Look no fur-ther than dirty beards?

Not a close shave: despite germs, beards are still ahead by more than a whisker.

By ET Bureau | Updated: Apr 17, 2019, 08.14 AM IST

Swiss researchers have revealed that beards harbour more dangerous germs than dog fur.

It would be too much of a political prognostication to aver that beards are no longer cool, but it should at least be conceded that beleaguered shaving product companies may have finally got their act together. There can be no better explanation for the aptly timed revelation by Swiss researchers that beards harbour more dangerous germs than dog fur. Of course, some may prefer to rephrase that to say that dogs are cleaner than bearded men, but it does not detract from the conclusion that there is a distinct push to get male chins to bare themselves again.

There is no reason, however, to believe that the finding — based on the beards and fur of only 18 men and 30 dogs, respectively — will immediately cause a run on razors and trigger a shaving frenzy, as the discovery that mobile phones and cash are bacterial hotbeds has not affected their usage. Nor have countless reports of dogs being veritable microbial menageries affected their prevalence as pets.

It may be germane to note that despite sporadic bouts of negative publicity, beards are still ahead on the popularity charts by more than just a whisker; pogonophobia has not made much headway so far. Still, the spectre of evil lurking in them could give beards a close shave in the long run. And more than just shaving companies could benefit from an effective anti-beard movement.

Japanese Sumo Officials Ban Beards: 5 Times Moustaches Had A Close Shave With Authorities

1/6

In a recent move to clean up the image of Sumo wrestling, Japanese Sumo officials issued strict rules for personal grooming, which included a ban on facial hair. Take a look at other times when beards and moustaches had a close shave with authorities.

Image: Getty