Beards Could Make Face Masks Less Effective

Let's say you've grown a quarantine beard that you're really proud of. Do you need to shave it off to wear a face mask correctly?

"It depends on your beard," writes The Wall Street Journal. "If you’ve maintained mere scruff like Ben Affleck, you’re probably OK—cloth masks needn’t sit completely flush on your skin like an N95 respirator. However, if you’ve taken a laissez-faire approach to grooming that’s resulted in unruly, Karl Marxian bristle, reach for the razor. New York doctor Wellington Tichenor says a thick, bushy beard is 'a problem'—it pushes your mask away from your face."

To be safe, you may want to trim your beard!


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