Buzz
Recent headlines have claimed that beards are dirtier than toilet seats, containing more fecal bacteria. But before you grab your razor, let’s clarify what this really means.
Items like cutting boards, cell phones, and keyboards also harbor more fecal bacteria than toilet seats, which microbiologists consider one of the cleanest surfaces in a home. Bacteria are everywhere, including species found in our digestive systems (where they’re usually harmless), so it’s no surprise that “fecal” bacteria can be detected almost anywhere.
Testing for fecal coliform bacteria (such as E. coli) is crucial in places like water wells. This isn’t because these bacteria are inherently harmful, but because their presence suggests sewage contamination, which could lead to serious illnesses like norovirus, cholera, salmonella, or dangerous strains of E. coli such as O157:H7. In everyday environments, however, encountering a few fecal bacteria is inevitable, no matter how diligent you are with cleanliness.
As for the so-called “poopy beards” study, it wasn’t a formal scientific investigation. Instead, a TV news station swabbed a handful of beards and sent the samples for analysis. (Such sensationalized reports are a common tactic for grabbing attention.) In reality, beards are quite clean. Research, such as a study published last year in the Journal of Hospital Infection, shows that bearded healthcare workers don’t carry more bacteria than their clean-shaven counterparts—and may even carry fewer harmful bacteria.
For a deeper dive into the cleanliness of beards and past research (including some surprising chicken-related studies), check out the full article on Chicagoist.
Photo credit: hairfreaky.
