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If a man wants to win someone’s trust, he might be better off growing facial hair that’s a bit more David Beckham and, well, a little less Brian Blessed.
That’s the message from a study which found people were more trusting of men with a light beard or facial stubble, such as England football icon Becks, 49, than those with the sort of full-bodied growth famously worn by Shakespearean actor Blessed, 88.
Researchers found that volunteers were more likely to give money to those with stubble than men who were either clean-shaven or bushy-bearded.
The Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Brazil, recruited 170 male and female students to look at dozens of images of men’s faces with varying amounts of facial fuzz, and had to choose which ones they judged to be the most trustworthy.
This involved playing a game in which volunteers were given an imaginary pot of cash to hand out and had to choose the men they thought most likely to return some of the money if asked to.
The results, in the journal Acta Psychologica, showed those with facial stubble or a small beard were most likely to be chosen. They were also judged the most attractive.
The stubble effect was found to be stronger in young men rather than older chaps.
A study has found people were more trusting of men with a light beard or facial stubble, such as England football icon Becks, 49, (pictured) than those with the sort of full-bodied growth famously worn by Shakespearean actor Blessed, 88
The Pontifical Catholic University of Parana, Brazil , recruited 170 male and female students to look at dozens of images of men’s faces with varying amounts of facial fuzz, and had to choose which ones they judged to be the most trustworthy
The results, in the journal Acta Psychologica, showed those with facial stubble or a small beard were most likely to be chosen. They were also judged the most attractive (pictured: comedian Brian Blessed)
The team behind the research said the results match those from earlier studies, which found that men with bushy beards were perceived as more aggressive.
In their report, the researchers said some parts of the world already recognise men with beards as authoritative and trustworthy.
‘For example, in India, police officers with moustaches receive a monthly stipend, highlighting the cultural significance of facial hair as a marker of authority and trustworthiness,’ they said.
A 2023 YouGov poll of more than 2,000 British men found that 54 per cent have some form of facial hair – up from 37 per cent in 2011. A third of them went for the full-growth look, the poll found, with just 13 per cent opting for stubble.
