Facial hair is a sexually dimorphic trait with potential evolutionary and sociocultural functions. Bearded men are perceived as dominant, aggressive, and masculine, but also as having better parenting skills. Men may intentionally manage the amount and shape of their facial hair as a part of their self-promotion strategy; however, facial hair management entails costs in terms of time, effort, and money. We explored psychological factors associated with facial hair enhancement motivation among men. A total of 414 men (aged 18–40 years) reported the current amount of their facial hair along with their facial hair enhancement motivations, gender role stress, intrasexual competitiveness, and fundamental social motives. Willingness to care for facial hair was associated with the amount of facial hair men claimed to have and correlated with the fundamental social motives of affiliation and social status, intrasexual competition, and gender role stress. Therefore, facial hair enhancement may be regarded as a self-presentation strategy aimed at acquiring a beneficial position in social networks.

面部毛发是一种性别二态性特征，具有潜在的进化和社会文化功能。留胡子的男性被认为具有统治力、攻击性和阳刚之气，但也被认为拥有更好的养育技能。男性可能会有意控制面部毛发的数量和形状，作为自我推销策略的一部分；然而，面部毛发管理需要时间、精力和金钱方面的成本。我们探讨了与男性增加面部毛发动机相关的心理因素。共有 414 名男性（年龄 18-40 岁）报告了他们当前的面部毛发数量以及他们增加面部毛发的动机、性别角色压力、性内竞争力和基本社会动机。护理面部毛发的意愿与男性声称拥有的面部毛发数量有关，并与归属和社会地位、性内竞争和性别角色压力等基本社会动机相关。因此，面部毛发增强可以被视为一种自我展示策略，旨在在社交网络中获得有利的地位。