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As it turns out, beards have been one of the fastest-growing fashion trends in the last few years. But does having a beard actually make you look older? That’s what this article will explore! We’ll discuss how facial hair changes your expression and perception, as well as whether or not you should have that grey beard dyed. So, if you’ve been wondering about growing a beard but don’t want to turn into an old man before your time, read on. This blog post will explore what science has to say about that. Be ready for some surprising findings!
Table of Contents
So do you look older when you have a beard?
Studies have shown that bearded men are perceived as older, more dominant, and aggressive. This is especially true for people with thick full beards. However, things aren’t as straightforward as they might appear! Other studies have shown that they are also perceived as more attractive, sincere, generous, and authoritative.
Like everything in life, having a beard is not always black or white. So, the answer to whether you look older when you have a beard also depends on other factors like your current age, the size of your beard, your facial characteristics, and many more.
Why do guys with beards look older?
To find out why people think that men with beards look older, let’s first take a glance at what causes this. There are a few factors that play a role:
1) Perceived Age
A beard makes you look older because people perceive you as being older. It’s got nothing to do with the physical characteristics of your beard. When you have facial hair, people believe you are at a certain age and able to grow one. This is more relevant for young men.
2) Dominance Perception
The second reason why people believe that beards make you look older is because of the influence of dominance on age perception. Bearded men are usually seen as more dominant and aggressive than clean-shaven men. This dominant man’s image makes others think they are also older.
3) Hair greying
Another reason why you look older when having a beard is because of the greying of your hair. People think hair will turn gray when you get older. And they guess your age based on this. This happens especially with men who have salt and pepper beards or fully white beards.
Are there any studies showing that bearded men look older?
Now let’s get into some evidence and see if people’s assumptions about bearded men are actually valid.
According to a study that took place in 2013, people with beards look 8 years older than clean-shaved guys.
To make things even worst, there is another study that people were shown photos of celebrities with beards and clean shaved. The results were even worst as celebrities with beards were perceived as 10 years older than their actual age.
What beard styles make you look older?
There are certain styles that make you look older than others. For instance, a full long beard makes you look older than your age. This happens because full beards are not so common in young men, so they give people the perception that you are older than your real age.
This is especially true when your full beard is salt and pepper or grey. People will often perceive you as being in your 50s or older when you might not be even close to that age.
In general, all beard styles that are full, thick, and long will make you look older than if you were clean-shaven. This happens because, as we said before, these styles are commonly associated with older men.
Can Beards help me look younger?
If you play your cards right, beards can help you look younger. One way of doing this is by using the correct beard style for your age.
For instance, full beards are not recommended for young men for the reasons we mentioned above. Instead, you should go with a short beard, a small goatee, a soul patch, a Van Dyke, or heavy stubble. These are beard styles that younger men can successfully grow without looking older. This happens because these styles are not that common in older men, so they don’t give people the perception that you’re old. So if you feel like a full beard makes you look older, these beard styles can help you look younger.
Another way of making yourself look younger with a beard is by dying your beard if it’s full of grey hair. This works especially well if you dye your beard a darker color like black or dark brown.
Does shaving make you look younger?
We have talked about if and how beards make you look older but let’s see if shaving makes you look younger.
To answer this, let’s start by talking about what shaving does to your beard. Shaving does not actually prevent grey hairs from growing. It just gets rid of grey hairs when they are very short, so you can’t see them. So when people don’t see grey beard hair, they assume you’re younger than you are.
Another way shaving makes you look younger is because a clean-shaven face looks more baby-faced. This is happening because shaven faces have a smooth surface, giving other people the impression that you look younger.
The truth is that shaving will always make you look more youthful, no matter how old you are. This happens because clean-shaven faces are associated with youth.
Can Shaving make me look older?
There is no rule without an exception, which means shaving can make you look older too. Some people look older, and a clean-shaven face will expose these characteristics.
If you have wrinkles, shaving will make your wrinkles more visible. This happens because clean-shaven faces show all your facial features, and when these include wrinkles. People will think that you look older than you really are. Shaving also makes deep dimples more visible, which can make you look older too.
Also, for men who have a lot of sagging skin on their cheeks, shaving will make this problem more apparent.
As you can understand, shaving can make you look older or younger depending on your facial features. This is why it’s important to know your face’s appearance when you shave. Knowing this will help you decide if you should shave or not
FAQ
Do Beards Make You Look Hotter?
This is the million-dollar question and there is only one answer: “It depends.”
A beard can make you look hotter if it works with your face. If you find a beard style that suits you, then you will look hotter. However, if the beard doesn’t work with your face shape or your style, then you won’t look so hot.
So remember, you can find a beard style that works with your face as long as you keep an open mind and try things out. You might be surprised at what makes you look hot or not!
Does Having A Beard Make You Age Faster?
Yes, people have asked us this question too! And the answer is no, not really.
Having a beard will not make you age faster. Your beard actually protects your skin from the sun, air, and dust. So your beard actually prevents wrinkles because it covers your face and keeps it safe from the UV rays of the sun.
Do Beards Make You Look Thinner Or Fatter?
This is another common question people always ask. Many people think beards make you look fatter, especially if the beard has thick curls in it. But it’s actually the opposite!
Beards can make you look fatter when your face is very thin. This happens because your face looks tiny compared to the big mass of hair that you have on your face.
However, if you have a chubby face, then beards can actually make you look slimmer! How? A beard makes the lower part of your face seem less chubby because it covers this area.
So growing a beard is not going to make you look fatter or thinner, whether the beard is curly and thick or not.
Do Beards Make You Look Tougher?
It depends on what you mean by “tougher.”
This question is not the easiest to answer because it’s hard to measure toughness. We could say that even though there is not scientifically proven that beards make you look tougher, many people believe this is the case.
There are a lot of factors that go into making someone look tough. It’s not just about having a beard. There are some other things you have to consider such as the size of your beard, your style, and your facial features. But there is no denying that many tough-looking bearded men tend to intimidate non-bearded men!
Do Beards Make You Look Aggressive?
The answer is also “it depends.”
This is another question that’s not easy to answer because there are so many types of aggression. Many women have told us that they are afraid of bearded men because they believe that this type of facial hair can make them look aggressive, or even worse, violent.
But the reason why some men look aggressive with beards is because of their facial features. If you have a bigger nose, wide-set eyes, and angular jaw line, then you might look more aggressive than others when you shave. This happens because the shape of your facial features creates shadows on your face that can make you look more aggressive.
So, to answer the question “Do beards make you look more aggressive?” We would have to say no because there are just so many factors that contribute to making someone look aggressive!
Lastly there are no scientific studies that prove this answer one way or the other. It all depends on your facial features!
Conclusion
In this blog post, we’ve covered a lot of ground. We talked about the science behind why beards make people look older, and now you know how to implement that information into your grooming strategy. But what do you think? Do beards actually make people look older? Is there any truth behind our claim, or is it just a myth? We’d love to hear from people with different backgrounds, beliefs, and opinions on this topic!
Russell is the founder of themensattitude.com. He is a barber a beard enthusiast and he is obsessed with trying men’s lifestyle products and blog about them. If you have any questions you can hit him up via the contact page.
