Beard trend is 'guided by evolution'

[Kanzler]

Spoiler:

The more beards there are, the less attractive they become - giving clean-shaven men a competitive advantage, say scientists in Sydney, Australia.

When "peak beard" frequency is reached, the pendulum swings back toward lesser-bristled chins - a trend we may be witnessing now, the scientists say.

In the experiment, women and men were asked to rate different faces with "four standard levels of beardedness".

Both beards and clean-shaven faces became more appealing when they were rare.

The pattern mirrors an evolutionary phenomenon - "negative frequency-dependent sexual selection", or to put it more simply "an advantage to rare traits".

Scientists at the University of New South Wales decided to test this hypothesis for men's facial hair - recruiting volunteers on their Facebook site, The Sex Lab.

"Big thick beards are back with an absolute vengeance and so we thought underlying this fashion, one of the dynamics that might be important is this idea of negative frequency dependence," said Prof Rob Brooks, one of the study's authors.

"The idea is that perhaps people start copying the George Clooneys and the Joaquin Phoenixs and start wearing those beards, but then when more and more people get onto the bandwagon the value of being on the bandwagon diminishes, so that might be why we've hit 'peak beard'."

"Peak beard" was the climax of the trend for beards in professions not naturally associated with a bristly chin - bankers, film stars, and even footballers began sporting facial hair.

Both women and men judged heavy stubble and full beards more attractive when they were rare than when they were common. And likewise for clean-shaven faces.

Negative frequency-dependent preferences may therefore contribute to changing beard fashions, Prof Brooks concluded.

"We know beards go through cyclical fashions. People used to speak about a 30-year timescale," he said.

"In the 1970s it was handlebar moustaches. In the 80s it was Magnum PI moustaches. In the 90s we saw a lot of clean shaven men, and now big bushy beards are back."

The recent boom may have its roots in the financial crisis of 2008, Prof Brooks suggests.

"I think one of the reasons beards have made a comeback now is that it's a difficult time.

"Young men are competing to attract someone when work is not easy to come by. So we might expect some aspects [of masculinity] to get turned up to eleven.

"Heavy stubble seemed to be the best in our last study. Maybe a 5-10 day growth. But those describe average tendencies," he said.

"Luckily in real life, we never mate with an average. We mate with an individual."

So beards are in - or are they out? Do you agree with the premise of the article, that facial hair tastes are guided by evolutionary forces? What do you think are the major forces this time around - the contradiction between wanting to look unique yet popular? Amping up the masculinity in tough economic times?

What do you think about fashion tastes in general? Do you think people spend too much time and thought on how they look? What do you think about our desire to be unique or speshul? Do we take it too far at times?

My own afterthoughts: the paradox in wanting to be unique yet popular is very interesting. I think it's been socially symbolized in the hipster subculture - the mainstreaming of the non-mainstream.

excerpts taken from: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-27023992

 

[Blu·Ray]

I honestly don't really get fashion trends, and often times I do my best to evade them... also, I don't think I really agree with these scientists on this relation to evolution - because how would evolution prefer the negative frequency? Going for the frequent species would be a far safer bet, because those have survived so far...

BTW, you're really on a streak with these new topics today! I like it :)

 

[Belldandy]

It's interesting, but I personally dislike facial and chest hair lol I can't stand burlesque men. Sure, it's "manly" I suppose (or symbolic of masculinity, really), but I just find it so... unclean. Especially on younger men, it just looks absurd to me.

My boyfriend complains about not being able to grow a full-fledged beard. He grew his beard out for Movember and completely lacked a mustache, and his actual beard hair didn't extend past maybe a centimetre. I prefer it that way. Stubbles and slight roughness is cute and sexy. Full beards are... bleh.

 

[El Héroe Oscuro]

As a beard-bearer myself, I'd like to think that it all depends on the quality of the beard. If the beard is patchy, it most likely doesn't look to good and thus will not win the appeal of the opposite sex. However, if the beard is symmetrical, thick, and looks good, than I believe there would be appeal there. My beard comes in pretty well and I've had people of the opposite sex tell me that they think it's attractive, so I'd like to think that the study is accurate.

I'm actually more curious about the "the more people with facial hair the less attraction" study that's going on. More specifically, I'm curious if that works with when puberty kicks in at such a young age - like middle school - and if the response is still true. I feel like kids like to sport "mustaches" when they first start to grow them, and I wonder if the younger generation of girls actually likes this or not because so few of them have facial hair at that young of an age.

 

[Shining Raichu]

I've always thought beards were horrible and I never understood the fashion trend, so if it's true that it's really coming to an end (and you know these people are probably right because, you know, science) then that makes me very, very happy.

 

[BadPokemon]

Guided by evolution.

It's just a fashion trend nobody cares about.

I don't follow any fads other than I where high socks.

 

[Dakotah]

Facial hair is not my thing. Would prefer it if I didn't have any and I'm not really attracted to anyone who does. Body hair is just an evolutionary holdover for when we humans relied on it to protect us from the elements. We've been slowly losing it as the human race has developed more effective ways of protecting ourselves from the elements and body hair has just become less necessary.

 

[Tek]

I don't shave, I trim. Somewhere between stubble and beard is my norm. I think I'll just wait out the cycle.

 

[Sir Codin]

Wow, apparently beards are no longer considered a sign of virility, desirable, and a blessing from the powers themselves.

Truly society has fallen from grace.

 

[Sage Ebock]

My beard has helped me survive this incredible Michigan winter. I will grow more beard for each unbearded male our world produces! Beards will live on long after humanity has passed into dust.
I am considering deadlocking my beard like my hair, so its even more intense.... only time will tell

 

[Hound of Justice]

It's interesting, but I personally dislike facial and chest hair lol I can't stand burlesque men. Sure, it's "manly" I suppose (or symbolic of masculinity, really), but I just find it so... unclean. Especially on younger men, it just looks absurd to me.

My boyfriend complains about not being able to grow a full-fledged beard. He grew his beard out for Movember and completely lacked a mustache, and his actual beard hair didn't extend past maybe a centimetre. I prefer it that way. Stubbles and slight roughness is cute and sexy. Full beards are... bleh.

Reading this was interesting untill the part with the boyfriend xD

 

[Toutebelle]

I've always thought beards were horrible and I never understood the fashion trend, so if it's true that it's really coming to an end (and you know these people are probably right because, you know, science) then that makes me very, very happy.

My dad has a beard and he's not horrible-looking.

 

[Shining Raichu]

Dads are meant to have beards, people our age are not.

 

[Oryx]

Going to the original topic, beards and evolution...I don't think it's true, because I generally don't have much faith in evolutionary psychology. We live in a world that bombards us with messages about society day in and day out, 24 hours, shaping who we are as we grow up. I find it highly unlikely that the thing that informs our fashion choice aren't these influences we're constantly around, but an instinct. Especially considering we're the only animal that actually removes things that naturally grow on our body like beards (I believe), so I doubt our animal ancestry was designed for us to shave in certain circumstances and grow it out in other circumstances.

 

[bulbakush]

Well there's allot to talk about when it comes to beards. I have never seen anybody just look at a bearded man. They stare in disgust and aoutomatically assume
They are horrible drug users who eat children. I started growing my beard when I was 17 to buy beer with my friends. Eventually I grew fond of it and can't see myself without it now at 25. I always said that back in the day everyone had beards including presidents so why was it a problem in society? I've had job interviews go wrong because they couldn't get over the beard or because they where scared to talk hahahaha. I'm glad to say that I am a tall long haired grizzly bearded man who works and provides for everyone around them to have a better life. Never judge a book by its cover. Anyway beards are quite popular now and since we live in a culture of follow the leader I can see why women would eventually get tired of seeing them. I guess the reactions from women that see me with a beard are 50/50. People like what they like. I wouldn't think that this is a reason to run for a razor if your looking to hook up. Remember gentlemen, the key to a woman's heart is your
Words followed by your actions. If she can't get passed something like facial hair, that's prob a girl you wouldn't want to be with(as far as maturity goes).

 

[Legobricks]

Dads are meant to have beards, people our age are not.

People our age would be parents in past times.

Especially considering we're the only animal that actually removes things that naturally grow on our body like beards (I believe)

Some colonial insect, I think termites, will remove the wings of a male who enters the nest to mate with the queen, as I recall. So, the natural world does have room for body modification, but indeed humans may be the only species to perform it outside of such specific circumstances.

 

[Sage Ebock]

The beard does not make the man,

It is the man who makes the beard.


Evolutionarily speaking we have recently entered a new age of homo sapiens dominance over the globe. Currently we are on top (arguably). See, we have a pattern we work with. We develop technology, then we mass harvest what we need to make/sustain that technology, and in the process we change the surface of the planet constantly. We even alter its weather patterns.

I've always felt strange that we as humans tend to be favoring total baldness over hairy and sturdy lol

But hey, if hairy and sturdy is less of what we need to survive, who am i to disagree??? :P