An unknown number of men in Albuquerque, N.M. acquiesced to having their beards swabbed and cultured for a TV news investigation. A microbiologist “was surprised” by the findings. Not only did the beard swabs contain the normally expected bacterial flora and fauna, but they also contained bacteria he expects to find in toilet seats, reported KOAT.
Are you surprised that some beards are as filthy as a toilet seat?
I am not. I have gone unshaved for months at a time and know well the mindless beard stroking that befalls most bearded men. Though the beard or classic fireman’s mustache - dark, shaggy, warm, humid, and occasionally rich with food scraps - is an ideal environment for bacterial growth the beard or mustache is not to blame. It is our hands. Our filthy, filthy hands.
Watch any bearded or mustached man and you will quickly observe the compulsive twirling, massaging, and manicuring. Maybe there is one sitting next to you as you read this. Watch what he touches next. Perhaps it is the steering wheel, radio microphone, mobile data terminal, patient cot, stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, or any number of things you might touch next. What else has he touched and when did he last wash his hands?
The punchline for any story - investigators swab this that or the other thing (like a toothbrush) and the results are shocking - is to wash your hands often and wash them well, especially after using the bathroom, eating, touching contaminated surfaces, or providing patient care.
The alarming findings of this investigation might be the nudge you need to finally shave or at least take these precautions:
1. Thorough and regular beard scrubbing.
2. When wearing EMS exam gloves don’t touch your beard.
3. Wash your hands after removing gloves with warm water and soap or waterless hand sanitizer.
If its your partner that has the beard you can indeed fear the beard or not fear the beard. But even more fearsome are the hands that touch the beard.
There is also actual peer reviewed research that compares the bacterial ecology of men with and without facial hair that work in the hospital. Those results, to borrow the phrase of a TV news investigation, will shock you.
