Research commissioned by the new video social network, eva, reveals that men with longer facial hair are more likely to have been in a fight, have cheated on their partner and to have stolen something. What’s more, the sex-appeal of designer stubble could also be waning, with women voting that a clean shave and a strong jawline is far more attractive than a piece of unruly face furniture.

It seems there’s a reason James Bond gets all the women!

The UK’s bristling population

In the nationwide survey, conducted by Censuswide, 45% of men with a goatee admitted to having enjoyed some fisticuffs, compared to 29% of peace-loving clean shaven men. In regard to cheating on their respective other, long mustachioed men were the worst culprits with 47% admitting to being unfaithful, compared to 20% of clean-shaven men. Finally, 40% of men surveyed with a goatee admitted to having stolen something, compared to just 17% of their clean-shaven counterparts.

In more bad news for the facially furnished, the eva survey also asked women whether they thought a beard was a good look for a man. The majority of female respondents, some 65%, said no and half said they’d never consider getting romantically involved with a beard-wearer. This trend is echoed in Birmingham with 64% of female respondents stating they do not think a beard is a good look for a man. Half of women in Birmingham also said they would never kiss a man with a beard either.

Jens Wikholm, Multi-award winning fashion photographer and Co-founder of eva, the video social network, comments: "In my photography career, I’ve certainly noticed that attitudes are shifting in regards to long beards and moustaches. Fashion changes so quickly, the beard trend is one that comes in every decade or so, but we might be seeing the end of current beard cycle. It definitely seems that women seem to prefer the clean shaven look and fashion will respond to that. Times change and trends shift, so men who want to stay on the bleeding edge of popular fashion might want to think twice before they let their facial hair get too long.

“We commissioned this research to drive awareness of what the general population thinks of the humble beard, and the survey yielded fantastic insight into people's opinions on this quite divisive topic! That's exactly what we've set out to achieve with eva, engaging real communities of people to express their thoughts and feelings through video in a way never previously seen on a social network.”

Further findings for Birmingham:

  • A third (34%) of respondents would prefer a man to have grey hair rather than a big bushy beard

  • Nearly half of women surveyed (43%) cited their least favourite thing about big beards is the fact that they are unhygienic, closely followed by 39% of women fearing errant food stuck in the facial hair

  • Some 58% of Birmingham ladies prefer a clean-shaven man over one with any type of facial hair

  • Over half (60%) of those in Birmingham think clean shaven is preferable over a beard at a job interview and wedding day. Whilst 46% also think it is preferable on a first date.