Study: Beards are filled with poop and 'as dirty as toilets'

There may be a lot more hairless faces after you hear this: men's beards are full of poop!

According to a new study, beards contain just as much, if not more, fecal bacteria than a toilet. KOAT 7 reports that microbiologist John Golobic, of Quest Diagnostics in New Mexico, swabbed a number of beards searching for bacteria.

‘I’m usually not surprised, and I was surprised by this,' said Golobic.

While some beards contained normal bacteria, others contained a ton of fecal matter.  Although none of the levels were enough to cause illness, the Golobic says 'there would be a degree of uncleanliness that would be somewhat disturbing.’

Your best bet if you're pro-beard: lots of hand washing, a thorough beard scrubbing, and keep your hands away from your face as much as possible.