Aussie Folk Rockers The Beards once sang that “having a beard is better than having a woman”, but a new study has suggested that men may not have to make the choice between their luscious facial locks and female (or male) companionship.

The study, out of the University of New South Wales, is the latest piece in over 40 years of research looking into the effects of beards on male attractiveness. In the study, 371 women and 177 men were shown pictures of men in various stages of facial growth: clean shaven, five day ‘light stubble’, ten day ‘heavy stubble’ and fully bearded.

The results were quite interesting. The female participants reported that they found the men with full beards were the most masculine and would be the best parents for their children, while the men with heavy stubble were thought to look the healthiest and most attractive. Meanwhile male participants reported that the more hair there was on a man’s face, the more awesome he was at everything; with fully bearded men being rated the best in every category and clean shaven the worst. The authors speculated that clean shaven men were rated poorly as lack of facial hair was reminiscent of pre-pubescence. They also found that light stubble was perceived as being patchy, which raised concerns about the virility and testosterone levels of the men in question.

So the answer is pretty clear, gentlemen: throw away those razors and let your beards grow free! Your luck is bound to improve. And as an added bonus, that sexy facial hair will also help keep you face warm through the rest of the Canberra winter.