In two studies examining the perceptions of male beardedness, U.S. Hispanic women tended to assign the highest attractiveness, masculinity, fighting ability, and partner quality to drawings of male faces with light and moderate-length beards rather than clean-shaven and long beards. They also had stronger preferences for bearded men (in the drawings) than Iranian women. The paper was published in Adaptive Human Behavior and Physiology. Facial hair, or beardedness, is a secondary sexual characteristic in men. Beard growth is influenced by androgens, a group of hormones including testosterone, which are crucial in developing male sexual characteristics. Researchers suggest that due to the biochemistry governing its growth, a beard may serve as a reliable indicator of a man’s fitness, health, and parenting ability. In various cultures and historical periods, beardedness has been seen as a symbol of maturity, wisdom, masculinity, or social status. The perception and social significance of beardedness can vary greatly. In some contexts, a beard is considered fashionable or attractive, while in others, bearded men may be seen as unkempt or unconventional. Women often …