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The way a man wears his facial hair can take on different connotations within different cultures. In some cultures, when a man keeps his facial hair unruly and unkempt, he is considered "wild" or "dirty." In others, men will refuse to shave for religious reasons. Most men begin to grow facial hair during the adolescent years, and in some cases as early as their preteen years.
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There are many different types of facial hair. These include mustache, goatee, beard, sideburns and variations within each of these. A mustache is typically the growth under a man's nose and above his lip, but the mustache itself can be broken down into many different styles, including the "handlebar," "pencil" and "toothbrush" varieties. The mustache can then be combined with hair on other parts of the face to create a beard, a musketeer goatee and many other styles.
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Facial hair varies in size and length. Because there are so many different styles and shapes that facial hair can take, they can take on different cultural associations. A clean-shaved man can be considered "baby faced," which could either make him appear clean and well-groomed to some people, or youthful, immature and boy-like to other people. How thick a man grows his facial hair can say a lot about the type of man that he is. For instance, a man with a large, full beard may be considered unruly or wild, or, conversely, wise and learned.
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ZZ TopFamous men throughout history are acknowledged for the way they kept their facial hair. Few could picture president Abraham Lincoln without his signature mustache-less beard, ZZ Top without their wild and untamed facial hair, or the Unabomber without his beard. The biblical figure Moses is represented in art and film as having a flowing silver beard running the length of his chest. Adolf Hitler wore what is now referred to as a "toothbrush" mustache. Throughout history, the fashions of facial hair have changed, but they have consistently been prevalent in societies around the world. In the Victorian era, facial hair was wildly popular in opposition to the clean-shaven look of the Regency. It was very fashionable for men to wear full, bushy mustaches, beards and sideburns. -
HemingwayOver the years, a man's facial hair has taken on many different meanings and connotations, but often it is associated with a man's wisdom or strength. For example, Paul Bunyan, an American folk hero, is often depicted with a large beard which is supposed to represent his rugged, larger-than-life strength. This association with strength relates with the fact that males do not grow facial hair until the later years of puberty, or until they "become men." In fact, many men are not able to grow a "full" amount of facial hair until their twenties or later. For similar reasons, facial hair is often associated with a man's virility.
