur seems the easiest option from day to day.
We see lots of men with lazy, unkempt beards. While being lazy doesn’t have to be a bad thing, taking that little bit of pride in our appearance will go a long way.
We don’t think there’s any excuse to have a beard that is unkempt. There’s nothing better than heading to the barber on Saturday morning and getting that luscious face fur, combed, cut and oiled for the adventures that lie ahead.
Men do better! Groom that beard. Comb it and keep them rogue hairs at bay.
2. Habit
Coming in at a close second is - habit. The study suggests, once a man has grown a beard, they rarely take it off.
A habit is developed when the brain connects something that either rewards or punishes us.
This suggests the habit of growing a beard is because it’s rewarding them. What that reward is could be a number of reasons, confidence, increased attractiveness, validation, etc.
If a habit is developed from growing a beard and it gives confidence or any other positive feeling, then go with it. Keep them whiskers and wear that beard with pride.
Why men grow beards might be shaving everyday, which can be a laborious task anyway. Throw that blade away and start a no shave habit. No grown man should look like a 9 year old boy anyway.
3. Look more attractive
Coming at number 3 is “Look more attractive” for why men grow beards. Something men have become more aware of in recent years.
Mens awareness of their appearance has become a very important issue. Some, feeling like they have to change their appearance. There has been a lot of pressure from social media, having to conform to certain standards and stereotypes of what a man should like from body, facial features, etc.
However, whether a beard can make you more attractive is very subjective and depends on personal preference. A beard can enhance a man’s features, with some believing a beard man can look more rugged, mature or masculine.
With all that said, it ultimately falls onto the individual on how they feel with a beard, are they more confident or comfortable with that appearance.
4. To look older
Coming in at number 4 for why men grow beards, is to look older. According to the data, men feel a beard might make them look older but is this true?
A study in 2013, found on average a beard can make you look approx. 8 years older. The panellists were shown images of celebrities clean shaven and bearded and the consensus was, beards can definitely make you look older.
We, at Wolf & Raven Beard Co. have found this to be a mixed bag when people attempt to guess our age, I personally have found the beard still doesn’t make me look much older, with most thinking i’m at least 8 years younger than my actual age - this could be genes and maybe I have a baby face and need the beard to look older. With my colleagues looking older than their age.
If you have the benefit of great genes, have a baby or you’re a teenager wanting to look that little bit older, here’s how you can do it…grow a beard.
5. Make a statement
A beard can help you standout from the crowd. They can be exciting, well groomed or even rugged. Whatever style you like, your beard is a statement of your personality, from mutton chops, moustaches to the classic or faded beard, there is an abundance of styles to choose from.
Choosing a style can be painstaking but once you have the right style for you. Experiment with your face shape, some might not be right for you but have fun with it and see what quirky styles you can come with.
Whatever style you come up with you’ll be sure to stand out in whatever scenario you find yourself.
Conclusion
The data suggests, why men grow beards seems to be due to laziness and habit, with a large percentage going towards these two; Laziness 32% and habit 27%.
In a society where it is more common not to have a beard, having one can make you stand out due to its distinctiveness. Creating that memorable look that can set you out from the crowd can be fun, exciting, bold and a great statement piece.
However, a beard can be hard to maintain and tiresome at times. What a beard can do, is change the way your face is shaped - for the better we think - and make you look more masculine. Not only can it change your look, we have found it gives men a more confident persona. Being more confident can benefit your life incredibly, from dating to your professional career.
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