Facial hair in men is a new trend in fashion. More and more beard care products - oils or balms - are available on the market. It seems that men invest a lot of money and time in caring for a beard. Recent studies have found feces in male beards. Enterococci, which are contained in the toilet, are also on the beard of men.
Nearly half of men have intestinal bacteria in their beard
In a study at the University of Manchester Capital, intestinal bacteria in the beard were found in almost half of the subjects (47%). The study was commissioned by the British cosmetics company FragranceDirect.
According to a scientific report, the beards in which the bacteria were found were of different lengths. For research, a special material was applied to the beard, and samples were analyzed. Most participants stated that they washed their beard with soap on the day of the examination.
Is insufficient hand hygiene responsible?
Despite the alleged care of the beard, bacteria contamination may be due to lack of hand hygiene. According to another study, 60% of men do not wash their hands after using the toilet. However, a study conducted in 2018 concludes that only 11% of men refrain from washing their hands.
The cosmetics retailer uses Bart research to promote its products. Therefore, skepticism is probably appropriate. Further studies are aimed at identifying the possible harmful effects of a long beard.
Another study came to different conclusions.
An American research team showed the results of a 2018 study. Scientists compared the level of bacterial colonization on the face of 408 employees of the male hospital with facial hair.
It was found that workers with facial hair were even less likely to colonize Staphylococcusaureus (41.2% versus 52.6%). Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococcus (2.0% versus 7.0%) was much less common in people with a beard.
The results indicate that male hospital staff with facial hair does not contain potentially disturbing bacteria.
Does the beard of some men contain bacteria that protect against infections?
Researchers have found that the bacteria in the beard can help develop new forms of antibiotics. Scientists published the results of the study in the journal JournalofHospitalInfection.
Researchers around the world have been looking for a new antibiotic for many years. Now it seems that scientists have finally found what they were looking for. Critics have long argued that a beard is not only annoying, but may also contain unpleasant bacteria. A recent scientific study conducted at an American hospital came to completely different conclusions.
Nosocomial infections are the leading cause of disease and mortality in hospitals. Many patients become infected with dangerous bacteria. It has long been believed that bacteria spread through hands, gowns, or gadgets. Human beards were not suspected as a risk factor. Surprisingly, doctors found that shaved personnel had a higher level of colonization with certain types of bacteria.
Research shows that facial hair does not increase the overall risk of bacterial infection compared to clean-shaven people. People with shaved skin on their faces had 3 times more harmful bacteria.
The current study has an explanation. When a person shaves, microtrauma can form on the skin. According to the researchers, this can lead to abrasions that contribute to bacterial infection.
Some scientists even now suspect that beards are capable of fighting infection. A huge number of people sent facial hair to a microbiologist. Then the doctor brought out more than a hundred different bacteria from beard samples.
The specialist found that in some Petri dishes something was growing that killed other bacteria. The substance clearly had antibiotic properties. The doctor explained that there might be antibodies in beards that fight infection.
Further research is aimed at clarifying the potential dangers and benefits of beards in men. Most researchers report that men with a long beard often suffer from boils and blackheads. Therefore, it is not recommended to strongly grow facial hair.
