Do you always go for clean shaven guys or are beards more your thing?

This may seem like a frivolous question but new research has suggested that beards may play a bigger role in our quest for long term love than many might think.

According to researchers at the University of Queensland, when looking for “the one” us girls are more likely to consider a man with a good dose of facial hair above those who’ve taken a clean shaven approach.

And when looking for a fling – yup, you guessed it – we tend to go for those who boast smoother faces.

After manipulating the facial hair statuses of a group of male faces and showing those images to a set of female participants, researchers discovered that women rated bearded faces as more attractive for long-term relationships, while those with a little stubble were seen as best for more limited romances.

The Mail Online has reported that experts believe beards can enhance a man’s perceived level of masculinity, which in turn suggests to women that bearded men are more fertile and better able to survive.

So next time to catch yourself making a beeline for a bearded man, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons!

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