Motivations to Enhance One's Facial Hair: Affiliation, Rivalry, and Stress.

Facial hair is a sexually dimorphic trait with potential evolutionary and sociocultural functions. Bearded men are perceived as dominant, aggressive, and masculine, but also as having better parenting skills. Men may intentionally manage the amount and shape of their facial hair as a part of their self-promotion strategy; however, facial hair management entails costs in terms of time, effort, and money. We explored psychological factors associated with facial hair enhancement motivation among men. A total of 414 men (aged 18-40 years) reported the current amount of their facial hair along with their facial hair enhancement motivations, gender role stress, intrasexual competitiveness, and fundamental social motives. Willingness to care for facial hair was associated with the amount of facial hair men claimed to have and correlated with the fundamental social motives of affiliation and social status, intrasexual competition, and gender role stress. Therefore, facial hair enhancement may be regarded as a self-presentation strategy aimed at acquiring a beneficial position in social networks.

Men's Facial Hair Preferences Reflect Facial Hair Impression Management Functions Across Contexts and Men Know It.

Men with distinct facial hair are perceived as more aggressive, dominant, older, and more formidable, mostly by other men. However, despite considerable interest in the social perception of beardedness, only a few studies have explored men's preferences toward facial hair. We investigated men's preferences toward facial hair and whether their judgments of facial hair appropriateness in social situations depended on their actual beardedness and the type of social interaction (N = 509; age: M = 29.35, SD = 7.24). Men preferred having more facial hair, particularly when they have a heavy stubble or a full beard. Men preferred more facial hair for themselves compared to other men, suggesting that men's preferences for facial hair could be based on the frequency-dependent value of a display, namely more value assigned to rarer attributes. Men's judgments of the appropriateness of facial hair were sensitive to social situations for displaying facial hair as well. More facial hair was considered more appropriate for informal situations, especially with another man. Social norms associated with formal interaction could, therefore, limit the impression management functions of beards in intrasexual competition.

Efficacy & safety of intense pulsed light therapy for unwanted facial hair: a retrospective analysis in skin of color.

Unwanted facial hair growth is a common esthetic problem. Laser hair removal has emerged as a leading treatment option for long-term depilation. The theory of selective photothermolysis has revolutionized laser hair removal in that it is effective and safe, when operated by sufficiently trained and experienced professionals. Long-pulsed ruby (694 nm), long-pulsed alexandrite (755 nm), diode (800-980 nm), and long-pulsed Nd: YAG (1064) are commercially available laser devices for hair removal most widely studied. The authors wish to share the efficacy and safety of intense pulse light therapy for permanent facial hair reduction in Indian population.

Upper lateral lip flap for the coverage of large superficial labial defect.

BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of large superficial defects of the upper lip is challenging, as it requires the restoration of both function and morphology. To achieve optimal results, facial features and landmarks should be preserved and similar skin should be used. Moreover, in male patients, upper lip pilosity should be restored. Although myriad of local flaps have previously been described, few address these issues. Herein, we describe our results with an upper lateral lip rotation flap for large upper lip cutaneous defects coverage. PATIENTS AND METHOD: A retrospective study was performed including every patient who underwent an upper lateral lip flap between 2010 and 2017. Demographic data, defect dimensions, etiology, type of anesthesia, operative time, postoperative complications, functional and morphological outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 31 patients were included. All procedures were performed under local anesthesia as outpatient procedures. The length of the operative procedure was 48minutes in average. The mean size of the superficial defect was 19mm (ranging from 6 to 30mm). All patients were fully healed after 15 days, and no flap necrosis (partial or total) was reported. No nasal or lip distortion was observed and facial hair was successfully restored in all male patients. CONCLUSION: The upper lateral lip flap is a fast, safe, and reproducible procedure to cover defects of the lateral upper lip of up to 3cm. With scars hidden in natural folds and lip defects covered by lip tissues, this technique restores facial cosmetic features with very satisfying aesthetic outcome, especially in men as facial hair is restored.

Mating Strategies and the Masculinity Paradox: How Relationship Context, Relationship Status, and Sociosexuality Shape Women's Preferences for Facial Masculinity and Beardedness.

According to the dual mating strategy model, in short-term mating contexts women should forego paternal investment qualities in favor of mates with well-developed secondary sexual characteristics and dominant behavioral displays. We tested whether this model explains variation in women's preferences for facial masculinity and beardedness in male faces. Computer-generated composites that had been morphed to appear ± 50% masculine were rated by 671 heterosexual women (M age = 31.72 years, SD = 6.43) for attractiveness when considering them as a short-term partner, long-term partner, a co-parent, or a friend. They then completed the Revised Sociosexual Inventory (SOI-R) to determine their sexual openness on dimensions of desire, behavior, and attitudes. Results showed that women's preferences were strongest for average facial masculinity, followed by masculinized faces, with feminized faces being least attractive. In contrast to past research, facial masculinity preferences were stronger when judging for co-parenting partners than for short-term mates. Facial masculinity preferences were also positively associated with behavioral SOI, negatively with desire, and were unrelated to global or attitudinal SOI. Women gave higher ratings for full beards than clean-shaven faces. Preferences for beards were higher for co-parenting and long-term relationships than short-term relationships, although these differences were not statistically significant. Preferences for facial hair were positively associated with global and attitudinal SOI, but were unrelated to behavioral SOI and desire. Although further replication is necessary, our findings indicate that sexual openness is associated with women's preferences for men's facial hair and suggest variation in the association between sociosexuality and women's facial masculinity preferences.

Sexual Selection, Agonistic Signaling, and the Effect of Beards on Recognition of Men's Anger Displays.

The beard is arguably one of the most obvious signals of masculinity in humans. Almost 150 years ago, Darwin suggested that beards evolved to communicate formidability to other males, but no studies have investigated whether beards enhance recognition of threatening expressions, such as anger. We found that the presence of a beard increased the speed and accuracy with which participants recognized displays of anger but not happiness (Experiment 1, N = 219). This effect was not due to negative evaluations shared by beardedness and anger or to negative stereotypes associated with beardedness, as beards did not facilitate recognition of another negative expression, sadness (Experiment 2, N = 90), and beards increased the rated prosociality of happy faces in addition to the rated masculinity and aggressiveness of angry faces (Experiment 3, N = 445). A computer-based emotion classifier reproduced the influence of beards on emotion recognition (Experiment 4). The results suggest that beards may alter perceived facial structure, facilitating rapid judgments of anger in ways that conform to evolutionary theory.

Mothers are sensitive to men's beards as a potential cue of paternal investment.

Mating strategy theories assert that women's preferences for androgen dependent traits in men are stronger when the costs of reduced paternal investment are lowest. Past research has shown that preferences for facial masculinity are stronger among nulliparous and non-pregnant women than pregnant or parous women. In two studies, we examine patterns in women's preferences for men's facial hair - likely the most visually conspicuous and sexually dimorphic of men's secondary sexual traits - when evaluating men's masculinity, dominance, age, fathering, and attractiveness. Two studies were conducted among heterosexual pregnant women, mothers, non-contractive and contraceptive users. Study 1 used a between-subjects sample (N = 2103) and found that mothers had significantly higher preferences for beards when judging fathering than all other women. Pregnant women and mothers also judged beards as more masculine and older, but less attractive, than non-contractive and contraceptive users. Parous women judged beards higher for age, masculinity and fathering, but lower for attractiveness, than nulliparous women. Irrespective of reproductive status, beards were judged as looking more dominant than clean-shaven faces. Study 2 used a within-subjects design (N = 53) among women surveyed during pregnancy and three months post-partum. Judgments of parenting skills were higher for bearded stimuli during pregnancy among women having their first baby, whereas among parous women parenting skills judgments for bearded stimuli were higher post-partum. Our results suggest that mothers are sensitive to beardedness as a masculine secondary sexual characteristic that may denote parental investment, providing evidence that women's mate preferences could reflect sexual selection for direct benefits.

Women's preferences for men's beards show no relation to their ovarian cycle phase and sex hormone levels.

According to the ovulatory shift hypothesis, women's mate preferences for male morphology indicative of competitive ability, social dominance, and/or underlying health are strongest at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle. However, recent meta-analyses are divided on the robustness of such effects and the validity of the often-used indirect estimates of fertility and ovulation has been called into question in methodological studies. In the current study, we test whether women's preferences for men's beardedness, a cue of male sexual maturity, androgenic development and social dominance, are stronger at the peri-ovulatory phase of the menstrual cycle compared to during the early follicular or the luteal phase. We also tested whether levels of estradiol, progesterone, and the estradiol to progesterone ratio at each phase were associated with facial hair preferences. Fifty-two heterosexual women completed a two-alternative forced choice preference test for clean-shaven and bearded male faces during the follicular, peri-ovulatory (validated by the surge in luteinizing hormone or the drop in estradiol levels) and luteal phases. Participants also provided for one entire menstrual cycle daily saliva samples for subsequent assaying of estradiol and progesterone. Results showed an overall preference for bearded over clean-shaven faces at each phase of the menstrual cycle. However, preferences for facial hair were not significantly different over the phases of menstrual cycle and were not significantly associated with levels of reproductive hormones. We conclude that women's preferences for men's beardedness may not be related to changes in their likelihood of conception.

Influence of facial hair length, coarseness, and areal density on seal leakage of a tight-fitting half-face respirator.

BACKGROUND: OSHA regulations state that an employer shall not permit tight-fitting respirators to be worn by employees who have facial hair that comes between the skin and facepiece seal. Studies have shown that facial hair in the face seal zone can increase penetration and decrease the fit factor (FF), although the relationship between the amount and characteristics of facial hair and the increase in penetration is not well quantified. This article examines the influence of facial hair length, areal density, and coarseness on FF for one model of half-face elastomeric negative-pressure air purifying respirator. APPROACH: Quantitative fit tests (QNFT) were performed on 19 subjects with beards initially 0.500-in long and subsequently trimmed to 0.250, 0.125, and 0.063 in, then after a razor shave. Three fit tests were performed at each of the 5 lengths, for 285 total tests. The average diameter and areal density of cheek and chin hair were measured. Penetration was modeled as a function of hair length category, beard areal density, and hair coarseness. RESULTS: FF decreased with beard length, especially beyond 0.125 in. However, passing FF scores were achieved on all tests by all subjects at the smooth shave and 0.063 in conditions, and 98% of tests were passed at 0.125 in; seven subjects passed all tests at all conditions. Chin and cheek areal densities were significantly different and were only weakly correlated. Beard hair diameters were normally distributed across subjects (mean 76 µm, standard deviation 7.4 µm). Beard length and areal density, but not coarseness, were statistically significant predictors of fit using an arcsine transformed penetration model. FF decreased with increasing beard length, especially beyond 0.125 in, although FF with a "stubble" beard did not differ significantly from a smooth shave. FF also decreased with increasing areal beard hair density. CONCLUSION: Beard length and areal density negatively influence FF. However, tight-fitting half-face negative-pressure respirator fit tests can achieve adequate fit factor scores even with substantial facial hair in the face seal area.

The masculinity paradox: facial masculinity and beardedness interact to determine women's ratings of men's facial attractiveness.

In many species, male secondary sexual traits have evolved via female choice as they confer indirect (i.e. genetic) benefits or direct benefits such as enhanced fertility or survival. In humans, the role of men's characteristically masculine androgen-dependent facial traits in determining men's attractiveness has presented an enduring paradox in studies of human mate preferences. Male-typical facial features such as a pronounced brow ridge and a more robust jawline may signal underlying health, whereas beards may signal men's age and masculine social dominance. However, masculine faces are judged as more attractive for short-term relationships over less masculine faces, whereas beards are judged as more attractive than clean-shaven faces for long-term relationships. Why such divergent effects occur between preferences for two sexually dimorphic traits remains unresolved. In this study, we used computer graphic manipulation to morph male faces varying in facial hair from clean-shaven, light stubble, heavy stubble and full beards to appear more (+25% and +50%) or less (-25% and -50%) masculine. Women (N = 8520) were assigned to treatments wherein they rated these stimuli for physical attractiveness in general, for a short-term liaison or a long-term relationship. Results showed a significant interaction between beardedness and masculinity on attractiveness ratings. Masculinized and, to an even greater extent, feminized faces were less attractive than unmanipulated faces when all were clean-shaven, and stubble and beards dampened the polarizing effects of extreme masculinity and femininity. Relationship context also had effects on ratings, with facial hair enhancing long-term, and not short-term, attractiveness. Effects of facial masculinization appear to have been due to small differences in the relative attractiveness of each masculinity level under the three treatment conditions and not to any change in the order of their attractiveness. Our findings suggest that beardedness may be attractive when judging long-term relationships as a signal of intrasexual formidability and the potential to provide direct benefits to females. More generally, our results hint at a divergence of signalling function, which may result in a subtle trade-off in women's preferences, for two highly sexually dimorphic androgen-dependent facial traits.

The Role of Facial and Body Hair Distribution in Women's Judgments of Men's Sexual Attractiveness.

Facial and body hair are some of the most visually conspicuous and sexually dimorphic of all men's secondary sexual traits. Both are androgen dependent, requiring the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone via the enzyme 5α reductase 2 for their expression. While previous studies on the attractiveness of facial and body hair are equivocal, none have accounted as to how natural variation in their distribution may influence male sexual attractiveness. In the present study, we quantified men's facial and body hair distribution as either very light, light, medium, or heavy using natural photographs. We also tested whether women's fertility influenced their preferences for beards and body hair by comparing preferences among heterosexual women grouped according their fertility (high fertility, low fertility, and contraceptive use). Results showed that men with more evenly and continuously distributed facial hair from the lower jaw connecting to the mustache and covering the cheeks were judged as more sexually attractive than individuals with more patchy facial hair. Men with body hair were less attractive than when clean shaven, with the exception of images depicting some hair around the areolae, pectoral region, and the sternum that were significantly more attractive than clean-shaven bodies. However, there was no effect of fertility on women's preferences for men's beard or body hair distribution. These results suggest that the distribution of facial and body hair influences male attractiveness to women, possibly as an indication of masculine development and the synthesis of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone via 5α reductase.

The Association Between Men's Sexist Attitudes and Facial Hair.

Facial hair, like many masculine secondary sexual traits, plays a significant role in perceptions of an array of sociosexual traits in men. While there is consensus that beards enhance perceptions of masculinity, age, social dominance, and aggressiveness, the perceived attractiveness of facial hair varies greatly across women. Given the ease with which facial hair can be groomed and removed entirely, why should some men retain beards and others choose to remove them? We hypothesized that men with relatively sexist attitudes would be more likely to allow their facial hair to grow than men with less sexist attitudes. Men from the USA (n = 223) and India (n = 309) completed an online survey measuring demographic variables, ambivalent sexism, and facial hair status. After controlling for demographic variables, men with facial hair were significantly higher in hostile sexism than clean-shaven men; hostile sexism was a significant predictor of facial hair status over and above demographic variables; and facial hair was more frequent among ambivalent and hostile sexists than among benevolent and non-sexists. It is suggested that sexist men choose to grow facial hair because it maximizes sexual dimorphism and augments perceived masculinity and dominance.

Negative frequency-dependent preferences and variation in male facial hair.

Negative frequency-dependent sexual selection maintains striking polymorphisms in secondary sexual traits in several animal species. Here, we test whether frequency of beardedness modulates perceived attractiveness of men's facial hair, a secondary sexual trait subject to considerable cultural variation. We first showed participants a suite of faces, within which we manipulated the frequency of beard thicknesses and then measured preferences for four standard levels of beardedness. Women and men judged heavy stubble and full beards more attractive when presented in treatments where beards were rare than when they were common, with intermediate preferences when intermediate frequencies of beardedness were presented. Likewise, clean-shaven faces were least attractive when clean-shaven faces were most common and more attractive when rare. This pattern in preferences is consistent with negative frequency-dependent selection.

Facial hair enhancement with minoxidil-an off-label use.

Minoxidil was first introduced in the 1970s as an anti-hypertensive medication. Hypertrichosis and scalp hair regrowth were noted by users, and the topical formulation of minoxidil was later approved by the Food and Drug Administration for androgenic alopecia and female pattern hair loss. Since then, minoxidil has been used off-label for various hair loss conditions and cosmetic outcomes. There are a multitude of informal reports on online communities presenting personal anecdotes regarding minoxidil's effectiveness as a facial hair enhancement tool; however, this has been seldom discussed in the literature. In this report, we will present a case of identical twin males, one of which used topical 5% minoxidil for over a year on the beard and mustache area, while the other abstained from using the medication.

Relationship between the left-right asymmetric motor-related conformation and the orientation of facial hair whorls in Japanese Kiso horses.

We examined the relationship between inherited motor-related conformation and orientation of facial hair whorls in Japanese Kiso horses. Eleven horses were divided into clockwise, counterclockwise, and radial groups according to facial hair whorls. We placed six markers on anatomical landmarks of each lateral side in a horse and measured the height of the landmarks, the distance between adjacent landmarks, and the angle of the adjacent landmarks. In the counterclockwise group, the horses tended to exhibit higher values on the left side than on the right side, and the comparison of the height of landmarks revealed a significant difference between both sides. Therefore, the orientation of facial hair whorls may suggest the tendency of motor-related conformation, at least in counterclockwise group.

Facial Hair in Hair Restoration Surgery: Beard Transplantation and Beard-To-Scalp Hair Restoration.

Restoration of the beard region has become an important component of hair restoration surgery due to increased awareness of its natural-appearing results. In the author's experience performing more than 700 primary beard hair transplants and tens of reparative procedures, key aesthetic steps include proper graft dissection so that one- and two-hair grafts contain a minimal cuff of surrounding skin, acute angulation and appropriate direction of recipient sites using the smallest possible recipient-site blades, and aesthetic design.

A histological study of the facial hair follicles in the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps).

In the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps, Blainville 1838), vibrissae are present in neonates, but within a few months the hairs are lost, and the structures remain as empty vibrissal crypts (VCs). In this work, we have studied histologically the facial vibrissal follicles of two juveniles and one adult specimens stranded dead. A few VCs with no visible hairs were found grouped in a row rostral to each eye. The follicular lumen, covered by a simple squamous epithelium, showed invaginations in the most superficial part. Beneath the epithelium, the follicle walls were made of loose connective tissue and were encircled by a thick capsule of dense connective tissue. In juveniles, a dermal papilla was found basally and, from it, a non-keratinized pseudo hair grew upwards but did not reach the skin surface. The VCs were richly innervated and irrigated. Many lamellated corpuscles were identified in the subluminal connective tissue of the crypt walls. A large venous cavernous plexus was located beneath and around the hair papilla. The main differences observed in the adult specimen were the degeneration and calcification of both the dermal papilla and the pseudo hair, and the absence of the venous cavernous plexus, albeit maintaining a rich vascularization and innervation. Our study revealed that VCs of the pygmy sperm whale possess features of fully functional sensory structures, with a microanatomy different from those described in other species. In addition, they undergo a postnatal morphological transformation, which implies functional differences between the VCs of neonates and adults.

Methods to Overcome Poor Response and Challenges of Facial Laser Hair Reduction.

Unwanted facial hair is a relatively common problem that can be emotionally distressing. Laser hair reduction has become the treatment of choice for removal of facial hair, replacing more traditional methods of hair removal. To achieve maximum treatment efficacy while minimizing side effects, clinicians must practice proper patient selection and counseling, proper laser procedure, and posttreatment care. The treatment parameters should be individualized for each patient depending on various factors. A favorable treatment outcome depends on three major factors: proper patient selection, use of a suitable laser system, and an experienced laser operator. The aim of this article is to review the factors responsible for possible poor outcomes of laser hair reduction in the facial area and to describe steps that should be followed to minimize side effects and enhance results following facial hair reduction by laser.