Key Findings
Current Facial Hair Styles in Britain
Style preferences are diverse, but clean-shaven dominates
A survey of nearly 1,000 men conducted in July 2024 sheds light on the current trends and how these styles impact confidence and self-perception. Across the nation, the clean-shaven look dominates, with 46% of men opting for this style. It's followed by stubble (24%) and short beards (20%). Despite moustaches being less popular overall (11%),they hold their ground in several regions. Goatee styles (7%), long beard (5%) and a chinstrap (2%) are the less popular styles.
THE IMPACT OF FACIAL HAIR ON FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The dating game is faster and more furious than ever
The Opinium survey of 2,000 Britons attracted to men found that almost one-third of respondents said facial hair (27%) is one of the key features that impact male facial attractiveness. So, in the digital dating world of swiping left or right, we explored the best approaches suggested by people attracted to men. They say honesty is the best policy. Over a third (36%) state that it’s important to them to see a man show his different facial hair styles on his dating profile if he likes to switch it up. Two-fifths (40%) also say that if a guy has a beard, they want to see what he looks like without his beard before committing to a date.
ONE NIGHT STAND OR READY FOR COMMITMENT
What your facial hair says about you
We asked daters seeking men everything, from which facial hair style they are likely to have a one- night stand with, to which style they are likely to settle down with. A stubbled or clean-shaven look are winners for those looking for long-term relationships, with more than two-fifths (43%) of daters seeking LTRs finding them attractive. Clean-shaven men too, are seen as reliable long-term partners by 30% of respondents. For those not looking for commitment, there was a glimmer of hope for moustachioed men, as their attractiveness level increased threefold from 3% to one in ten (10%) amongst those looking to casually date.
“Evidence does show that our first impressions of the attractiveness of a person are based on first impressions of the face, both in photos and real life. Other aspects of a person, such as attractiveness of the body also play a role in overall judgements of attractiveness, but these are secondary to the face.”
Make Facial Hair a Priority
Put your best face forward
Your facial hair is a powerful tool in the dating world. It can say a lot about you, so make sure you are getting it right and not giving off the wrong message. We know that different facial hair styles send out unconscious messages to people you’re trying to attract, but there’s also a simple set of rules to follow when it comes to choosing the best style to suit your own particular face shape. Both are important.
A whopping 75% of us agree that not all face shapes suit every beard style. And almost a third (29%) of people have previously asked their men to change their facial hair to make them more attractive. But before you make any rash decisions, just hold up a moment! On the flipside, almost a third (27%) have had a change of heart about a guy after he switched up his facial hair style, and almost a quarter (22%) felt the spark fizzle when their man went clean-shaven. So, it’s important to get to know your face shape and find the style that suits you best.
“Our research proves that facial hairstyle has an impact on both perceptions of male attractiveness and also personality type. With greater understanding of these insights, men could learn how their facial hair could be a tool in their armoury to help them optimise their performance in the dating field.
