Mary Allen
Hipsters, lumberjacks, and hippies, now you have to be very strong … Because even if the beard is currently considered super trendy and chic, it is a real spinner! This was proved by researchers from Switzerland, who compared the number of germs in a man’s beard with the number of germs in a dog’s fur.
Disgusting Study Finding: Men’s beards are significantly dirtier than dog hair. In fact, the researchers found significantly more germs in a long beard than in a dog’s coat.
Research Shows: Beard Contains More Germs than Dog Hair
For the study, the researchers examined 18 men with different beards and 30 different dogs. Swabs of the beard and dog hair on the neck of the animals showed a clear result: All 18 beards had a high concentration of microorganisms. In the case of dogs, it was possible to determine this only in 23 out of 30 tested candidates.
Of particular concern is the fact that pathogens were found in the beards of seven out of 18 men. They could only be found in four dogs. In terms of oral hygiene, the results were worse in humans than in animals.
The researchers found significantly more microorganisms in the mouths of men than in the faces of dogs. The study also tested the hygiene of MRI scanners after a person or dog had been placed on them. Result: Humans left significantly more germs than four-legged friends.