Men With Beards Carry More Germs Than Dogs, Study Finds

Beards are definitely the in thing right now. Popular TV shows like “Games of Thrones” and “Vikings” may have inspired the sudden desire in facial hair.

Some women even prefer men with beards as they see them sexier and hotter than those without. However, women who like it and men who wear it may re-think about the trend as scientists say that men with beards carry more germs than dogs.

The shocking news follows a study that found every sampled beard was crawling with bacteria, and nearly half had bugs that were hazardous to human health. Meanwhile, a number of dogs tested proved to have lower levels of microbes.

Professor Andreas Gutzeit, of Switzerland’s Hirslanden Clinic, said:

“The researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men’s beards compared with the dogs’ fur.

On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as clean compared with bearded men.”

In the study, the team sampled the beards of 18 men, as well as the necks of 30 dogs.

The study found the 18 bearded men, aged between 18-76, showed high microbial counts. In comparison, 23 of the 30 dogs showed much lower microbial levels, while the other 7 showed “moderate” signs.

While the findings sounded alarming, it is worth noting that the study was based on a significantly small sample size. In order to prove the claims, a larger study should be conducted.

Keith Flett, the founder of the Beard Liberation Front, said:

“I think it’s possible to find all sorts of unpleasant things if you took swabs from people’s hair and hands and then tested them.

I don’t believe that beards in themselves are unhygienic. There seems to be a constant stream of negative stories about beards that suggest it’s more about pogonophobia than anything else.”

Pogonophobia is an extreme dislike of beards.