Men are obsessed with their beard—at least many of the ones I know. They wash, groom, style it. But recently a discussion on how hygienic are beards has taken the internet by storm. Several articles floating on the the interent post the same question—Do they harbour germs akin to those on a toilet seat? If yes, what should a person do to keep them clean? Or Is shaving them the only solution? So Are Beards Really As Dirty As A Toilet Seat?Recently, The Washington Post published an article highlighting that while beards do harbor microorganisms, these are generally not harmful. In fact, a study involving over 400 healthcare workers found that clean-shaven individuals might carry more pathogenic bacteria due to micro-abrasions from shaving. However, an earlier study, published in the journal Medicine in 2022, involved 80 male healthcare workers—61 bearded and 19 clean-shaven. After analysing both groups, researchers dicovered that bearded participants had a significantly higher facial bacterial load compared to their clean-shaven counterparts. Moreover, among the bacterial isolates, 27.1% were resistant to meropenem, with 77.8% of these resistant strains found in bearded individuals. However, this difference was not statistically significant.However, cotrasting results came from a small experiement back in 2015, when a reporter for a local news segment in Albuquerque, New Mexico, swabbed a small number of men's beards and had the samples analyzed by a microbiologist. The analysis detected the presence of "enteric bacteria," which are typically found in the human gut and can also be present in fecal matter. This triggers a huge debate online. Later, health experts clarified that the presence of enteric bacteria on the skin or hair doesn't necessarily indicate poor hygiene or health risks. Such bacteria can be transferred through common activities, like touching one's face after handling various objects or surfaces. Moreover, the human skin naturally hosts a diverse array of microorganisms, many of which are harmless or even beneficial. So Should You Shave Your Beard?If you’d like to, sure — but not because of germs. As long as you regularly groom and clean your beard, as you do the hair on your head, you are not at greater risk for disease than people without beards.Science is just beginning to learn about the many species of bacteria that live within our bodies and what purpose they serve. We do know that most bacteria isn’t bad for us—many are beneficial and, in some cases, required for good health.Here Are Three Steps You Can Follow To Get Better Beard1. Shampoo and condition your beard a few times a week, like you'd do the hair on your head2. Give your berd a trim every now and then to keep it healthy and eliinate split ends3. Develop healthier habits to support a healthier brain. Eat a healthier diet, get plenty of sleep and excercise. ALSO READ: Selenium, Zinc And Iodine: How These Nutrients Balance Your Thyroid Naturally?