Growing a beard changes the visible outline of a face and introduces a new texture into the portrait. The effect depends on length, shape and styling as well as the person wearing it.
Researchers have investigated how facial hair affects impressions of a face. A 2013 study by Barnaby Dixson and Robert Brooks compared ratings of clean-shaven faces, light and heavy stubble, and full beards. In that study, women gave heavy stubble the highest attractiveness ratings, while full beards received stronger ratings for perceived parenting ability and health. Those were judgments of photographs, not measurements of actual parenting skill or a rule about everyone’s preferences. The portraits below offer a less controlled but more personal kind of comparison: men choosing different ways to present themselves over time.Background discussion of beard preferences
From a boy to a man...
Karran Kharas (@karrankharas) on
Is it really him? Even his eyes have changed.
Filippo Melloni (@filippomelloni) on
Taking care of a beard like that requires as much time and as much effort as taking care of long hair.
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He also has more muscles.
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It seems he was also quite attractive before the transformation.
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We wondered how he would look without long hair and with a beard. Here’s how!
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A 13-day difference
Transformed into a bearded man
Beard | Grooming | Fashion (@dave.vendetta) on
The first beard
He got mature.
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His hair color has changed too.
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The difference between these photos is five years.
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Even his look became more stern.
+100,500 points to his attractiveness
spaljk (@spaljk) on
“For me, looking at old photos is like traveling back in time and watching a mental movie of someone else’s life.”
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Plus beard, minus glasses — and we can see a completely different face.
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It’s a total transformation!
Peter Voth (@petervoth) on
He should've grown a beard a long time ago.
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The smile remained the same.
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A totally different person
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Preview photo credit filippomelloni / instagram
The outline changes along with the texture
A beard can change where the jaw seems to end and how much of the cheeks remains visible. Short growth may add texture while leaving the face’s shape easy to follow; longer growth can create a new silhouette of its own. The comparison becomes more interesting when other details stay recognisable, such as a smile or the position of the eyes. Several captions mention changes beyond facial hair, including a different hairstyle, glasses or a gap of years. Those details are part of the transformation too, rather than distractions from it.
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Light and viewpoint shape the comparison
A darker area around the jaw can alter where the eye first settles, while the beard’s edge may become a stronger contour than the face beneath it. Light and head position can reinforce or soften that effect. A useful comparison therefore looks at all of those conditions, especially when the two photographs were made at different times or for different purposes.
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