20 Unknown Facts About Facial Hair

1. Facial hair can help stop infection!

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Facial hair isn't just there so for aesthetic purposes. Everything in nature has a reason and a purpose. Facial hair can act as a barrier to stopping us from getting infections. It's the same idea for hair all over the body, it serves the function of protecting us so that harmful things are stopped by our hair and we don't internalize them.

2. The amount of facial hair we have is largely determined by genes

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Some people can't wait until they can grow a beard and they're counting each new follicle wondering when or if they'll ever have full facial hair. Other people hate the fact that their face is so hairy! But this is largely down to the genetics you have, not you individually...

3. Testosterone is the cause of more facial hair

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Testosterone is the hormone that causes facial hair to develop. This is why boys will start to develop more facial hair during puberty as their testosterone increases. It can also be the reason why some women have more facial hair because they have higher levels of testosterone.

4. Facial hair helps with heat regulation

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Facial hair can also serve the important function of heat regulation. Not only can it keep us warmer but it can also keep us cooler too by expanding to allow air to the face so that you can cool down. Part of the natural reason we have facial hair is so that it can help to regulate our heat.

5. Shaving DOESN'T make the hair grow back thicker

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We've all heard the myth (which is usually aimed at women) 'Ooh don't shave your face it will only grow back thicker!' Well, this is completely false. The hair does NOT grow back thicker. The only reason it may first appear to be because the end of the hair has been blunted by the razor.

6. Eyebrows stop sweat from getting in your eyes

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Have you ever wondered what eyebrows are actually for? Yes, they're great for showing when you're surprised or puzzled but they have another more important function. They're there to protect our eyes and to stop sweat from rolling straight in. Because if you've experienced this you'll know the salt stings...

7. It takes 3-6 months to grow a full beard

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Growing a full beard is no easy feat, and it's a time commitment. It can take around one-quarter to a half of a year to actually grow a full-blown beard! Of course, this varies depending on the individual. Some grow faster and some are naturally slower growing.

8. Facial hair can act as a natural sun barrier

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Both men and women have facial hair. Women tend to be less visible, with more of a fuzz-like texture and appearance whereas men are thicker and more standouts. But our facial hair acts as a natural sun barrier. It can help protect you against UV rays, but not super effectively so you should still wear SPF!

9. A man's beard usually consists of 30,000 hair follicles

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Usually, a man's beard is made up of a whopping 30,000 hair follicles! That's a lot of hair, but these are so tiny that it takes a lot of hair to form a beard/mustache. The reason women don't have as many hair follicles is because they do not have the same levels of testosterone as a man.

10. In ancient Rome, beards were seen as uncivilized

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Beards mean different things all over the world and the meanings have changed over time. In ancient Rome, a beard was a sign that you were uncivilized and so people wanted to be clean-shaven as a sign of wealth and status. Facial hair held a lot of significance.

11. Facial hair continues to develop until a person reaches their mid-20s

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Facial hair can keep on developing right until a man gets to his 30s. For many men, by their teenage years and early 20s, their facial hair is only just starting to develop. Most facial hair growth comes later on down the line and so this is why breads have become to be associated with manhood.

12. Facial hair is made up of two kinds: terminal and vellus

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So facial hair isn't just made up of one kind of hair. It's formed of two types. One of these is called terminal, and this hair is the thick/longer hair that we can see. The other kind of hair is called vellus, which isn't as visible and it's usually fine and without color.

13. Ram Singh Chauhan from India had the longest-ever recorded mustache (4.29 meters)

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Everyone has a different growth rate and a different optimal length, so some people couldn't continuously grow a beard or a mustache as it would reach its full length. But a man in India named Ram Singh Chauhan grew out his mustache to a massive 4.29 meters in 2010.

14. The first discovered razor dates back to Egypt 18th century BC

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Razors have been around a VERY long time which may come as a surprise if you're envisaging Gillette razors back in ancient Egypt. The first razor ever discovered dates back to Egypt, 18th century BC. It was a crude mechanism but the idea was just the same.

15. The longest beard recorded on a woman was over 10 inches

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We don't usually associate beards with women, but that's not to say that it doesn't happen. Like we said before, women do have facial hair, it's usually just less thick and long. But Vivian Wheeler from the USA managed to grow her beard over 10 inches long!

16. Eyebrows are a huge part of facial recognition

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Eyebrows make a huge impact on somebody's face. Try to envisage yourself without brows and you'll see just how much it changes your face. So eyebrows have become increasingly important in facial recognition as it changes the form and structure of somebody's face.

17. On average, a man will spend around 6 months of his life shaving

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I'm sure nobody ever imagined that shaving took up SO much time. While it might feel like an inconvenience that comes around all too quickly (we're only smooth for a day) it's still surprising to find out that men spend 6 months of their life shaving! That's a helluva lot of time.

18. In the 19th-century British Military, men who were able to grow mustaches were promoted to higher ranks

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In the 19th-century British military, facial hair was hugely symbolic of rank and status. If you could grow a good mustache, you were much more likely to be promoted to the higher ranks as only the higher members of the military had these mustaches. And so they are hugely significant.

19. The fear of facial hair is called 'pogonophobia'

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It would be hugely inconvenient to have a phobia of facial hair considering everyone has it. And, it grows SO fast. But the condition is very much real (although not common) and it is called pogonophobia. People with this phobia HATE beards and mustaches.

20. In the Middle East, facial hair is often viewed as a sign of masculinity

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The Middle East is one of the areas that have the most people with facial hair because it is seen as such an important thing. Facial hair, and in particular full beards have come to be seen as a sign of masculinity in the Middle East and so they are still hugely popular in these areas.

21. In East Asia, facial hair is less prominent

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Whereas, one of the places in the world where facial hair is less popular is East Asia. Here beards are not held in such a high regard and in fact, clean-shaven is more popular. So, a high percentage of men in East Asia will be clean-shaven as this is the more popular trend.

22. In ancient Greece, Socrates and Plato thought growing a beard displayed wisdom

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In ancient Greece, there was another thought about beards and facial hair. Greek Gods Plato and Socrates believed that facial hair and in particular beards was a sign of wisdom and intelligence and so of course, everybody wanted to have a beard to show that they too were intelligent!

23. Studies have suggested that women found men with beards to be more attractive and mature

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Social and scientific studies have been conducted which suggest that women find men with facial hair more attractive than men that do not have any. It is believed that this is some kind of natural instinct as facial hair is often associated with manhood. And so, men often view men with beards as more manly and mature.

24. Facial hair has huge symbolic social significance

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Facial hair is more than physical appearance, it has huge symbolic significance as we have proven with the different meanings all over the world. The status of facial hair both for women and men is highly important as people make judgments, depending on the cultural and social context.

25. Hormones affect facial hair growth

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Aside from genes, the next major influence on facial hair is hormones! Different levels of hormones mean different levels of facial hair and sometimes hormonal imbalances or conditions such as PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) can cause more facial hair growth in women.

26. Facial hair provides insulation

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Sometimes, particularly women, want to be smooth and some even apply wax strips to remove as much hair as possible from their face, despite it being totally natural and there for a reason. One of the reasons is for insulation in colder climates. When it gets to those winter months you may just be glad of that facial hair!

27. Darker facial hair sometimes appears thicker, but it isn't

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Of course, the thickness of hair depends completely on the individual. But there is a perception that dark hair is always or usually thicker than lighter hairs, which isn't the case. It's simply that there is greater contrast in colors which can make dark hair appear thicker.

28. In the 18th century there was a beard tax in Russia

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If you had a beard in 18th-century Russia, it came at a price. There was a tax introduced for people with a beard. And so really, it was generally only wealthy people who could afford to keep a beard. It seems a very strange thing to tax, does it not?

29. In the history of the Navy, men weren't allowed to shave their beards until they had crossed the equator

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Historically in the US Navy, there was a tradition that a man couldn't shave his beard until he had crossed the equator. It was a kind of ritual that celebrated a man's first crossing of the equator, and only then would his beard be shaved. The saying 'until the bitter end' came from this tradition.

30. The first electric razor was made in 1928

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In 1928 shaving got a whole lot easier for people with facial hair as the first-ever electric razor was introduced! Of course, just because the electric razor had been invented, didn't mean that it was widely accessible. As with the majority of things, those with money were able to buy it first.