Ana Sierra*
Updated Friday, January 26, 2024-11:29
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Throughout history, beards have symbolized
masculinity, wisdom and power
. They were proud as an expression of rank or socioeconomic level, social competition, belonging to a clan or achievements or battles. They even seemed to report the
degree of seriousness
that, depending on the aesthetics used, inspired both security and debauchery.
Kings, artists, gods and wise men, as well as tender grandparents or good-natured gift givers with red hats with pompoms, could show off their beards, turning them into a distinctive symbol of their
personality and message
.
THE MEANING
In 2016, a study from the University of Queensland, Australia, suggested that beards could make men appear
more dominant and mature
, which in turn positively affected their perceived attractiveness.
As for heterosexual women, their association with a
greater degree of trust
towards whoever wore them stood out. As a matter of evolutionary adaptation, beards could have provided advantages, such as protection from climatic elements and signs of
sexual maturity
.
HYGIENE
Jamie Dornan, actor and model, has one of the most international and recognized beards.Shutterstock
Although I understand that the
aesthetics and care
of it, including hygiene, as well as the vital and historical moment lived, taking into account its fashions and cultures, will affect the appreciation of them and their corresponding wearers.
At times they were
icons of rebellion
, leading social and political changes, in the face of hyper-shaven, irritated and red chins, due to work mandate, matching suffocating ties, eager to make it to the weekend.
Perhaps it was precisely this effort to make them disappear that enhanced this evolutionary, but not deterministic, tendency to their
psychosexual appeal
. But full beards were desired and popular
in both Vikings and Victorian fashion
.
WAXING AND FASHIONS
The performer Brad Pitt, who seems to have made a longevity pact with the devil, with a three-day beard.Shutterstock
I have the feeling that, in the history and fashions of body hair, acts of
male liberation
contemplating the addition of hair have predominated. And the feminine ones were placed at the opposite extreme, contemplating the pain and sacrifice of being desired. Because,
"where there is hair there is joy"
, I am afraid that it did not refer to us.
Thus, while we got rid of our hair, of undeniable protective functionality, even permanently; they filled their faces with power. In short, what women lacked in their pubes, they showed off with pride on their faces. And the attractiveness of these aspects became normalized. Except in the era of open cinema in Spain, of course, because it helped to
hide our sex
and that of intuiting without seeing, we already know that it is erotic.
IN THE HISTORY
But this was not always, is, nor will be like this. Female body hair removal, in ancient Greece and Rome, was considered
an act of cleansing and a symbol of beauty
. But these cultural practices changed during the Middle Ages, for example.
Of course, men shaving was also the dominant trend for a long time, and perhaps still is. But fashions fluctuate, and with the arrival of the
hipster movement,
authenticity, the rustic or natural
, and the appreciation of diversity
were valued .
Although I have to admit that there was such
a boom
in beards that, wherever you looked, you found a
hipster
. And yes, many sighed.
Now, for other different reasons, based on the acceptance and reappropriation of bodies, as well as the demand for bodily diversity; Many people decide
to keep their hair
for beauty.
WHICH HAVE?
Bradley Cooper, another recognized face who looks better with a beard.Gtres
Well, I don't think it's so much the beard that achieves it as much as the self-perception that the individual who wears it has. Having a beard could influence some men's perception of
masculinity and self-esteem
, positively contributing to their psychological well-being. And that is extremely attractive.
Beards frame and give prominence and
depth to the look
and highlight the lips. They offer the possibility of changing image or versatility. In addition to covering imperfections and offering comfort, they offer sun protection and combat skin aging. Depending on the design, length, color or abundance of gray hair, it can age or dull the face; issue that could go against that evolutionary sexual attractiveness that is granted to them.
FASHIONS
It is true that they are exposed to the environment directly and intensely; food and drinks, sneezing and coughing, caressing with the hands, which carry everything... But although they have been accused of harboring more germs than toilets, a reprehensible issue as well as surmountable if adequate personal hygiene is maintained; Some studies suggest that beards may have
natural
antibacterial properties .
The usual thing is that those who like them with a beard, like them with everything. Except perhaps for oral sex and intense and repetitive kissing, because
they irritate
; especially if they do not grow more than three days.
If they generate
uncomfortable tickles
, perhaps where you least expect it, or you have some traumatic experience associated with them, you could develop pogonophobia, or an irrational aversion or fear of beards. Although it also occurs in some people simply due to personal preferences.
But this does not prevent men with beards from having more and more fans. Nowadays, beards have become a
fashion accessory
, being an expression of style and personality, which continues to arouse undoubted attraction.
*Ana Sierra is a psychosexologist.