In early 2014, The University of New South Wales published the results of its study into the desirability of men with beards. Men and women of all sexual orientations had taken part in the study, which asked them to describe their responses to men with facial hair. Some recipients were shown a series of images in which only a small percentage of the men had facial hair; others were shown images in which full facial hair dominated.
Researcher Robert Brooks summed up the study to an Australian newspaper: ‘It appears that beards gain an advantage when rare, but when they are in fashion and common… that attractiveness is over.’
Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards by Lucinda Hawksley, National Portrait Gallery