Beards, facial hair and the coronavirus: what men need to know
- Recent misinformation has sparked global concern over beard hygiene and its connection with Covid-19, but experts say there is no reason to panic
- Studies have shown beards can carry more germs and bacteria than clean-shaven skin, but the opposite can also be true
As populations across the globe went into lockdown to hamper the spread of the coronavirus, men who did not already sport facial hair decided to put down their razors.
Late in March, US comic actor Jim Carrey vowed not to shave his beard until everyone goes back to work, and he encouraged his 18.6 million Twitter fans to follow.
Throughout history, beards have been a contentious style choice and scientists and scholars have long engaged in dialogue about their hygienic properties.
“There are arguments on both sides,” said Dr Carrie Kovarik, professor of dermatology, dermatopathology and infectious diseases at the University of Pennsylvania in the United States.
According to Kovarik, several studies she has reviewed throughout her career have tried to prove that beards can carry more germs and bacteria than clean-shaven skin when the opposite can also be true.