I once got in a drunken, and personally revealing, conversation with about 10 women (I was the only male present), and when the topic came up, almost every one of them was adamant about beards being an overall
negative on a man.
Even among those women who had some admiration for facial hair, a full bushy beard was considered a HUGE turn off, as were those little "soul patch" things at the other end of the scale. During the course of the conversation, one woman mentioned a recent date with a man that had a soul patch, and almost everyone present shuddered involuntarily and stuck out their tongues. Eeewww!
Then someone called the soul patch an "anti-dating device," and they all broke up laughing.
I have endeavored to remain clean shaven ever since (despite what a colossal drag it is to shave.)