A clean-shaven man is much preferred
Bearded men get a thumbs down from the majority of ladies, according to new research.
Gillette took to the streets in an effort to understand how women feel about facial hair on their man. The results were conclusive with 93% of women preferring their man clean shaven. These results were supported further by a nationwide survey which revealed that 75% of women like the look of stubble but hate the way it feels when a man kisses them.
Jared Regan, Gillette Brand Manager said: “The current facial hair trends of today see men deliberately cultivating the rugged stubble look. A recent US study had hinted that stubble was killing the kiss and with Valentine’s Day approaching, we wanted to gain a further understanding of UK women’s preferences towards facial hair and whether it affects their relationships with men or even their inclination to kiss them.”
The survey encouraged women to share their feelings towards men’s facial hair, comparing looks with preferences when it comes to kissing a man.
Men need to understand that facial hair, especially a short (read - lazy) stubble, is the strength and thickness of copper wire and left unshaven it can cause serious damage in a close embrace. 60% of women said that they have had negative experiences after kissing a man with stubble, including serious stubble rash or skin irritation. And a shocking 4% of women even said they have had to take time of work because of the effects of kissing a man with stubble!
Stubble can also have a negative effect on intimacy with findings revealing that a clean shaven man is more likely to receive a long passionate kiss, whilst a man with stubble is more likely to only get a quick peck. Shockingly 1 in 3 women said they would avoid kissing a man altogether because of facial hair and 60% of women said they would even kiss their partner more often if they were clean shaven.
So whilst they may feel sexy with stubble be warned men out there, if you want a passionate Valentine’s Day it might be better to reach for a razor as part of your date preparation.
Rafael Wlodarski, Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University and resident kissing expert, suggests: “Past research shows that kissing is an important part of human romantic relationships. Firstly, kissing can be used to assess the ‘desirability’ of a potential partner, particularly by women, and is important during initial stages of a relationship. Secondly, in established relationships is has been found that the frequency of kissing between couples is related to the quality of their relationship. Kissing is probably linked to relationship strength since it initiates intimate skin-to-skin contact, which is known to release neurotransmitters and hormones that can affect feelings of attachment. Anything that interferes with such contact, such as facial hair, may adversely affect this process.”
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