What your beard says

By Matthias Safari and Tony Mushoborozi

To psychologists, the science behind beards remains a mystery. However, the state of a man’s beard tells something about his personality. “The shape of one’s beard shows whether one is masculine, mature, good-looking, dominant, self-confident, courageous, liberal, non-conforming and so forth. To others, it is about intelligence, strength, health and likableness,” says Pellegrino, a leading scholar of beard science.

Simon Nantamu, a lecturer at Makerere University’s institute of psychology, believes there is an attitude behind a beard and behind the attitude is the very reason as to why the person decided to grow a particular style of a beard or not. “The message of a beard may be pronounced or subtle, but it is there,” the don asserts.

Total Man did a survey on a few people on the streets of Kampala and these are our findings:

A full unshaven beard
Simon Nantamu says: “This is a beard for the middle-aged and the old. A full unshaven beard on men above 50 years of age may communicate power, wisdom, likeableness, taste and style. On the other hand, a full beard on a young man may communicate an identity problem. It may raise the same kind of question that would rise if a young man was found smoking a pipe. He may just be unkempt but it shows he is fighting to build an image of masculinity and desires to be seen. This may end up showing that he is immature and has low self-esteem.”

Carol Kansiime, a psychology student seems to agree: “Young men with overgrown beards aren’t cool. They tend to look insecure, unconfident and trying to prove their manliness.”

Asked what beard she would groom if she had one, Kansiime says. “Just a moustache. It is neat and I love it.”

“A full beard is untidy, whether it is on my old professor’s face or on a 30-year-old,” says Rebecca Kisakye a third year education student at Makerere University.“If you cannot shave your face, then what else is shaven?”

One psychologist, Robert J. Pellegrini, however, is all for a full beard. He says: “The male beard communicates a heroic image of independence, willingness and ability to do manly things.
It may be true that inside every clean-shaven man there is a beard screaming to be let out,” he explains.
Channel O

“People who shave an O think of themselves as good looking and stylish.” Nantamu says: “They are usually confident and tend to dress well. They exude responsibility, intelligence and maturity. This of course may not necessarily mean that they are actually confident or intelligent. On the contrary, an old man with a channel O may look childish and vain.” He addsL: “It tends to show style.”

Helen Adong, a shop attendant on William Street, says that Channel O is her favourite beard. “It shows that the man takes good care of himself and can take care of me for instance if I became his woman.”

“Men who do the channel O are self-centered and childish,” says Rebecca Kisakye.

Goatee
“It has some sexual connotation,” says Paul Tugume, a teacher. “Men with goatees seem to be easy going with women and some are even womanisers. I have a friend who is a good depiction of this.”

“Yeah, I think they are womanizers from the way they look like billy goats,” Adong Helen seems to agree. “The way the goatee moves as the man speaks is a little rousing. The men I have seen with a goatee seem to love themselves and they stroke their chin a lot.”

Simon says that a goatee shows that a man is very masculine in attitude. “It also shows that he can be less gentle and more violent.”


Clean shaven
“They don’t care looking masculine because they know they are masculine,” Simon Nantamu says. “They are simple and tend to look very obedient. They aren’t style maniacs and all they want is to be neat. They tend to look humble and approachable.”

“It is the better way to look presentable. It is the way I would shave if I had a beard,” says Rebecca Kisakye. “Men who shave everything off tend to look simple and smart.”

Your beard style may get as creative as your imagination takes you but be sure people’s judgment of you will amuse you. Most importantly, let it be your woman’s favourite.