Welcome back! Last week, we talked about the origins of cussword substitutes, like Oh My Stars and Garters! If you missed that blog and would like to catch up, click HERE.
I hope this email finds you safe and healthy after a robust 4th of July! This week, we are going to talk about hair. Facial hair actually has a purpose as does most of your other body hair. I know! Maybe plucking isn’t such a great idea after all, although if I didn’t pluck my chin hairs, they’d grow past my collarbone and nobody needs to see that.
Image source: Reddit
So let’s get into it, shall we?
It’s not your fault
If you’ve ever heard a person complain about not being able to grow a beard, or upset because they have a high hairline, or they have so much hair that it’s a burden! I’m here to tell you, it’s not your doing…it’s genetics. How much hair we have and where it grows isn’t up to us…it’s up to our ancestors.
Why does hair grow on my face?
That, my friends, is due to your hormone called testosterone. 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.
Facial hair regulates our temperatures
Facial hair can 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. Did you know that part of the natural reason we have facial hair is so that it can help to regulate our heat?
Don’t fall for old wives’ tales
Shaving does not make your hair grow back thicker. This old wives’ tale is completely false. It may first appear to be growing back thicker because the end of the hair has been blunted by the razor, but rest assured, you’ll be fine.
What the heck are eyebrows for, anyhow?
Did you know eyebrows have a purpose? They do. It’s to keep sweat from falling into your eyes. Along with aiding us to guess if someone is surprised or puzzled, something eyebrows are great at revealing, 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…yowcha!
Gonna grow a full beard?
Better put your patience pants on, because 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 (genetics, remember?).
Hair protection from the sun
While all human beings have facial hair, the more estrogen you have, the fuzzier your facial hair will be, and the more testosterone you have, the thicker it will be. Either way, the hair acts as a natural sun barrier, but you will still need sunscreen. Sorry…
How many hair follicles make up a thick beard? Guess!
Did you guess? It’s 30,000 hair follicles! While that may seem like a lot of hair, these follicles are so tiny that it takes a lot of hair to form a beard/mustache. Here again, the more testosterone one has, the more follicles, so if you have a lot of estrogen going on, then you won’t have the 30k hanging out on your face.
When in Rome
Did you know that in Rome, beards were a big no-no if you wanted to appear wealthy? 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.
How old will you be when your facial hair stops developing?
In your 30’s! So if you have a teenager at home stressing about their faces, let them know it’s not over until it’s over. Most facial hair growth comes later on down the line and this is why beards have been associated with maturity.
There are two kinds of facial hair
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.
How low can you go
Not everyone can simply keep growing a beard or mustache, but one man is known for his ability to do just that. A man in India named Ram Singh Chauhan grew his mustache to a massive 4.29 meters in 2010.
When were razors invented?
The first razor ever discovered dates back to Egypt, 18th century BC. It was a crude mechanism but it got the job done…maybe painfully, but still. They were a far cry from the razors we have today that are coated in an aloe vera-like slime, that’s for sure!
Who has the longest beard ever documented on a woman?
Vivian Wheeler from the USA managed to grow her beard over 10 inches long! That’s impressive. It shows you that a person assigned female at birth can have just as much testosterone as a person assigned male at birth! Genetics…they’ll fool ya every time!
How much time will you spend shaving?
Over a lifetime…6 months will be spent shaving off unwanted hairs. That’s a lot, but not as much time as I would have thought.
Can facial hair earn me a promotion?
Yes. 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.
Are you afraid of facial hair?
Then you must have something called pogonophobia. People with this phobia HATE beards and mustaches.
Does one appear to be more intelligent with facial hair?
If you could time travel, then yes. In ancient Greece, Greek Gods Plato and Socrates believed that facial hair and in particular beards were a sign of wisdom and intelligence.
Do women find men more attractive if they have facial hair?
Some 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. Men also view other men with beards as more manly and mature.
Aside from genes, what else affects hair growth?
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.
At one point in time, beards came with a tax!
If you had a beard in 18th-century Russia, it came at a price. There was a tax introduced for people with a beard. It was generally only wealthy people who could afford to keep a beard. *heavy sigh* When will we stop trying to associate wealth with being superior?
Does the Military have a history with beards?
Yes! Did you know that historically in the US Navy, there was a tradition that a man couldn’t shave his beard until he had crossed the equator? Only then would his beard be shaved. The saying ‘until the bitter end’ came from this tradition. I love trivia such as this.
The 1920s brought us the electric razor
In 1928 the first-ever electric razor was introduced! As with the majority of things, those with money were able to buy it first and it was not widely accessible.
Ethnicities that can’t grow facial hair
Here come those genetics again. There are many different ethnicities that don’t typically grow strong facial hair, including Asian, Aboriginal Australian, and Native American.
A Native American ethnicity is a person who identifies with the indigenous people of the Americas. This includes people from North, Central, and South America. The term “Native American” can also include people who are of mixed indigenous and non-indigenous ancestry.
To wrap it all up
I’m sure I’ve just told you way more than you ever wanted to know about facial hair, right? I think the one thing we can agree on is that every person is different, but we are all beautifully and wonderfully made, whether you have facial hair or not.
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As always, this blog is not a replacement for sound medical advice. I am not a doctor. Please make an appointment to see your healthcare provider and put a good plan in place that works for you and the needs of your body.
That’s all I have for you this week, dear reader. I’ll see you back here next Wednesday to share another cup of coffee. Until then, be good to yourself and each other.
Mind, Body, Spirit…Osteopathic Doctors treat the whole person, not just the ailment. Is your PCP a DO? Would you like to learn more about Osteopathic Physicians? Click HERE!