To Beard or Not to Beard

Humans have lost most of our body hair, but the beard has stubbornly remained – though anthropologists can find no function for it.

Perhaps that’s why men have been grooming it, or removing it, for thousands of years.

Early cave paintings show men with smooth faces.

Archeologists have found flint ‘razors’ they may have used to shave. And shell ‘tweezers’ they may have used to pluck off their beards. Ouch!

The Egyptians were first to engage in elaborate shaving rituals.

Facial hair was considered unclean, and men used copper razors or caustic chemicals to burn off their beards. Ouch again!

Centuries later, Alexander the Great’s soldiers wore beards -- until he ordered them gone.

Greeks reversed that tradition. For them, beards represented maturity and wisdom.

The Romans reversed things again, and civilized men shaved or went to barber shops.

Through the Middle Ages, beards came and went with the styles of influential leaders.

Christian priests remained clean-shaven, to separate themselves from rabbis and Muslim clerics, who often had beards.

In the 20th century, in the U.S. and Europe, shaving became synonymous with uprightness and business success.

In the 21st century, things changed again, as beards reflect individual style and even environmental sustainability – avoiding the waste of disposable shaving products.

If you’re wondering ‘to beard or not to beard,’ there’s no right answer. Wait a while and styles may change anyway!