When (and Why) Did Men Start Shaving Off Their Beards?

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Martin Brodetsky, Oxford England

• An analysis of fashion pictures shows that beardlessness began among young men in the 1890's. World War I absolutely killed them off (except among the French and psychoanalysists) since beards harbored lice. Oddly, among the French, WWI soldiers were called the "bearded ones" for the long beards they grew in the trenchs.

  Dave Null, Claremont, California 91711 USA

• The ancient Romans also shaved their beards (except the ones who liked to think of themselves as Greek, such as Marcus Aurelius). While I don't know much about fashion in the intervening years, I'd guess beards probably went in and out of style every few generations, just as they do now. As for why men started shaving in the first place - perhaps they wanted to look younger? It seems to me that beards are most common now among the few segments of society that still value age and experience (university professors, for instance), while most other men tend to cultivate the boyish look.

  Nora Corrigan, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

• If you look at statues of Alexander the Great (c. 500 BC), you will notice that unlike statues of other Greek warriors before him, he his beardless. The theory is that he introduced because shaving off your beard stopped the enemy using it as a handhold.

  LaneBlume, Marrickville Australia

• When they realised that beards look stupid.

  Rob Moseley, Loughborough, UK

• According to the 16th-century poet Christopher Smart, "The shaving of the chin was an invention of the people of Sodom to make men look like women".

  Jim Burfield, The Hague, Netherlands

• For Bob Moseley to say that beards look stupid is plain stupid. My beard has grown without me doing anything about it and I have to trim it to keep it in check. Taking it one stage further and removing it completely becomes a daily chore which I prefer not to do. Shaving keeps the Gillette family in luxury so carry on with being stupid. Who cares?

  Jack Hill, St Albans, UK

• I heard that it was indeed around the time of Alexander the Great, but that he began shaving, not because the beard was used as a hand-hold in battle, but because he was thought to be so good-looking that, his beard was removed to reveal his beauty!

  Dr Hans Usher, Brighton UK

• When they realised that if a woman could kiss a man with a beard then she could ditch the man and go off with a woman - at least that way you get half the housework done!

  Lian Pate, Burnley UK

• More importantly, why do only humans grow their hair and nails? The apes don't, and I suspect our pre hominid ancestors didn't either.

  John Dogherty, Ashby de la Zouch, UK

• Alexander the Great did homosexual acts, that is why he is shaved. I think it's a thing of shame'

  Arthur, Vancouver USA