Men’s beards contain more harmful bacteria than the fur coats of dogs.
A study done by Professor Andreas Gutzeit, of Switzerland’s Hirslanden Clinic, found a “significantly higher bacterial load in specimens taken from the men’s beards compared with the dogs’ fur.”
The study was actually done to understand if humans could contract dog-borne diseases from shared MRI scanners, according to a report published Saturday by Daily Mail. Instead, researchers found that the beards of all 18 of the men tested contained higher microbial counts while only 23 of the 30 dogs tested had similarly high microbial counts.
“On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as clean compared with bearded men,” says Gutzeit.
Seven of the men’s beards tested contained germs that are actually hazardous to human health.
This is the best thing to come out of a scientific study yet. Men shouldn’t have beards because they’re more disgusting than dog fur is an argument we haven’t heard yet.
Men are fighting back, of course, by saying that if men kept up with their hygiene, the bacterial count would be lower.
“I think it’s possible to find all sorts of unpleasant things if you took swabs from people’s hair and hands and then tested them,” says Keith Flett, founder of the Beard Liberation Front. “I don’t believe that beards in themselves are unhygienic.”
Maybe not, but after this study it’s safe to say most men’s beards aren’t as clean as dogs’ fur.
By Lauryn Overhultz
