Scientific Effects That Happen When A Man Grows A Beard

Ask anyone who has ever bearded up, and they'll tell you that life changes once you embrace your inner werewolf. People look at you differently. You feel different. As a whole, the impact that a beard has upon a person's life is way bigger than you might think, and to back that up, here are some scientific studies that have been done on beards — many of which, one would assume, may have been conducted by bearded men. Here's what happens when you grow a beard.

The history of personal grooming isn't just the story of how we humans once gussied up for a night on the town. Ancient Egyptians melted fragrant wax cones on their heads not just to smell (and look) awesome, but also to curry favor with the god of perfume, Nefertum, who was the guy you talked to if you wanted to live a long and happy life. In the 1500s, English aristocrats would dye their hair bright red and keep their skin ghostly pale. Sure, this bold fashion move was a smart way to curry favor with Queen Elizabeth I (who happened to be very fond of red) but it was also reputedly a way for Church of England followers to separate themselves visually from Catholics across Europe, who were predominantly dark-haired.

There's the bearded fireworm, native to the tropical Atlantic Ocean; the bearded dragon, a reptile found in Australia; and even a bearded vulture, which lives almost entirely on bone. But what about the bearded human? It's reported that Alexander the Great forbade the growing of beards by his troops, lest the hair provide a handhold for enemy soldiers. But hand-to-hand combat aside, surely there's a reason why most men in the United States shave their faces nearly every day, and sometimes more often. You'd think that a beard would be more of a bacteria sanctuary, and the longer, the better for bacteria. Shaving must be healthy.

For many people around the globe, their religion informs much of how they live their daily lives, from what they eat or don't eat, even to how they wear their hair, including (for men at least) their facial hair. For example, as the American Civil Liberties Union notes, for men who practice the Sikh religion, having a beard is not an option, as it's mandatory. Similarly, a U.S. Army soldier convinced his superiors to allow him to wear a beard because he practiced an ancient Norse form of paganism that required him to sport facial hair, according to Army Times.

The wonders of a beard — this defining characteristic of so many individuals we hold dear — change the facial landscape from something plain to an almost mythic presence. What would Gandalf be without his cascade of gray whiskers? It becomes an extension of his character, Screen Rant, points out, going from a wild, slightly over a foot scramble of unruly hair to a shorter, trimmed version he sports as the commanding, even more powerful, wizard he becomes by the end of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. The same goes for Albus Dumbledore in the "Harry Potter" series; his beard gives gravitas.