How healthy is it to have a beard? Some say that to grow one could actually be healthier for your skin since it traps bacteria, it helps keep it moist and blocks the UV rays from the sun. On the other hand, some state that the fact that they trap bacteria is what makes them so unsanitary. So, in the never-ending search to see whether beards are dirty or not, a recent study found that your dog’s fur is actually cleaner than your facial hair.
The study was done in Switzerland at the Hirslanden Clinic. There, scientists took samples from 18 bearded men and from the fur on the neck of 30 dogs from different breeds. The results showed that whereas 23 of the 30 dogs harbor bacteria levels that went from medium to high, it was men who held (all of them) the highest amounts of bacteria.
The results about who harbored more bacteria, dogs or humans, came out by accident. The study was trying to find if dog diseases could be contagious to humans by the connection of facial hair and fur. The survey, however, wasn’t necessarily comprehensive, since it only tested 18 bearded guys and 30 dogs, which is very low number of case studies. So, though the study reflects higher bacteria on men, one of the many conclusions that came up with this study is that the results either from the dogs and the men are directly linked to hygiene.
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So, what’s healthier: to grow or not to grow a beard? Previous studies have shown that there’s no significant difference regarding bacteria and how it’s harbored in bare skin or bearded skin. Also, most of the bacteria found in follicles can actually be good to your skin and it’s even part of its natural process of decomposition and restoration. Yet, it is true that hair tends to trap more particles of dirt (just as it happens with the hairs inside our nostrils). Hence the belief that it’s dirtier than bare skin.
Then, what to do about beards and their relation to harboring microbes? How to prevent them growing on our facial hair? The answer is simple: shower. Wash your beard as you wash your hair. You could either do this by using the same shampoo as you use in your hair, by using your facial cleanser, or by purchasing special beard products. And, if you are a pet owner, don’t forget to shower your four-legged buddy at least once every two weeks. That way you’ll keep diseases away.
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