Beards have been making a big comeback in recent years, but an experiment conducted by an ABC News affiliate in Albuquerque revealed an alarming amount of bacteria is harbored in facial hair.
An Action 7 News reporter swabbed the beards of a handful of "brave" volunteers and had the swabs lab-tested by microbiologist John Golobic.
According to the lab results, all of the beards contained a lot of bacteria, some of which was pretty normal and some of which was comparable to bacteria found in toilets.
"Those are the types of things you'd find in (fecal matter)," said Mr. Golobic, referencing the lab tests.
Although many of the bacteria found in the beards wouldn't necessarily lead to illness, Mr. Golobic still called the results "concerning" and "somewhat disturbing," pointing out that similar levels of bacteria in a water system would be reason enough to shut it down for disinfecting.
For bearded men, Mr. Golobic recommends thorough beard scrubbing and a lot of hand-washing.
More articles on bacteria:
Are stuffed animals in the OR doing more harm than good?
Bacteria and big data collide in study of NYC subways
Restrooms: Not as germy as you might think