A male model has conducted a social experiment to find out what really makes women swipe right on dating apps.
The experiment was compiled by male model Ben Southerst, 29, who went on the dating app Tinder with five different looks to find out which got the most matches from potential female partners.
Ben, of Earls Court, London, first posted one profile with a picture of how he really looks with a full head of hair and goatee beard – and gauged the reaction over a week.
Model Ben Southerst created five Tinder profiles to see what ‘look’ would attract the most women on a dating app
He then made digital alterations to the picture and posted four profiles in successive weeks with slightly different looks – heavy beard, clean shaven, thinning hair and almost completely bald on top.
He got 120 matches for the clean shaven look, 85 for the goatee beard and just three for the bald look likened to that of Prince William.
Ben found that the receding hairline of the 35-year old future King is ‘too middle aged’ and is likely to attract 95 per cent less responses than profiles of clean shaven men with full heads of hair.
His study found women were more forward with men who had a goatee or a heavy beard – but merely because they were more interested in a casual fling than finding true love.
He found that a receding hairline (left) like Prince William’s got him just three matches while a full beard (right) attracted women who were after a casual fling
Ben was taken more seriously when he was clean shaven (pictured) seen more as boyfriend material
Being clean shaven was seen as a ‘good catch’ and viewed more seriously as long term boyfriend material.
Ben who carried out the experiment for Crown Clinic in Manchester said: ‘If you are looking for love online, have a shave.
‘Stubble can definitely lead to trouble – because women tend to view men with facial hair as more casual matches.’
Ben added: ‘It was incredible to see how quite subtle changes in your appearance can make a phenomenal difference to your dating success.
‘What is clear from this experiment is that if you are looking for a long-term partner on dating apps like Tinder it is best to be clean shaven in your profile and have a full head of hair.
His thinning hair saw women lose interest attracting just 12 matches in total
‘That had by far the most positive reaction – not just in the number of swipes but in the way that women interacted with me after we had matched up. It was obvious they were looking for something more serious from all the questions I was asked.
‘Women were much more direct when I had facial hair. In most cases they were just looking for a hook-up.
‘It was striking just how important is to have hair to get matches on the site.
‘When I went on with thinning hair or almost completely bald women lost interest. The experiment showed that you are at least ten times more attractive to women when you have hair.’
Referring to the clean shaven and full head of hair look Ben said: ‘I got a phenomenal response and I was very flattered that so many women wanted to date me.
‘I think that being clean shaven does make me look a bit younger and I think that might help you to get matches on a site like Tinder. I was seen as a good catch and definite boyfriend material.’
Dr Shahmalak says the study shows how men’s attractiveness ‘declines’ with hair loss
The Goatee beard attracted 85 matches and Ben added: ‘This is how I look naturally – so it was reassuring to see that it was a pretty popular look, too.
‘It is a close-run thing over whether to go clean shaven or let the stubble grow for a few days. Women are all different and lots clearly do prefer a bit of growth.
‘My one observation from the responses was that the women who swiped were a little more forward than the clean shaven fans. It was obvious in most cases that they were looking for a quick hook-up rather than a boyfriend.’
The heavy beard got 30 matches and Ben said: ‘You hear that the hipster look is still very fashionable so I wanted to see how I would get on dating with a heavy beard. It might look good on fashion pages but it does nothing for your appeal on dating apps.
‘A few of the women who contacted me suggested that I shave it off. I looked several years older than when I was clean shaven. The women who did match were much interested in a hook-up than romance.’
Ben said thinning hair got 12 matches and he said: ‘I wanted to see how ageing my appearance by thinning my hair slightly would affect my popularity.
‘The response was pretty emphatic – I only got 12 matches and I had to work pretty hard to get those. I got ten times more responses with a full head of hair.
‘The ages of the women who approached me were significantly higher, too. I was getting swiped by women in their mid-30s who mistakenly thought I was the same age as them. It was quite depressing to realise even marginal hair loss can hammer your chances of finding love.’
Bald Ben got just three matches. Ben said: ‘I thought it would be useful to see what would happen if I almost completely lost my hair like Prince William.
‘The results were pretty depressing – just three matches. The only bright spot was that you would like to think that those three women must really like you.’
Surgeon Asim Shahmalak said: ‘This survey shows just how much men’s attractiveness declines when they lose their hair.
‘When he was younger Prince William was hailed as one of the handsome royals in the world.
‘Now that he is almost completely bald, William is seen as almost middle-aged and no one views him as a sex symbol.
‘The impact of hair loss on a dating app like Tinder is very clear. People are ruthless in their selections and a full head of hair can have a significant impact on your chances of finding love.’
Dr Shahmalak treats lots of celebrity patients and his clients include model Calum Best, TV doctor Christian Jessen, Chris Butland-Steed from Gogglebox and Homes Under The Hammer star Martin Roberts.
A recent YouGov survey showed the popularity of beards has only increased since 2011, with over 40 per cent of British men now sporting some kind of facial hair – with a full beard remaining the most popular option.
The same YouGov survey showed that only a third of young women prefer men without some form of facial hair.