A new research study has concluded that women 18 to 44 overwhelmingly prefer men with stubble to men who are clean shaven or have beards. The research also goes a long way toward explaining this strange phenomenon and the answer is, well... maybe you already figured it out.

The study was conducted by psychologists at Britain's Northumbria University and concluded that

that stubbly men may offer women the best worlds - not too strongly masculine, but mature and with the potential to grow a full beard.

The researchers carried out the study using computer technology to alter pictures of 15 men’s faces so that they displayed different degrees of hairiness. Five levels of facial hair were used - clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble, light beard and full beard.

The pictures were shown to 76 women who were asked to rate them for masculinity, aggression, dominance, attractiveness, age, and social maturity. They were also asked how desirable each man would be as a short-term or long-term partner.

Meanwhile, the study determined that men with beards look approxamitely five years older than they really are, plus are considered the least attractive of the five levels of facial-hair thickness. Clearly, Scanner Emily was not invited to participate in this survey.

[E]xperts in human evolution say that that facial hair may be a signal of aggression because it boosts the apparent size of the lower jaw, emphasising the teeth as weapons.

How bizarre... and, um, interesting. Although we don't recall Mike Tyson having any stubble when he bit Evander Holyfield's ear... or even Russell Crowe as anything but clean cut when he turned that phone into a javelin. Oh well... maybe you can help us understand the whole stubble thing, for starters. Does anyone out there prefer men with stubble? Or prefer men not to have it? Why?

Via the Telegraph. 

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