By Sarah Kocher // SWNS
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
One in five men would give up sex for a full year to get the perfect beard, according to new research.
A new survey of 2,000 Americans examined facial hair, confidence and the relationship between the two.
Results found three-quarters of men said they feel more confident with facial hair as opposed to a bare face – however, this confidence isn’t without troubles.
Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Honest Amish, the survey asked men to rank their "facial hair happiness" on a scale of one to 10 – with one being unhappy and 10 being very happy.
The average male respondent only ranked their happiness with their facial hair at a six out of 10, but this may have to do with common facial hair gripes men reported.
Half of men surveyed with facial hair are bothered by certain parts growing faster than others as well as their facial hair taking too long to grow out in general (44 percent).
Other gripes included patchiness (42 percent) and uneven coloring (31 percent).
In order to get the perfect beard, some men are willing to go the extra mile. Four in 10 men would be willing to spend a night in jail and even give up coffee for a year.
Standing in line at the DMV for a full day came in right behind, at 38 percent, and even 18 percent of men would shave their head if it meant they could get the perfect beard.
Men were 10 percent more likely than women to agree with the belief that facial hair makes a man more attractive (73 percent vs. 63 percent).
Support for facial hair is booming too – as three-quarters of the men and women studied said it has become more socially acceptable to rock a full beard.
That support isn’t without concern, however, as six in 10 women worry that men may not be properly caring for their facial hair.
“Proper beard habits are as easy as any other grooming habits. It’s just as important to maintain a clean beard, as it is to wash your hair or moisturize,” said a spokesperson for Honest Amish. “When looked after properly though, half of women surveyed even said they would be more likely to accept a date from a bearded stranger than if he were clean shaven.”
A shorter beard was deemed the most attractive beard style by women – at 35 percent.
This level of attraction may be due to the confidence boost men have when rocking a shorter beard – as 32 percent said this style makes them the most confident.
Other points of confidence for both men and women were their sense of humor (66 percent), kindness (65 percent) and intellect (64 percent).
This confidence shows as well, as these were also found to be the most attractive qualities people look for in the opposite sex.
A sense of humor was the most attractive quality for 72 percent of respondents, with kindness at 69 percent and intellect at 64 percent.
“Confidence and attraction go hand-in-hand,” said a spokesperson for Honest Amish. “No matter your facial hair preferences, feeling confident in yourself is what counts.”
TOP 5 THINGS MEN WOULD DO TO GET THE PERFECT BEARD
1. Spend a night in jail 40%
2. Give up coffee for a year 40%
3. Stand in line at the DMV for a full day 38%
4. Give up sex for a year 22%
5. Shave their head 18%
MEN’S PREFERRED FACIAL HAIR STYLES
1. A full, but short beard (kept close to the face) 22%
2. Medium stubble 19%
3. Light stubble 18%
4. One to two days of facial hair growth 18%
5. A full, long beard (lengthier beard that falls past the face) 9%
WOMEN’S PREFERRED FACIAL HAIR STYLES
1. Clean-shaven 47%
2. A full, but short beard (kept close to the face) 35%
3. Light stubble 31%
4. Medium stubble 29%
5. One to two days of facial hair growth 27%
6. A full, long beard (lengthier beard that falls past the face) 23%
