These are the very serious conclusions of research from the Hirslanden Clinic (Switzerland). According to scientists, the bacteria lodged in the hairs of the beard would be more numerous… than in the fur of your four-legged friend. Samples of the down of 18 bearded men, aged 18 to 76, and the coat of 30 dogs of different breeds were compared, report it DailyMail last April 13.
In the end, each man had a high number of germs in the beard. Seven bearded men carried so many pathogenic microorganisms that they risked falling ill, according to the Swiss researchers. Only 23 out of 30 dogs achieved the same rates. The other animals tested had medium to low levels of bacteria in their hair.
Hygiene concerns
“Researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in samples taken from men’s beards compared to dogs’ fur”, summarizes Professor Andreas Gutzeit, author of the study, to the British newspaper. These results were in fact obtained entirely by mistake. Scientists were investigating whether men could catch diseases from their faithful sidekick through their facial hair. Eventually they discovered that “dogs can be considered clean compared to bearded men”adds the researcher.
Another study had already shown that a hipster-style fleece can pose hygiene concerns, in particular by acting as a “bacterial sponge”. It could also cause dermatological problems (redness, irritation, even eczema). Should this new research on canids convince men to shave? According to a 2018 poll, the beard is losing ground in the hearts of the French. Only young people would still like this type of hair. But if it’s particularly dear to you, wash it as often as you clean your hair!
Read also :
- Unusual: wearing a beard, the new health gesture for men
- Unusual: women prefer bearded men!
