Are men with Beards more desirable? In recent years, beards have become a fashion statement for Kenyan men that those who cannot grow them naturally are seeking hair transplants and others are setting aside a budget to nurture them. The men’s beauty market has also opened opportunities for entrepreneurs selling Beard oils.

One of the most notable bearded men in Kenya is Marvin Ayuya Sande, commonly known as DJ Sadic, a media personality and entertainer. His beard stands out, blacker than night, thick, healthy and trimmed to perfection. Why does he keep face hair and what does it take to keep it appealing?

“A beard is like make-up for men,” he says. 

Just as how women use makeup to enhance their facial features to bring out their sexiness and confidence, men, too, do the same with beards. 

“A good beard portrays masculinity, dominance, and confidence. The feedback from a lot of my fans is they find the beard looks neater and more mature as compared to when I had dreadlocks and a small goatee. I love both versions of me though,” says DJ Sadic.

For DJ Sadic, like many bearded men, he has set aside a budget to take care of his beard grooming. He says that he goes to the barber shop once every two weeks to give the beard time to grow and he has products which he uses daily to maintain the beard. His barber shaves the beard, shampoos it, and applies aftershave and beard oils made from castor oil and jojoba oil.

“As much as beards are genetic and not everyone can have full-blown filled-up beards, with proper products and a good barber, it’s possible to grow and maintain a healthy beard,” he says.

What role, if any, do beards play in sexual attractiveness and masculinity? If you want to know if beards are appealing to women, we did a quick run through the comments on DJ Sadic’s posts on social media.

Many women call him a “heart breaker, that he oozes more sexual appeal than beardless men.” The social media comments range from “Papi ”, “Painkiller”, “Tajiri (rich man)”, “crush”, “Lord this man is so fine!!” to “When your barber does your haircut using math equations and the will of God.”

It is not a Kenyan thing alone. A study published in the Journal of Evolutionary Biology, an international journal, shows that women think the sexiest men are those who sport heavy face hair, followed by short face hair. 

“Men with full beards and clean-shaven men were rated the lowest on the overall sexiness scale,” the study involving 8,520 women in Australia showed. The study notes that men with scruffy looks were seen as “more appealing to women looking for fun, but not commitment.”

According to Diana Chanzu, a Kenyan stylist, having a beard does not necessarily presume sexiness or classiness. A beard has to be paired with a great fashion sense to make the man stand out and shine.

“It is very easy for one to look unkempt if the beard isn’t combined with a great sense of style. You can differentiate between a well-cared-for beard from one that isn’t. It goes beyond just shaving it and giving it shape. Dress your beard. A well-dressed beard will blend in well with one’s personality and style choice. I wish more men paid attention to their image and personal style. Many aren’t willing to explore different style types and so you find that most men dress the same,” she says. 

To enhance the sexual appeal of bearded men, Enock Kalungi, a designer and stylist who founded the Cultural Fashion House, says a man has to figure out what clothes complement the beard type and his skin colour.

“I advise my clients to wear more V-neck shirts and open collars to draw attention to their beards and neck area because high collars will hide the beard and create a bulky look. Also, go for well-fitting clothes to enhance their general appearance because baggy clothes would distract people from ‘enjoying’ their beard and body. In terms of accessories, hats and sunglasses also draw attention to the face so they would nicely pair with a well-groomed beard. For hairstyles, I always advise clients to have short hair or go bald, alternatively, we can always utilise accessories like caps, bandannas and durags,” he says.