Can Your Beard Turn Red From Oral Sex?
Is Oral Sex the Reason Your Partner's Beard Is Turning Red?
It all started when TikTok content creators tried to convince the world that "eating vagina" could help you reach your protein goals. Then, Kourtney Kardashian tried to influence viewers into thinking that drinking semen could help with fertility. And now, the latest dubious health claim gone viral suggests that your vagina could be bleaching or turning your partner's beard red.
In one viral TikTok, a content creator posted a video with the caption, "I'm not saying I'm a munch but that little strip under my lip is blonde for a reason . . ." while another viral TikTok video read, "POV his beard started turning red since he met you." But is there any truth here?
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Can Oral Sex Turn a Beard Red?
While I think anyone who regularly goes down on their partner deserves to flex that honour, saying someone's beard is changing colour because of their cunnilingus skills is, unfortunately, not valid. Ob-gyn Heather Irobunda, MD, responded to these claims in a video posted on Instagram confirming that "vaginal secretions do not bleach beard hair, pubic hair, any hair."
Welzo Chief Medical Officer Zeeshan Afzal, MD, agrees. "It is not possible for vaginal secretions or oral sex with someone with a vulva to alter the genetic makeup of the beard hair follicles," he tells POPSUGAR. Just like the colour of your pubes or skin doesn't change when you have sex, your vagina wouldn't dye someone's beard, either.
The reason is simple: "The vaginal pH is not acidic enough to cause hair colour change," Dr. Irobunda says in her Instagram post. "And even if it was acidic enough, there probably wouldn't be enough contact time (although some folks may try) to allow for the colour to change."
However, this claim didn't come completely out of left field. You may have noticed that your vaginal discharge can bleach your underwear or other dark-coloured clothing, especially depending on the time of the month or the amount of discharge you're experiencing. And the pH of your vaginal discharge is powerful enough to cause that type of reaction with that sort of material, but it's not powerful enough to change the colour of hair, Dr. Irobunda notes.
So, What Can Make Someone's Beard Turn Red?
Wondering why someone's beard may be red despite them having brown or blond hair? Or why their beard has suddenly lightened or turned red since starting to date you? This could be for a lot of reasons — but none include how often someone goes down on you. Dr. Irobunda says it's most likely because of genetics, and that the person "carries a gene mutation for red hair." Dr. Afzal agrees, citing genetics as the main reason someone might have a reddish beard.
However, pelvic-floor specialist Parmeet Kaur adds that a beard's appearance or colour "could be affected by lighting, reflection, or other environmental factors," such as sun exposure (hey, if it can lighten the hair on your head, it can bleach your beard!). But the reason someone's beard looks red still isn't oral sex. "There is no scientific evidence to suggest that performing oral sex on someone with a vulva could cause a beard to turn red," Kaur confirms.
That said, if the bearded hottie in your life wants to continue to brag about their love for cunnilingus by showing off their beard hair, then by all means, let them keep keeping on.
