No Shave November is upon us, and there is more facial hair on campus than ever before.  Whether you are pro-fur or anti-scruff, beards are everywhere and our fashion forecasters are predicting they will still be around long after the Thanksgiving turkey has been polished off.

A study published in Behavioural Ecology earlier this year, entitled “Beards augment prceptions of men’s age, social status, and aggressiveness, but not attractiveness” reaffirmed what a lot of us were already thinking: facial hair makes men appear more serious, older and more worthy of respect. At least to other men… 

Women in the study shared the impression that bearded men probably had a higher social standing, looked more dignified and rugged, but they also felt that bearded men were not as attractive as their clean-shaven peers were.

Dr. Nick Neave published a paper in 2008 that seemed to hit on the perfect compromise. In his study, a man with two or three days worth of stubble garnered the same reaction as a full beard, appearing more masculine and dominant. However, women also found the scruff to be the most attractive form of facial hair.

The next obstacle? How to make an “I forgot to shave” face work in the proffessional realm. 

Whether it is a full beard or a mustache and soul-patch combo, there are many different beard styles circulating around campus. 

No-Shave November just might be the excuse needed to find the style that best fits your lifestyle.