Goatees are ‘arrogant’ and long beards are ‘lazy’ – here’s what potential dates really think about the different facial hair styles. Forget horoscopes and star signs, online daters read into facial hair styles to decide if it’s a match.

Judging A Book By Its Cover

We’re forever told to not judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to online dating that’s exactly what most of us do. Insight from dating apps shows that the decision to reject, or swipe left, on a profile is made in just two seconds. Those who swipe right, or like what they see, will hover for a beat longer at six seconds.

Certain apps, like Bumble, require women to make the first move after matching. Those who rely on stunning one liners, comedic timing or their flirting prowess to charm a date in real life, need to up their avatar game fast, or risk being benched before bagging a date.

In the good old days of courtship in the pre-smartphone era, a relationship, a situationship, or one night stand with a random person, often began with an alcohol- fuelled snog in a venue like a pub, bar or club. Speed dating promised to distill this activity into a kind of elevator pitch, using neat 15 minute increments of in-person conversation to detect compatibility.

In comparison, mobile dating is hyper dating, with the whole corner of a city up for selection, versus whoever turned up at The Dog & Duck on Friday night. And, users end up swiping through a deck of endless options with the skill of a Las Vegas croupier.

The screening process we apply to dating apps seems less flexible than the one we bring to offline encounters. It’s easy to overlook whether someone is too tall or too short for us, when personality and body language take over. However, charisma – or ‘rizz’ – is hard to capture in an image. Plus, there are other profile rules to consider; no group shots, blurry shots or filters, and clean backdrops only.

The brutal reality of dating by app is that we judge, and are judged, by appearance. Tinder is even rolling out a new AI Photo Selector to help users pick the most appealing photos in their phone library. Snap decisions can be made on a single image, so which factors actually come into play when we decide whether we fancy someone at a glance?

Date Night, Mastered

‘Date Night, Mastered,’ a new study conducted by shaving expert, Wilkinson Sword, and the dating app, Thursday, ditched the algorithm to take a deep dive at the human level. Potential dates were asked what their thumb swipes are based on, and the results are illuminating for any singleton looking to make an intimate connection online.

The study also ranked the superficial features that determine male attractiveness, with eye colour claiming the top spot, hair style in second place, and facial hair as the third most important factor.

In the survey of 2000 UK adults attracted to men, including a minimum of 300 respondents who identify as LGBQT+, participants were shown images of eight different men sporting seven different facial hair styles, and then asked about their preferences. They were also asked about the kind of personality traits they associate with a specific style, and even what kind of hook-up they’d expect to have with the wearer.

Looking around – beards and moustaches are everywhere. However, people of all sexual persuasions who jump on the latest hipster hair trend, should take a moment to consider that it might put the brakes on their pulling power. As the summer heats up, should men who are single and ready to mingle be reaching for the razor, trimmer, or downing tools altogether?

Overall, stubble was deemed a highly attractive style, and daters associated a five o’clock shadow with confidence and emotional intelligence. Whereas short beards were perceived as stylish and sophisticated, they can also be seen as dominant. Long beards, on the other hand, were less popular, and associated with laziness unless very well kept (note, there’s a risk your boss might hold the same opinion.)

Take heart, long beard lovers, after all, Travis Kelce’s copious chin fuzz didn’t turn Taylor Swift off, or give her the ‘ick.’ Just keep the trimmer close and the beard oil in hand, as a well-maintained chin bush will still find fans.

The moustache proved the most divisive style, with lovers and haters in a regional split. Those who partake in Movember, where men grow a hairy upper lip for charity, might experience a dating drought until they shave it off. That said, some love a ‘mo (especially in Cardiff), while others can’t stand them (Edinburgh, in particular).

Chin straps, do it for the LGBQT+ community, while at the same time, put wearers at higher risk of being friend-zoned. Goatees, moustaches and chin straps might be perceived as bold, or maverick, they were also the most off-putting and definitely not marriage material – so they won’t be meeting the parents.

Coming out on top, clean-shaven is seen as the most attractive style and the safest choice for those seeking commitment, as it’s generally viewed as a reliable indicator for a steady relationship. Judging the most trustworthy and intelligent style, it’s important to recognise this for interviews, as your next employer might subconsciously make the same assumption.

“When people make judgements about attractiveness it is predominantly based on a person’s face,” explains Professor Tim Andrews, expert neuroscientist. “We often make these judgements within a few seconds. Although it is not possible to change our facial features, for men it is possible to change their facial hairstyle and thus influence their perceived attractiveness.”

Transparency Is Key

Those with a tendency to switch up their facial hair style would do well to remember the last time they bought something online, only for it to arrive, and look nothing like the picture. Turning up to a date with only a passing resemblance to your profile is almost guaranteed to nix the chance of a second, likewise, a sudden facial hair switch on date two, might ruin any chance of a third. People want what they ordered, so don’t dash their expectations.

The study also revealed that transparency is key to dating success, as 40% of people like to see what lies beneath the chin forest. While 30% admit the facial hair style shown in their dating profile doesn’t accurately represent how they look today. Recent pictures, with and without facial hair, garner higher levels of trust and engagement. This sentiment certainly applies to any kind of social media profile, as recruiters’ expectations are similar.

Not only that, but the famous faces presenting with suddenly beefed up jaw lines show that chiselled bone structure is another core factor in attraction. Don’t call your plastic surgeon for jaw implants just yet; styles that define this area, like stubble, short beards or chin straps, can work to enhance a natural asset, along with generally choosing a style that works with your face shape.

Ultimately, study findings like these shouldn’t force men further into a homogenised look. There’s a Groove Armada song that says it best, ‘if everybody looked the same, we’d get tired of looking at each other.’ Or, we’ll be stuck swiping left forever, much to the app maker’s delight. Even the craziest facial hair out there can find a match for their freak, so don’t stop flexing your personal style, but do keep it groomed – and your recent profile pics on point.

What does your facial hair say about you?

Raise your dating game by hacking your facial hair style.

Clean-Shaven: Mr Dependable

A smart man you can count on? The Date Night, Mastered survey found that clean-shaven men are perceived as the most attractive (40%), reliable (29%), perfectionists (22%), and intelligent (20%), and the surest bet to for a steady relationship (30%).

Face shape: Suits all shapes

Relationship status: Long term, meet the family

Stubble: The Suave Catch

Good news for those who let it grow, just a bit. 33% of people find stubble the most attractive look. Leaving your chin with a few days growth is associated with being outgoing (16%), reliable (14%) and trustworthy (13%). A stubbly chin might score you more dates in in the East of England (66%) and Wales (63%) and fewer in London, where the preference was slightly lower (45%). Stubble has greater appeal with the plus 34 age groups than the younger demographic, who have more varied tastes in facial hair. Closely behind clean-shaven, 29% of people would look for long term commitment with wearers of this style.

Face shape: Suits oblong and square face shapes

Relationship status: Long term, marry, one-night stand

Short Beard: Stylish Sophistication

For men who prefer to go even longer between shaves, 22% of respondents found shorter beards the most attractive style, and associated the style with being reliable (16%), intelligent and trustworthy (13%).

Face shape: Suits diamond and round shapes

Relationship status: Long term, situationship, one-night stand

Long beard: The Hipster’s Dilemma

Starting in East London, the beard made a massive comeback in the late 2000s. Has it’s popularity finally started to wane? Only 5% found this style attractive, and 23% associate it with laziness, so keep it well-kept to show you care. Thankfully, they are still seen as trustworthy (8%) and as a sign of dominance (8%).

Face shape: Suits oblong, diamond and rectangle shapes

Relationship status: Friend zone, situationship

Goatee: Not Everyone’s GOAT

Certain tribes love a goatee, but it might dampen your dating hopes. Inching above the long beard, only 7% would fancy a goatee. While 10% associate them with being outgoing, more people find them a sign of arrogance (19%).

Face shape: Suit diamond, triangle and square shapes

Relationship status: Friend zone, situationship

Moustache: Manly yet Misunderstood

Moustache styles are plentiful, from strapping handlebars to slim pencils, so it’s quite possible that not all ‘mos were created equal. However, their popularity has plummeted with online daters, with only 3% finding them attractive, and 15% associating the style with being arrogant. As a stand-alone feature, a moustache does call for a certain amount of swagger to pull it off, so 9% also associate this style with a dominant character.

Face shape: Suits round, diamond, triangle and square shapes

Relationship status: Friend zone, situationship

Chinstrap: The Bold Maverick

Are you outgoing, edgy or a bit of a wild card? Your chin strap will answer for you. People who identify as LGBTQ+ find this style more attractive than straight women (8% vs 4%)

Face shape: Suits square and rectangle shapes

Relationship status: Friend zone, situationship

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In partnership with Wilkinson Sword – words and opinion are Ape’s own.