1. The world’s longest beard belonged to Norwegian Hans Langseth. In 1927 it stretched to 5.55m or 17ft 6in
2. There are around 30,000 whiskers encompassing your face
3. On average, a man’s beard will grow 5.5 inches per year
4. Beards grow faster in the daytime than the night-time.
5. Beards can add an extra layer of protection from infections. While bacteria naturally exist on the skin, shaving can create openings that bring in the bacteria and lead to infections and ingrown hairs. Not shaving can also reduce acne flare-ups.
6. Pogonophobia, is the fear of beards.
7. Trouble breathing? A beard may help if you suffer from things like pollen or dust allergies. It some cases it can work like a filter to keep them from settling, must like the hair in your nose.
8. Dihydrotestosterone is the chemical that promotes both beards and balding among men. Seasonal changes affect its level in the body, making for bushier summer beards.
9. The average moustache will trap a pint and a half of beer ever single year.
10. The average man wastes 4.5 months – or 139 full days – shaving. Imagine what you could do with that time instead?
11. Beards and wisdom seem to go hand-in-hand, and have for hundreds of years, if not more. Just check out the likes of Socrates, Marcus Aurelius, and Shakespeare – who all sported beards.
12. The first adverts for personal razors didn’t appear until the 1760s. Funnily enough, much of their wording was surprisingly similar to ads of today, with lots of references to steel, tempering, swords and battle. Two particularly fighty models were called the “Scimitar” and the “Damascus”.
13. Beards grow faster when you have not had sex for a while
