You only need to grow and maintain a beard to make yourself appear more presentable in today's society. Wowing people around you with confidence in your own macho skin and manly beard is fairly easy. The advantages of having a beard are numerous. A beard is universal to balancing its features pertaining to attraction (to the people around you or sexually), favorability (towards a potenial employer or to impress a certain lady friend *wink wink*) and protection (health-wise), all packed in one.

Today, it's fashionable to maintain a thick, blooming beard and grow a whole face of facial hair for as long as possible. Beards appear to be in great demand from one race to the next, from your neighbourhood rustic grocer to the well-groomed cricket players you see on TV beards have taken the scene.

Young men naturally want to grow beards because it makes them feel more manly and powerful. For guys, a full beard can be perceived as a sign of strength and charisma.

Your beard in the fashion world

Nowadays, sporting a beard is a sign of deviance and liberation from the "civilised life" represented by the shave emblem. According to the preference of each individual's facial beauty, a well-groomed beard has evolved into a means of expressing one's own sexual attractiveness and characteristics.

The importance of the beard as a fashion accessory for expressing one's personality and traits cannot be overstated. A person's own traits and style are the only factors that determine the meaning an iconic beard conjures.

Men who have beards and moustaches appear more attractive to women. The beard is a feature of the male anatomy that enhances a man's appearance and provides him dignity. In many cultures, growing a beard is significant to ones own manhood in their community. 

Beard as a Secondary Sex characteristic 

Beards serve as a male secondary sex characteristic. Secondary sex characteristics are those physical features which develop at puberty (primary sex characteristics being the genitals). 

A beard is derived from androgenic hormones secreted by the pituitary glands in men. This androgen is converted to testosterone which influences the growth of facial hair in males. 

An individual's sexual conduct has an impact on the body's production rate and testosterone levels. What's even more intriguing is that study has revealed that testosterone has absolutely little effect on scalp hair, but increases the growth of beards (hair on the head). This further demonstrates that the beard is a secondary sex feature and that our clever bodies do not naturally grow beards on our faces that need to be shaved off every day.

To identify males from females, secondary sex traits are used. Additionally, the opposing sex is drawn to these secondary sex traits.

Men with beards are more attractive to women and have greater "sexual magnetism." In 1970, a journal published by Nature revealed an intriguing corelation between testosterone levels, sexual activity, and beard growth. 

Saves plenty of your time

Teenage boys typically start shaving at the age of 15. Roughly 55 years till the average man reaches an age when the hair on his face does not grow back. An overall of 3350 hours are used up in shaving alone through the course of 50 to 55 years of age. 

That is a staggering amount of time that is essentially wasted. To simply put it, save your time by not shaving at all. Why engage in a futile struggle against natural hair growth throughout your life? Instead use that time to maintain and clean your beard regularly. This has more benefits than getting rid of the whole thing in one go. 

Consider all the things you could accomplish in that time. Being successful and growing a fabulous lush beard at a go would definitely be considered a huge boost to your and your surroundings. 

Build That Confidence

Men who value their self esteem typically achieve greater success in all facets of their lives. A man with a beard exudes an obvious aura of strength and confidence. According to a study published, men with beards are perceived more ‘favourable’ than those with clean-shaven faces. This clearly shows the critical impact that physical appearance, like a beard, plays in people's perception and establishes positive opinions amongst one another. 

Medical Benefits of the Beard 

Growing a beard has benefits for your health as well as other factors that you probably weren't even aware of. It's not simply for aesthetic reasons. According to science, a beard shields the face from airborne toxins and chemicals that can destroy cells, exacerbate wrinkles, and create bad skin. 

Maintaining a beard prevents… 

• Environmental pollution from seeping into your breathing system, 
• Keeps skin naturally hydrated and moist,  
• Slows the signs of ageing and bad skin, and
• The risk of developing gum and throat problems is greatly reduced.

Here, we will look at some of the merits of keeping your beard healthy and whole

Prevents razor bumps

Pseudofolliculitis Barbae, also commonly known as razor bumps, is a condition brought on by shaving. Before exiting the skin, the coarse hairs on the face pierce the hair follicle's wall underneath the skin layer. This causes inflammation, which elevates the skin and causes the bump. Sometimes these bumps can be itchy or may tend to swell up. It is painful to shave when these bumps are present as they may get cut. Of course there are medications to treat this condition but the simplest way is to stop shaving. Razor bumps vanish off the face when you stop shaving and grow a beard.

Protection for Face and Lungs

The moustache and facial hair serve as a barricade. The mouth, nose, and respiratory system are shielded from microorganisms and allergens by this barrier.

There is a good probability that you have smooth skin below if you sport a beard. The acne-causing bacteria is spread by shaving your face. A beard covers the skin, preventing the bacterium that causes acne from infecting the sebaceous glands and natural oils, preventing acne and pimples.

This means that growing a beard and maintaining it properly will promote healthy skin by providing a defence against infections and other things.

According to researchers, developing a beard lowers your risk of developing throat conditions. Because it keeps the neck warm, a beard helps avoid chronic coughs..

Keeps Dust, Allergens, and Bacteria Out of Your Mouth and Nose

In your daily life, you are subjected to tons of polluted air, allergens, microbes (especially bacteria), and other germs. Allergens are particles in the environment that may cause an allergic or a sensitive reaction to the person breathing it. Pollen is an example of an allergen. These particles are scattered all over your surroundings as they are airborne. By shaving, you would essentially leave open grounds that would let bacteria and germs enter in and dry up the area where the facial hair grows. 

Much like the filter in an Air Conditioner that filters the contaminants from incorporating into the cool air, that's how your beard and nostril hair also functions. By filtering out the unclean air from the outside world and entering your nose, mouth, throat and lungs. Your beard serves to protect your mouth and nose by trapping the pollutants.  

It is safe to say the more hair you have on your face, the safer and cleaner the air that you breathe in.

This all depends on your willingness to wash, brush out and maintain your beard with appropriate beard oil or conditioner. You would benefit more by spending your time cleaning your beard than risking your health in the long run.

Keeps Your Face and Neck Warm in the Winter

By growing a beard, you can be sure to rely on it to keep you warm all winter long. Heat will be trapped close to your skin by your beard. You will feel much warmer as a result than you otherwise would. It is one of the most overlooked advantages of growing facial hair. 

So, in cold conditions, beard hairs help to produce warmth. Because they act as impromptu carriers of heat from cold, hairs are placed around the nostril and lung openings. Much like a woollen blanket, so is your beard to your face. 

UV-Ray Protection

The hair on top of your head will shield you against sunburns unless you are completely bald. The same is true for beards, which shield the lower face from the UV rays' deteriorating and ageing effects.

Thick beards can effectively filter 95% of the sun's UV radiation, according to scientific research. Beards serve to protect your skin from skin cancer in addition to helping you avoid getting burned.

A beard can block up to 95% of the dangerous UV exposure, decreasing the likelihood of sunburns, according to an Oxford University study. According to a University of Southern Queensland study, beards can shield up to 95% of the sun's UV radiation, significantly reducing the risk of skin cancer among bearded men.

Slows Down the Ageing Process

Men who have beards tend to appear more cultivated and eminent. Moreover, when you shave them off, you appear younger than you actually are. You won't get sun spots, wrinkles, or other ageing symptoms because of your beard.

Conclusion

As you can see, having a beard has a lot of advantages in terms of health. By wearing a beard, you can defend your skin, respiratory system, and other internal organs, you tend to look younger and attract the right crowd around you by basically becoming a figure of influence to the younger generation. Men of all ages and kinds benefit greatly from this feature that nature has provided and it is up to each individual to make sure it stays that way.