Why Growing a Beard is Good For Your Health

A beard is more than just facial art. It can be life changing in ways you’ve probably never even thought of. Which is exactly why you should just ignore anyone who is still trying to discourage that beard of yours from growing.

Sure, there have been recent studies (and I use that word lightly) that claim all kinds of bad things can grow in beards. If you don’t take care of your beard that kind of thing is certainly possible. However, if you take care of your beard like a good Urban Beardsman, you, and those around you, have nothing to worry about.

In fact, growing a beard will likely make you more healthy rather than less. And there is plenty of research to back that up.

Growing a beard can improve your sex life

No joke! A 2008 study carried out by psychologists at Northumbria University shows that women view men with facial hair as “tough, mature, aggressive, dominant and masculine – and as the best romantic partners, either for a fling or a long-term relationships.”

Going back to the study, researchers basically conclude that “Facial hair, or beardedness, is a powerful sociosexual signal, and an obvious biological marker of sexual maturity.”

Facial hair helps protect your face from the sun

According to some science done at the University of Southern Queensland, beards can block 95% of the sun’s UV rays. In other words, a beard can dramatically decrease your chance of getting skin cancer. Four out of five skin cancer cases in men are in the face, head, or neck. I guess growing a beard can literally save your life.

Protecting your face from the sun can also keep you looking young. Well, at least from the cheeks on down. The more your skin is exposed to the sun the more wrinkles it’ll get. Wrinkles make you look old. A beard that blocks the sun from getting to your skin will keep your canvas wrinkle free.

Growing out your beard can increase your self-esteem

A recent survey done by Braun shows most men in New York City with facial hair – beards or mustaches – feel more attractive. More than half claimed someone complimented them within the past week. And I can vouch for that claim. My beard is going on 5 months and I get at least one compliment a week. I don’t know about you, but compliments make me feel good.

You’ll suffer less from allergies with a face blanket

The longer you grow that face hair of yours, the better it’ll protect you against allergens trying to ruin your day. The hair on your face basically does the same thing those little hairs in your nose do. Collectively, they trap pollutants and bacteria that can harm you by getting into your body, keeping you breathing easy all day long.

That’s just the first way a beard helps you with allergies. There’s another way growing a beard helps you deal with allergies.

“When the particles that cause allergens become trapped in a person’s beard or facial hair, they will still breathe some of these in, in a regular and consistent way. As these allergens are kept close to the nose and mouth and inhaled regularly, over time a person may start to build up an immunity to them,” according to research done by YorkTest Laboratories.

Keep the cold at bay

Having a beard certainly won’t prevent anyone from getting a cold, but it may be able to help the body fight it off. That’s because when someone gets a sore throat, the body will raise it’s temperature (read: a fever) to kill the virus. The beard comes into play because hair is a good insulator. A big, long beard will certainly keep your neck a little warmer. I think of it like this: the beard and the body team up to help fight off a cough. Having said that, you should also probably go see a doctor. For everyone’s sake.

When in doubt, grow it out. A beard can make you feel better physically and mentally. Science backs it up. And that’s a win, win in my book!

About the author:

By day, Keith King is a news producer in Dallas; by night, he’s a freelance writer. He runs his own travel blog called KeithKingReport.com. When he is not working you’ll find Keith looking for something new to experience. As for his beard, yeah, it’s growing on him (eh?!). You can follow him (and his beard) on Twitter: @The_KeithKing, IG: KeithKingReport.

WHAT TYPE OF BEARDSMAN ARE YOU?

Do you know what type of beardsman you are? Take the quiz to find out if you’re the rarest type, and get ongoing beard advice sent to your inbox weekly.

TAKE THE QUIZ