History Main / ManlyFacialHair

From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. In Ancient Rome, beards were considered slovenly and a sign of living in squalor but were only accepted as long as they were well-groomed and in a position of authority. In certain countries [[note]] The Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil to name a few. [[/note]], unkempt beards are considered improper and unprofessional while serving in the military and soldiers will have to be clean-shaven because the organization has to present discipline, hygiene, and uniformity. However, mustaches are only acceptable in certain countries as long as they are neatly trimmed and well-groomed during the soldier's service.

* ''Film/{{Balibo}}'': FRELIJIN soldier Ximenez sports a beard, which is used to help portray him as a grizzled veteran.

SisterTrope to CarpetOfVirility, which achieves the same effect with chest hair, and LanternJawOfJustice, the way to go if you want to look manly without a beard. SuperTrope to BeardOfBarbarism (where long facial hair is used to mark someone as being from a violent warrior culture) and SeadogBeard (where a bushy beard is on an experienced seaman). Compare GirlsWithMoustaches, mustached or bearded women are usually presented as funny or disgusting, since women should not be manly and should not have facial hair. And note that not all facial hair is manly -- a PornStache might make people giggle instead, and a WizardBeard serves more to make them look wise and old. BeardOfSorrow is also not manly, but rather a sign that a man has become depressed and given up on his grooming (though it could be worn by a HeartbrokenBadass). A BeardOfEvil is also unlikely to be manly, given its likelihood to be worn by an older, [[BrainsEvilBrawnGood wimpy intellectual]] villain like a MadScientist or EvilChancellor.

* Creator/PedroPascal usually sports a groomed mustache while acting or making public appearances. He discussed this trope in an interview from the ''Film/TripleFrontier'' press tour, claiming that someone warned him that he resembles a "grandmother" during his rare clean-shaven appearances.

From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. In Ancient Rome, beards were considered slovenly and a sign of living in squalor but were only accepted as long as they were well-groomed. In certain countries [[note]] The Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil to name a few. [[/note]] unkempt beards are considered improper and unprofessional when serving in the military and soldiers will have to be clean-shaven during their service. However, mustaches are only acceptable in other countries as long as they are neatly trimmed and well-groomed during the soldier's service.

From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. In Ancient Rome, beards were considered slovenly and a sign of living in squalor but were only accepted as long as they were well-groomed. In certain countries [[note]] The Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil to name a few. [[/note]] unkempt beards were considered improper and unprofessional when serving in the military and soldiers will have to be clean-shaven during their service. However, mustaches are only acceptable in other countries as long as they are neatly trimmed and well-groomed during the soldier's service.

From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. In Ancient Rome, beards were considered slovenly and a sign of living in squalor but were only accepted as long as they were well-groomed. In certain countries [[note]] like the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil to name a few [[/note]] unkempt beards were considered improper and unprofessional when serving in the military and soldiers will have to be clean-shaven during their service. However, mustaches are only acceptable in other countries as long as they are neatly trimmed and well-groomed during the soldier's service.

From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. In Ancient Rome, beards were considered slovenly and a sign of living in squalor. In certain countries [[note]] like the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey, and Brazil to name a few [[/note]] unkempt beards were considered improper and unprofessional when serving in the military and soldiers will have to be clean-shaven during their service. However, mustaches are acceptable in some countries as long as they are neatly trimmed and well-groomed.

In real life, mustaches are considered more professional than beards and they were mandatory in certain services. In the southern parts of India, [[https://www.logically.ai/factchecks/library/7b41d1a6 police officers are encouraged to grow a mustache or have mustaches as part of the uniform]] because policemen with a mustache were believed to be more effective, more respected by the public, less intimidating, and better at interacting with the community. Mustaches and beards are also considered a sign of innate masculinity and virility in India. From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear mustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair.

In real life, moustaches are considered more professional than beards and they were mandatory in certain services. In certain areas of India, [[https://www.logically.ai/factchecks/library/7b41d1a6 police officers are encouraged to grow a moustache or have moustaches as part of the uniform]] because policemen with a moustache were believed to be more effective, more respected by the public, less intimidating, and better at interacting with the community. From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear moustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair.

Beards have also fallen in and out of fashion throughout history. The elaborate military whiskers of the Victorian and Edwardian Eras fell quickly out of fashion during UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne because they interfered with the fit of [[DeadlyGas gas masks]] (except for the toothbrush moustache as it would fit beneath the mask, but it was DarthWiki/RuinedForever by [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler one guy]]). They were out in the 20th century thanks to the rise of widely-available shaving equipment making it easy to get rid of facial hair, but made a comeback in the 21st.

In real life, moustaches are considered more professional than beards and they were mandatory in certain services. In certain areas of India, [[https://www.logically.ai/factchecks/library/7b41d1a6 police officers are encouraged to grow a moustache or have moustaches as part of the uniform]] because policemen with a moustache were believed to be more effective, more respected by the public, less intimidating, and better at interacting with the community. From 1860 to 1916, it was [[https://www.thevintagenews.com/2019/03/01/mustache-law/ mandatory for British soldiers to wear moustaches]] and they would be arrested if they removed their facial hair. Beards have also fallen in and out of fashion throughout history. The elaborate military whiskers of the Victorian and Edwardian Eras fell quickly out of fashion during UsefulNotes/WorldWarOne because they interfered with the fit of [[DeadlyGas gas masks]] (except for the toothbrush moustache as it would fit beneath the mask, but it was DarthWiki/RuinedForever by [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler one guy]]). They were out in the 20th century thanks to the rise of widely-available shaving equipment making it easy to get rid of facial hair, but made a comeback in the 21st.

* Dwarfs from ''TabletopGames/WarhammerFantasy'' never stop growing beard hairs and never willingly shave their facial hair, and as such a (male) dwarf's beard length is directly associated with his age and position in the social hierarchy. As such, this trope is in effect for dwarfs InUniverse, with long-bearded dwarfs automatically being given reverence and respect for their age, wisdom and their long beards. On the flip side, [[TraumaticHaircut being forcefully shaved is just about the worst thing you can do to a dwarf]], and many who suffer it [[DeathSeeker willingly take the Slayer's Oath over the loss of their beard]]. The [[{{Conlang}} dwarf language of Khazalid]] contains several words on respect or disdain owed to a particular dwarf's magnificent or scruffy-looking beard.

* Dwarfs from ''Tabletop/WarhammerFantasy'' never stop growing beard hairs and never willingly shave their facial hair, and as such a (male) dwarf's beard length is directly associated with his age and position in the social hierarchy. As such, this trope is in effect for dwarfs InUniverse, with long-bearded dwarfs automatically being given reverence and respect for their age, wisdom and their long beards. On the flip side, [[TraumaticHaircut being forcefully shaved is just about the worst thing you can do to a dwarf]], and many who suffer it [[DeathSeeker willingly take the Slayer's Oath over the loss of their beard]]. The [[{{Conlang}} dwarf language of Khazalid]] contains several words on respect or disdain owed to a particular dwarf's magnificent or scruffy-looking beard.

[[folder:Tabletop Games}}

** Major Alex Louis Armstrong, despite being [[CharlieBrownBaldness totally bald save for one lock of hair]], sports a prominent handlebar moustache. Fittingly he's one of the most overtly manly characters in the series: he's got incredibly large muscles and has one of the most physical fighting styles among the State Alchemists.

Common "manly" types who tend to have facial hair are the ChickMagnet (who may be sporting a Creator/ClarkGable-style mustache), the MightyLumberjack and NatureHero (in these cases a bushy beard shows their relation to and dominance over nature), TheStrongman (who is usually associated with a handlebar moustache), and the MachoLatino sporting one of the MagnificentMoustachesOfMexico. Also often found in military settings, associated with SergeantRock, ColonelBadass, TheCaptain, FatherNeptune, and the AcePilot. Sometimes the association becomes parodic, as in the case of TestosteronePoisoning types who also sport exaggerated facial hair.

* ''Literature/{{Flashman}}'' is quite proud of his cavalry whiskers (or "tart catcher's", given that women find them equally attractive).

* Subverted in ''Series/Cracker'' when DS Beck shaves off his moustache because they've now become trendy among homosexuals, and he's tired of being ribbed about it.

** The captain of the ship to Menagerie and Mistral has a full and shaggy white beard and side-burns, and full moustaches. It initially helps make him seem grandfatherly when he first tries to bring the anti-social Blake out of her shell, but once the sea dragon attacks, it helps give him a calm, level-headed, no-nonsense air of authority, portraying him as a grizzled veteran as he instantly takes command of his young crew and the two young Huntsmen that are travelling on the ship.

** Wesley was clean-shaven as the innocent farm boy at the beginning. By the time he turns up again as the formidable fighter the Dread Pirate Roberts he's gotten a moustache. MasterSwordsman Inigo Montoya has a fairly bushy moustache of his own, while the strong giant Fezzik has healthy sideburns. The villainous yet competent Rugen, Humperdinck's main enforcer, has a BeardOfEvil.

%%* Not only is Creator/ChuckNorris a MemeticBadass ''par excellence'', his beard is considered a force of nature unto itself.

* Creator/DannyTrejo tops off his intimidating look with a mustache of warning. as did Creator/CharlesBronson and Creator/SamElliott.