The history of facial hair: a beard story

Beards have been used for warmth and intimidation; they can represent social change, religion, politics and even war; they can even take a man from respectable to quirky. The influence of the beard knows no bounds. This month saw the celebration of World Beard Day and we have joined in on the celebration by presenting the history of facial hair, in honour of beards and the technological innovation they have inspired.

30s-40s: the clean shave

These days, the clean shave is sported out of choice: it’s fresh and accentuates your impeccable bone structure. But in the ’30s and ’40s it was practically obligatory. During World War One moustaches were ditched and growing facial hair was banned for most soldiers. This trend continued into the ’40s when slick hair and clean faces were all the rage. 

Getting the look then: After deciding that the American electric shavers could be improved upon, Philips launched the Philishave: an innovative rotary system with three blades rotating beneath a round, slotted shaving head. 

Mid-century-modern beard styles

The clean-shaven continued to prevail in the ’50s, with bearded men being a small and very well-groomed minority. Unless you chose to wear a beard for religious reasons, anything larger than a small, neat goatee or a thin moustache was the reserve of Santa. Tidy facial hair remained de rigueur into the ’60s, with just a rebellious few bucking the trend.

Getting the look then: In 1951 the launch of the Philishave/Norelco Doubleheader, with its twin shaving heads, was a shaving breakthrough. Innovation continued into the ’60s with the introduction of the flip-top cleaning system and the iconic three-headed face-contouring design of 1966.

The hippie beard evolution

As hippie and disco culture grew, so too did the trend for facial hair. Sideburns, moustaches and beards – and hair generally for that matter – was left to its own devices, resulting in a hirsute, free loving generation. Cemented in mainstream culture by the likes of The Beatles and the Bee Gees, the full, untamed beard was there to stay. 

Getting the look then: Well, that was easy: for the long, rugged, hippie effect, beards were left just as they were, with a daisy chain thrown in for good measure. 

The highly styled ’80s and ’90s

Style in the ’80s was larger-than-life, bringing with it a stylised approach to facial hair – with full beards immaculately trimmed or cut away to reveal an impressive moustache. In the ’90s businessmen opted for a clean-shaven look, whilst others took inspiration from grunge culture and bands such as Nirvana, sporting dyed beards and goatees.

Getting the look then: Philips catered to the groomed aesthetic of the early ’90s with the launch of the Cool Skin – a waterproof Reflex Action wet and dry shaver that could be used in the shower.

Modern beard styles – and how to perfect them

The history of beards is like the big brother who broke all the rules, so these days almost anything goes. And the best part? Now you’ve got the innovative tools to achieve the best results, more easily than ever before.

• The clean shave. How could chiselled looks and smooth skin ever go out of fashion? As classy now as it ever has been, the clean shave is still a man’s best friend. And with the Shaver Series 9000, achieving a comfortable clean wet and dry shave is easy, thanks to its 8-directional flexible contour-detection heads and V-Track Precision blade system that helps prevent pulling.

• The modern moustache. That hipster facial hair might be impressive in volume and density, but it still deserves clean edges. The Beard Trimmer 9000’s innovative laser-guided trimmer gives precise, symmetrical results, every time. 

• The well-groomed full beard. These days the full beard is a man’s pride and joy, not a piece of facial fluff that represents his wild abandon. Give it the respect it deserves by keeping it perfectly in shape with the self-sharpening blades of the Beard Trimmer 7000. Your bathroom will thank you too, because its vacuum system catches up to 90% of cut hairs.