Benefits of Beard

Religious Benefits
Sunnah

The beard is the Sunnah of all the Prophets (Upon Them All Be Peace) and also the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) has emphasized on the lengthening of the beard so much, to the extent it is necessary (wajib) to keep a beard.

Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “I have no connection with one who shaves, shouts and tears his clothing e.g., in grief or affliction."

- Narrated by Abu Darda (R.A.) in Muslim, Hadith no. 501

Beautiful Sign of Muslim

Imam Ghazali (may Allah's mercy be upon him) states, “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, 'Without doubt, there are some angels who say, 'Pure is He who gave men beauty with beards and hair for women.’”

The beard is a sign for the love of the Prophet (PBUH). Shaving is taking the beauty Allah (The Exalted) gave to man and falling in the trap of Shaytan.

Psychological Benefits

Attractive Masculinity

The more facial hair a man has, the more masculine both men and women perceive him to be, according to research published in Evolution and Human Behavior. If pure, unadulterated masculinity is what you're going for, let your beard hang low. If you're looking to impress the opposite sex, skip the razor for 10 glorious days in a row; the study found that's the length women find the most attractive.

Researchers at Northumbria University asked 70 women to rate men's attractiveness based on a series of photographs, and found that stubble was perceived as more sexually attractive than a clean-shaven look. What's more, the same Northumbria study found that men perceive guys who sport beards as more intimidating, more assertive, and more powerful.

Identity for a Man with respect to Woman

Beard increases "sexual magnetism" and attractiveness and makes men more appealing to women. The presence of a beard makes a man appear more masculine to women, and she feels more feminine towards him.

This research carried out by Doctor Freedman in the field of social psychology shows that the presence of a beard on man's face makes him more sexually attractive to women.

Man’s Personality

Beards add a whole new aspect to a guy's personality. Without doubt, beards can make a guy look mean and strong. The raw appeal of facial hair makes a guy look tougher than he really is. Several researches conducted on this regard.

In a 1973 issue of psychology, Robert J. Pelligrini, a psychologist from California State University published the results of an experiment on the perception as a function of different state of beardedness or beardlessness. To carry out the experiment, Pelligrini hired eight full-bearded young men from the ages of 22-25 years, who were willing to have their beards completely shaved off. All men were professionally photographed in each of the following states:

·        Full beard

·         Goateed

·         Mustached

·         Clean shaven

Upon completion of the photographic sessions, there were a total of thirty two photographs i.e. four photos of each of the eight men. In the experiment, those photos were randomly distributed to subjects who were asked to rate their first impression based on a number of personality traits. The subjects who evaluated the photos compromised 64 male and 64 female psychology students. Hence, each photo was judged by two males and two females.

The result of this study by Pelligrini indicated a generally positive correlation between the amount of hair on the person's face and his being perceived as masculine, good looking, dominant, mature, courageous, liberal, non-confirming, older healthy and attractive.

Symbol of Wisdom

Research says the longer and thicker the beard the wiser the person is supposed to be.

Beards Signify Freedom

Having a beard is often seen as a sign of freedom. For example: Che Guavara.

Scientific Benefits

Prevents Skin Cancer

A study from the University of Southern Queensland, published in Radiation Protection Dosimetry journal, found that beards block 90 to 95 percent of UV rays, thereby slowing the aging process and reducing the risk of skin cancer.

Protection against Sun

Generally hair offers good protection against the sun, says Dr. Nick Lowe, a leading London-based dermatologist. "It’s similar to an SPF,” he adds, “The higher the hair density and thickness, the higher the SPF.

Note: SPF = Sun Protection Factor.

Reduction of Asthma and Allergy Symptoms

For men whose allergies or asthma are set off by pollen or dust, facial hair near the nose may act as a filter of sorts and stop the allergens before they settle in, suggest several experts.

Reduce Infection

Beards and mustaches mean no shaving, which is the main cause of bacterial infections in the beard area, says Dr. Martin Wade, consultant dermatologist at the London Skin and Hair Clinic. Shaving leads “to razor rash, ingrown hairs and conditions such as folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles that causes spots), so men would benefit from growing a beard,” he says.

Blemish-Free Skin

When you do not have ingrowths, razor cuts and other such skin problems, you have a blemish-free skin. Keep the beard and the great skin, and forget about little nicks and cuts on your face.

Natural Moisture

The last thing about keeping beards is that you do not have to worry about dry skin. The hair keeps wind and cold air out, helping your skin battle dryness. Also the sebaceous glands help keep your skin moisturized better when you have a beard, because there is no way you are getting the moisture out of the beard.

Helps Fight Off Coughs and Throat Diseases

Thick beards that have grown under the chin and neck will raise the temperature of the neck and may help battle colds. Hair is an insulator that keeps you warm. Long, full beards that trap the cold air and raise the temperature of the neck are going to be an added bonus when you’re under the weather.

According to the researches, allowing the beard to grow prevents a person from contracting diseases of the throat and of the gums.

Economical Benefits

Save Money

Thousands of dollars one spends during a man’s lifetime on products for shaving (razors, shaving gels, after-shave lotions etc). To give up shaving, money can be saved.

Environmental Benefits

Save Water

Just saying good bye to shaving, it can be possible conserve million gallons of water.

Others Benefits

Save Time

What is the total time spent in shaving by a man in his whole lifetime? Dr. Herbert Mescon from Boston University did research to give an answer to this question. Dr. Mescon calculated that if a teenager begin shaving at the age of 15, then in his 55 or so years of shaving, he is likely to spend about 3350 hours (which are equivalent to about 139 full days) at this task in his lifetime. That is an incredible amount of time which literally goes down the drain.

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Benefits of Beard