Skip to main content
Clear icon
48º

Men carry more germs in their beards than dogs carry in their fur, study finds

(Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – It might be time for some guys to bring out the razors.

COVID-19 has everyone worrying about their health, safety and cleanliness. So this may be surprising...

Recommended Videos



A 2019 study shows beards contain a lot of bacteria, even more than in a dog’s fur.

The study performed by the Hirslanden Clinic in Switzerland closely looked at the beards of 18 men and the necks of 30 dogs.

RELATED | How to Safely Clean Your COVID-19 Face Mask

In 2019, Yahoo! reported that all the beards contained a high microbial count, while only 23 of the 30 dogs showed any signs of bacterial infestation.

“On the basis of these findings, dogs can be considered as clean compared with bearded men,” said Professor Andreas Gutzeit.

What’s worse, microbes found in seven of the men in the study posed a threat to human health.