Here’s what it means for a relationship if your guy has a beard

We all have different preferences when it comes to our men’s facial hair — some like a full-on lumberjack beard, some like a five o’clock shadow, and others like their men clean-shaven. However, according to a new study done by The Journal of Evolutionary Biology, we choose partners with beards when we’re looking for long-term relationships.

To conduct the study, researchers showed 8500 women pictures of men with all different types of facial hair — none, light stubble, heavy stubble, and full-on beards. Researchers then altered different facial features, such as the cheekbones and jawline, to make the same guy either more masculine or more feminine. The women then rated the attractiveness level of the altered images of the men.

Although stubble was rated the “most attractive look overall,” men with full-on beards were ranked the most attractive when it came to picking a man who’s in it for the long run.

Researchers believe the reason for this is because “beards suggest that men are more masculine and fertile,” AKA, we refer back to our basic instinct and on a subconscious level, and believe they have the highest chances of procreating.

On the other hand, on that same subconscious level, clean-shaven men “suggest that they haven’t hit puberty yet and thus, can’t get us pregnant.”

So if you’re looking to be in a relationship for the long-haul, a bearded man is your best bet. It’s science.