Study: Men With Beards Have More Deadly Bacteria In Facial Hair Than Dogs
Apr 16, 2019, 9:14 AM | Updated: 9:47 am
Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – They’re trendy and, according to a new study, totally gross.
Beards have more deadly bacteria than dogs’ fur, according to new research.
A study aimed at understanding whether humans could contract illness from MRI scanners shared with veterinarians found something else: Bearded men had higher microbial counts in their facial hair than their four-legged friends.
“The researchers found a significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men’s beards compared with the dogs’ fur,” said professor Andreas Gutzeit of Switzerland’s Hirslanden Clinic.
The Daily Mail reports that every man tested had a high bacterial count in his beard, and half of them had bugs that are considered health hazards.
Of 30 dogs tested, though, only 23 had high counts, according to the Daily Mail.
“By contrast, a number of the dogs tested proved to have lower levels of microbes,” according to the Daily Mail.
Some beard enthusiasts are saying undesirable bacteria can be found on a variety of surfaces, and this latest study is just a case of pogonophobia — the irrational fear of beards.
