Beard Bacteria survey Compares Facial Hair to Fecal Matter but others find the Results Fuzzy

A man’s beard may be carrying as much bacteria as his toilet.

So says a survey by New Mexico TV station KOAT-TV which enlisted a Quest Diagnostics microbiologist to evaluate germ swabs from a “handful of brave men” for a test of their facial hair’s cleanliness. The report uncovered bacteria comparable to that found on potties in “several” of the beards.

“These are the kind of things you’d find in feces,” Quest’s John Golobic told the TV station while holding up a brown-stained petri dish. “It certainly shows a degree of uncleanliness that could be somewhat disturbing.”

But others questioned how many people’s whiskers the news station sampled and exactly how many of them turned out to be as dirty as poo. Quest officials and the local news reporter didn’t immediately respond to requests for the information.

A study of 408 male hospital workers with and without facial hair turned out “similar” bacteria colonization rates on the mens’ countenances, according to research at two hospitals and a medical school published in the Journal of Hospital Infection last year. Some bacteria species actually showed up more frequently in the clean-shaven men than in those with beards, the study found.

Regardless, both beard aficionados and those petrified by the petri dish results can agree that routine shampoo rinsing and hand-cleaning helps keep the whiskers clean and disinfected.

Steven Wilson of beard appreciation and education website beards.org wrote in an email that the TV station could have taken "a more responsible approach to the story, which would be to pursue a more rigorous scientific investigation before making any sweeping conclusions."

But, he added, "The main lesson to be learned is that the regular practice of proper personal hygiene is always a good idea and that includes one's beard."