Beards Are Unhygienic; Traps Germs And Grease

Forget about the macho gangster or nerdy look that you are sporting lately but health experts found out in a recent study that growing beards could be unhygienic.

Carol Walker, a consultant trichologist from the Birmingham Trichology Centre said that beards, being courser than other types of hair in other body parts, may be an area where germs and grease from food will be trapped. They can also be the cause why infections might be passed on.

"Beard hair; it's courser. It has the shape of a bayonet, a round, convexed bottom and then comes up the side to a point. It becomes curly and smooth, it tends to have more bends and kinks which trap dirt. The cuticles on the hair - which are like layers of tiles on a roof - trap the germs and grease. Hair around nostrils and mouth is well-placed to harbor bacteria" the health expert told Mail Online.

Further, Walker said that men who touched their beards as a habit increases the likelihood for bacteria to be spread in other parts of the body or even to other people.

"If their hands are dirty, they transfer dirt from their hands on to their face and mouths. If someone eating dairy products it can get stuck in their beard and become a bit rancid. There can be a lot of Stepholococci [a group of bacteria that can cause illness] if someone's got a cold," she said.

This theory has also been confirmed by another health expert, Professor Hugh Pennington, an emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen as reported by Inquisitr.

"It is the same bacteria that's on your skin. It's not problematic and it's not a health risk. The beard works as an insulator. If it's in the fold under the chin, the skin can be angry and red where they've sweat and the hair has trapped the dirt and bacteria," the scholar said.

Meanwhile, aside from being the breeding ground of bacteria in one's body, beards can also look funny, can contribute to aging and sometimes does not look sexy, according to a column by Kate Whiting published in BT.

In her article, she said that men who grew salt-and-pepper type of hair look a lot older. She also mentioned a quote from Roald Dahl's funny character, Mr Twit.

"By sticking out his tongue and curling it sideways to explore the hairy jungle around his mouth, he was always able to find a tasty morsel here and there to nibble on," as what Dahl mentioned in his book.