Want to master your dating game? Facial hair is your secret weapon

A new report from Wilkinson Sword, based on a study of 2,000 UK adults who are attracted to men, and a separate study of 994 UK men, reveals that facial hair styles significantly impact not only how attractive you appear but also how strongly potential partners perceive your personality traits due to your stubble, beard, and tache choices.

So, how is men’s facial hair impacting Brits’ dating game in 2024? How can men ace their look to bag a date? Wilkinson Sword’s exclusive study revealed some intriguing trends found in the Date Night Mastered report.

Here’s what respondents said:

• Designer stubble rocks the love charts! Stubble was deemed by far the sexiest facial hair style for men (55%) and twice as desirable as the next most attractive option, the short beard (24%).
• Clean shaven men are most likely to be considered reliable (29%) and trustworthy (24%). Goatees and moustaches (15%) are associated with arrogance, while a quarter (23%) say long beards imply laziness.
• Another 1980s throwback - the moustache - proved more controversial with just 3% finding them attractive, behind the goatee (7%), long beard (5%) and chinstrap (4%).
• Over half (52%) of those who are currently dating men say that it’s important for guys to show themselves with a range of facial hair styles on their profiles so it’s clear what they really look like.

Evidence shows that overall attractiveness is dominated by face attractiveness relative to body attractiveness5.

On dating apps, data suggests, you've got just 2 seconds to catch someone’s eye before they swipe you away. If they like what they see, you’re graced with another 3-4 seconds of their attention before they commit to ‘liking’ you.

According to scientist and expert in facial perception Professor Tim Andrews, first impressions make all the difference. His research has revealed that it can take less than 10 seconds for our appearance to be instinctively judged when we meet someone new in person.

Professor Tim Andrews weighs in: “It’s human nature to judge others by their facial appearance and make quick assumptions about their personality, even if these assumptions aren’t always accurate. Just like women use makeup to enhance their features, men can use facial hair to influence their attractiveness and personality perceptions. Understanding these insights can help men optimise their dating performance."

While online dating is all the rage, most daters can’t wait to meet their potential matches in person. In an earlier study, those who are attracted to men said that after eye colour (38%) and hairstyle (37%), facial hair (27%) was the third most important factor influencing male attractiveness. Therefore, fellas: to boost your chances of success, it's crucial to present your best face in profile pictures and ensure your grooming is on point for date night.

Here’s what the men said:

• Clean shaven is the most worn style by UK men (46%), followed by stubble (24%), short beard (20%), moustache (11%) and goatee (7%), long ‘hipster’ beard (5%) and chinstrap (2%)
• A fresh shave or beard trim makes men feel sharp (55%), boosts their confidence (50%), rising to 59% in younger men aged 18-34, and makes them feel more manly (34%), rising to almost half (45%) for men aged 18-34
• A fifth of men (20%) say they receive more compliments after a shave or beard trim with almost half (43%) confirming that they always tidy-up or shave before a date.
• When it comes to new styles, most men play it safe. A quarter (25%) worry a new look won’t suit them, 24% can't grow a full beard, and nearly half (47%) would ignore suggestions from others to change their style.
• Nearly a third (30%) admitted that their dating profile picture doesn’t reflect their current facial hair style.

Wilkinson Sword has teamed up with the dating app Thursday to put these findings to the test. This Thursday,18th July from 7pm at an event in London, men will be able to transform their faces via AI technology to test out different facial hair styles before committing with a razor.