What is with this out of nowhere obsession with beards?

I am a guy, and I have thick brown hair, including my beard which grows fast, so I have every reason to sheep along to this beard worship culture. This seems to have just come out of nowhere. Beards are facial pubic hair that provides the perfect warm and moist conditions for bacteria to grow, the bacteria coming from every time you cough, eat, sneeze etc. To me it is also a sign of laziness, a "I'm not really intellectually interesting, but look I grew a beard I am so edgy!"

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SW-User

Beards make guys look more attractive and manlier

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

How?

SW-User

According to a 2008 study carried out by psychologists at Northumbria University, “women ... rated men with stubble as tough, mature, aggressive, dominant and masculine — and as the best romantic partners, either for a fling or a long-term relationship,” per the Telegraph

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@Alex1610: Source? Ie link to an article verified by a respected medical organisation?

SW-User

@pianoplayingsteve: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-grow-a-beard-here-are-8-reasons_us_55e726e1e4b0b7a9633b2b82

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@Alex1610: A lot of the reasons there involve the beards trapping the bacteria before it apparently reaches you. And that is the issue with why beards are unhygienic. They trap bacteria, and because beards are warmer and moist than most other places of your body, this allows the bacteria to grow. Not to mention hair follicle infections.

SW-User

@pianoplayingsteve: Everything has its bad sides and good sides. I'm just telling you about the good sides. Now I know what you're trying to do is to convince me beards are...not that good but that's not gonna change my thoughts on beards

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@Alex1610: There are no good sides. Everything on the list you sent me involved the beard being an insulating layer, which is what makes beards awful! They trap and cultivate bacteria. And of course it won't, you are close minded to scientific fact, and instead sheep along with what you are told to like.

SW-User

@pianoplayingsteve: There aren't? Why? How do you know? Why are you so sure there aren't? And can you tell me more than just one bad side of beards?

pianoplayingsteve · 31-35, M

@Alex1610: Beards provide the warm, moist conditions needed for bacteria to thrive. The hair follicles can become infected. It is a sign of laziness. It is associated with alcoholism, islam. There is a reason why there are way, way more clean shaving surgeons, medics, nursesthan those with beards. I wonder why in a profession that demands cleanliness, beards are not encouraged. Hmmm

SW-User

@pianoplayingsteve: So far, the only sensible reason you've got is the bacteria thing. You're saying people who have beards are lazy. That's just ridiculous. Beard is associated with alcoholism, Islam??? Sounds like you care too much about what people think and say. If beard truly is associated with alcoholism then most men in this world must be alcoholics! Simply ridiculous! And what does it have to do with Islam? You think only Islamic men have beards?? And why is it a bad thing that beard is associated with Islam???