The notion that bearded individuals are less hygienic than their clean-shaven counterparts is a long-standing stereotype, but scientific evidence tells a more nuanced story. According to John Tregoning, professor of vaccine immunology at Imperial College London, studies have shown that people often perceive bearded men as dirtier—one survey even found that restaurant customers rated waiters with facial hair as less hygienic. However, the science does not consistently support this bias.
A 1967 study examined bacteria recovery from men's faces after artificially spraying bacteria onto their skin. The findings revealed that unwashed clean-shaven faces harbored the most bacteria, followed by unwashed bearded faces, washed bearded faces, and finally washed clean-shaven faces. As Tregoning explains, "if you're not going to wash your face, it's better to have a beard, but if you are going to wash your face, it's slightly better to be clean-shaven."
More recent research has focused on healthcare workers, particularly surgeons, to determine if facial hair increases infection risk in operating theaters. Results have been mixed: some studies suggest beards can trap bacteria, while others find little difference. Most agree that proper mask-wearing eliminates any meaningful concern.
Overall, Tregoning emphasizes that the idea of beards being unhygienic is overblown. "Everything has bacteria on it," he notes. "Any part of your body, with hair or without, is going to have bacteria on it. It's not really a problem unless there's an open wound. Most of the time it's fine."