Nothing says “masculinity” quite like a beard. See any of the American Civil War generals, who were around at a time when masculinity was unquestioned as an asset and when truly grotesque facial hair was the norm; see Ambrose Burnside for an example.
While I write this from what I suspect is the most bearded state in the Union – Alaska – and while I sport a pretty good gray-and-white soup-strainer myself, some folks are apparently worried about the hygiene aspects of a face-warmer. Speaking as a biologist, I’ll say this: There’s nothing to worry about.
The notion that beards are potential carriers of disease dates back about six decades. In a 1967 study, microbiologist Manuel S. Barbeito and his colleagues sprayed participants’ beards with bacteria and found that the bacteria remained after washing with soap and water.
The idea resurfaced years later —…
