Dog hairs are cleaner than beards. This was confirmed in a study that was done at Hirslanden Clinic in Switzerland.

The shocking finding was groundbreaking in many ways.

During the research, scientists collected swabs from beards of 18 men and they discovered each of these beards had bacteria.

But How Did The Idea Behind This Study Topic Even Come About?

Just for the record, the genesis of this study had nothing to do with comparing human and animal hygiene levels just for the sake of it.

The researchers had concerns as to whether it would be hygienic to put dogs into the same MRI machines humans used.

Like everyone unaware of the finding they made, most people would assume that dogs would leave behind germs that would be quite harmful to humans when put through the MRI machines meant for people.

The Men's Beards Were Compared To Hairs Collected From Necks Of Thirty Dogs

The men were aged between 18 and 76. All the men had high levels of microbial bacteria counts, compared to just 23 of the 30 dogs used in the study.

For 7 of the dogs, only a moderate microbial bacterial count was witnessed.

Among the beards, 7 were discovered to have germs dangerous to human health. The conclusion of the study was that bearded men have higher levels of microbes and more germs likely to cause human illnesses than dogs did. This was according to Andreas Gutzeit, one of those involved in the study.

This led to the unexpected conclusion that dogs were just as clean as beards, if not cleaner.

Why Would A Beard Have More Germs Than A Dog?

Obviously, most humans have better hygiene than their canine friends.

However, beards consist of hair that is much coarser and more curly than the hair found on dogs. For this reason, beards trap dirt more readily, especially with the mouth and nostrils so close by. These body parts put out lots of bacteria that get caught up in the beard.

While the discovery might come as a shock to many, Keith Flett was anything but surprised by the finding. The Beard Liberation Front founder was actually quite unfazed by the findings.

According to him, "… it's possible to find all sorts of unpleasant things if you took swabs from people's hair and hands and then tested them." He said, matter-of-factly.

But what's important is that the study found out the answer to the question whether dogs can use the same MRI machines as humans without raising any hygiene issues. The answer is yes, they can.

And also, for people who thought that dogs were probably very dirty, this discovery should change their thinking. This study proves that these beloved pets don't have any more germs than beards have.