[Archived] beards

[Miker]

Beards unless one is in the Navy are just a sign of laziness and a poor attitude to personal appearence and hygiene. I can just about tolerate a well trimmed beard but never an unkempt one.... much like an untrimmed 'mary'.

Pubic hair of the face. I see them as complete non starters for chefs and a surgeons.

I often just trim my beard regularly, rather than shave it and my brother styles and brushes his every week. I don't think it's fair to say we don't care about our personal hygiene or appearance. A beard's a beard. I find it weird it even needs to be debated really.

One could argue it takes more effort and discipline to actually grow and upkeep a beard than not to. Personally, I end up shaving my beard before it gets too long as my face gets too itchy.

[jim mk2]

I often just trim my beard regularly, rather than shave it and my brother styles and brushes his every week. I don't think it's fair to say we don't care about our personal hygiene or appearance. A beard's a beard. I find it weird it even needs to be debated really.

One could argue it takes more effort and discipline to actually grow and upkeep a beard than not to. Personally, I end up shaving my beard before it gets too long as my face gets too itchy.

I was talking to a recruitment agency chief the other day who said many employers will strike a candidate from their list at interview as soon as he enters the room with a beard.

Probably proves the adage you should never a trust a man with a beard because he is too lazy to shave and usually has something to hide.

Of course the school was right to ban the boy with a beard. The right schools set standards for work and personal discipline that set up a child for life.

I suppose beards do have one advantage though .... if you spill your breakfast over your face you can always go back to eat it later.

[thenodrog]

Beards are now associated with thugs, terrorists and general undesirables, so people have a tendency to look negatively at people with one.

I often just trim my beard regularly, rather than shave it and my brother styles and brushes his every week. I don't think it's fair to say we don't care about our personal hygiene or appearance. A beard's a beard. I find it weird it even needs to be debated really.

Then why the hell have you and your brother grown one then? As Jim says it puts you at a distinct disadvantage in our society.

btw 1 .... A beard is pubic hair of the face and personally speaking the sight of male pubic hair doesn't really do much for me. Still each to his own I suppose eh miker?

btw 2.... "and my brother styles and brushes his every week. I don't think it's fair to say we don't care about our personal hygiene or appearance".

Brushes it every week eh? Nice.

[thenodrog]

There's a difference between being lazy and wanting to have a beard. Don't you think you're being a bit too cynical?

Hardly a point to debate at a job interview ET is it? Certain things are no go's for worthwhile employment where an employee is being selected to represent the company .... tattoos, piercings and now beards too according to Jim. Life is hard enough these days so why swim against the tide?

[ABBEY]

Lazy ? Hide? ...don't be casting bad mojo on my lucky goatee !

[adopted scouser]

As my uncle used to say "What he cultivates on his face, I let grow wild up me @rse"

[ABBEY]

He bleached?

[American]

Schools need to be careful in banning beards. Bum fluff on the face doesn't look great, admittedly, but do colleges, universities and workplaces ban them?

Yes, some workplaces do as a part of the dress code. Some baseball teams in the US have no facial hair policies that multi-millionaires abide by.

[thenodrog]

Yes, some workplaces do as a part of the dress code. Some baseball teams in the US have no facial hair policies that multi-millionaires abide by.

Else they wouldn't be multi millionaires would they?

[DeadlyDirk]

I find it more shocking that David Bentley's still in school.

[slough_rover]

National Service has been sorely missed.

Standards need to be applied in every walk of life. BUT..."If beards were a sign of a distinguished character and a good, moral person then no one would have a problem with someone having one."

Thats an odd statement considering Jesus had one (and so did t'other lot's invisible friend too btw).

Beards unless one is in the Navy are just a sign of laziness and a poor attitude to personal appearence and hygiene. I can just about tolerate a well trimmed beard but never an unkempt one.... much like an untrimmed 'mary'.

Pubic hair of the face. I see them as complete non starters for chefs and a surgeons.

An you confirm who the other lots invisible friend is btw theno?

[Miker]

Hardly a point to debate at a job interview ET is it? Certain things are no go's for worthwhile employment where an employee is being selected to represent the company .... tattoos, piercings and now beards too according to Jim. Life is hard enough these days so why swim against the tide?

My employer seems to have no problem taking on people of all races, religions, and level of beard

Anyway, shave for the interview, re-grow the beard later - simples. They can't fire you citing facial hair reasons!

I'd still make a distinction between a well-tended beard and a wild, bushy, hobo one. I'm well aware that society looks down on beards, but personally I don't think there should be a problem.

It shouldn't matter for a job where there's no customer contact. Where there is customer contact, that's another story. But even then, it's a very hypothetical situation. Some customers will be averse to bearded folk, some may be more inclined to deal with someone of their own race/religion/culture, some may even respond better to a bearded one, so in that situation it's hard to judge. If you're judging a person based on one aspect of their look or personality though, I would suggest you have a pretty poor read of people.

[thenodrog]

My employer seems to have no problem taking on people of all races, religions, and level of beard

Anyway, shave for the interview, re-grow the beard later - simples. They can't fire you citing facial hair reasons!

I'd still make a distinction between a well-tended beard and a wild, bushy, hobo one. I'm well aware that society looks down on beards, but personally I don't think there should be a problem.

It shouldn't matter for a job where there's no customer contact. Where there is customer contact, that's another story. But even then, it's a very hypothetical situation. Some customers will be averse to bearded folk, some may be more inclined to deal with someone of their own race/religion/culture, some may even respond better to a bearded one, so in that situation it's hard to judge. If you're judging a person based on one aspect of their look or personality though, I would suggest you have a pretty poor read of people.

No point debating further miker. You keep your beard if you want.

[Miker]

On that note, a friend of mine has long hair (and occasionally a beard) and looks like a creepy vampire count (an old-school one, not one of those sparkly Twilight ones). He plays in a fairly successful progressive metal band who have one of the craziest, most energetic live shows I've been to. During the day though, he works as a barrister in court, although prior to getting his law degree, he had completed an engineering degree. He knows four different languages fluently and his dad is the head professor of science and engineering at one of Australia's and the world's top universities. Besides this, he is easily one of the most intelligent and reasonable guys I know. Yet if you saw him on the street, the average person would be suspicious of him and judge him negatively. Furthermore, the sort of employers you mentioned would probably disregard him as a serious candidate for a job, despite his qualifications and ability potentially surpassing that of the other candidates. They'll instead hire the blonde bimbo girl with large jugs who has a pretty smile and dresses nice and seems to know what she's talking about.

[Miker]

No point debating further miker. You keep your beard if you want.

I don't have a beard, but thank you for your blessing.

[Ewood Spark]

I think people are losing track of what this thread is about. The story here isn't beards per se, it's about sections of society undermining the authority and discipline of schools.

[only2garners]

I think I'm inclined to agree about banning beards in schools. They are generally grown by the kids who can just to show that they can and are therefore "more grown up" than their peers, most of whom probably can't even if they wanted to.

However, on the more general point, I've had a beard for almost 32 years now, so it's older than many posters on here (and probably smarter than a good few ). I seemed to manage to hold on to a senior role at a large PLC with it. I'm inclined to paraphrase Groucho Marx's old adage that I would not have wanted to work for a company that was petty enough to demand I be clean shaven. Anyway, beards are seriously in fashion now - I knew I would end up fashionable again if I waited long enough.

[thenodrog]

I think I'm inclined to agree about banning beards in schools. They are generally grown by the kids who can just to show that they can and are therefore "more grown up" than their peers, most of whom probably can't even if they wanted to.

However, on the more general point, I've had a beard for almost 32 years now, so it's older than many posters on here (and probably smarter than a good few ). I seemed to manage to hold on to a senior role at a large PLC with it. I'm inclined to paraphrase Groucho Marx's old adage that I would not have wanted to work for a company that was petty enough to demand I be clean shaven. Anyway, beards are seriously in fashion now - I knew I would end up fashionable again if I waited long enough.

Well done. ever thought you might be Chairman of the board now only2G's if only you'd stood close up to your razor in as morning?

[Paul]

Yep got to agree with O2G. I had a beard of various shapes and sizes from age 18 to 40. Cut it off at 40 in a vain (in every sense) attempt to look younger. Mid life crisis and all that stuff. Started to wear a beard again about 4-5 years ago so have had one for the majority of my adult life with no problem in my social or business life.

With so many young men choosing not shave, wear stubble etc. it hardly seems like an issue. Visible tatoos and piercings in "customer facing" employment are another matter. It's my generation I suspect but I cannot for the life of me understand why people want to wear a tattoo. It may look very cool on a young person with taut, firm skin but in 45-50 years the wrinkles will tell. Some of the tattoos my son's friends wear are astonishing - I'm just relieved he hasn't followed suit.

I do agree with the school thing though, schools set rules and they should be followed by all pupils.

[OhmiBRFC]

I have tattoos and hold down two jobs in both retail & care work. Doesn't affect my ability to do my job.

[only2garners]

Well done. ever thought you might be Chairman of the board now only2G's if only you'd stood close up to your razor in as morning?

Actually I have been the Chair of a Board.

[thenodrog]

I have tattoos and hold down two jobs in both retail & care work. Doesn't affect my ability to do my job.

Very good ohmi. I'm sure that we are all very interested but please note this is a thread about beards. I'm sure that they'll all want to know about your tattoo here.... http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php/topic/18445-tattoo/page__view__findpost__p__598155

btw just as an aside has your tattoo made you irresistable to the opposite sex, or has it made no discernable difference?

[OhmiBRFC]

I met my now wife through having tattoos

[colin]

About 15 years a go for a period of 10 years I used to grow a beard over Winter and shave it off every Spring. How does that fit in with some preconceptions posted on here?

But back to the original post, and in more seriousness, what's the difference between a school-boy having a beard & a school girl getting a pair of breasts earlier than her class-mates. Just forget the juvenile sniggering for a moment and consider the point.

If we can't accept that some people hit puberty and their hormones kick in before others, then what can we accept? Surely it's all part of growing up and that's what each & every one of us go through.

To tell a school boy to shave off his beard (regardless of the bum-fluff appearance) is the equivalent of telling a school girl who has developed breasts early, to go and have a breast reduction operation if she wants to stay in school.

Yes, I know it's easier to shave a beard, but that's not the point. The point is that what your body does to you is your concern and your business. And no body elses.

It would be intersting to see a photo of the person who took the decision, to see if they are in some way lardy, or bald, or whatever and suggest that they should correct that to be qualified to do their job.

Well, just a thought

[Seggie]

Yep got to agree with O2G. I had a beard of various shapes and sizes from age 18 to 40. Cut it off at 40 in a vain (in every sense) attempt to look younger. Mid life crisis and all that stuff. Started to wear a beard again about 4-5 years ago so have had one for the majority of my adult life with no problem in my social or business life.

With so many young men choosing not shave, wear stubble etc. it hardly seems like an issue. Visible tatoos and piercings in "customer facing" employment are another matter. It's my generation I suspect but I cannot for the life of me understand why people want to wear a tattoo. It may look very cool on a young person with taut, firm skin but in 45-50 years the wrinkles will tell. Some of the tattoos my son's friends wear are astonishing - I'm just relieved he hasn't followed suit.

I do agree with the school thing though, schools set rules and they should be followed by all pupils.

I worked as a retail manager for nearly 10 years before I went to uni and had no issue with beards, stubble, tattoos or piercings, haircuts as long as they were neat, presentable, not freaky. In fact in that time there was only one person who was sent by a youth charity for work experience whom I had issue with their appearence (he had a frisbee in his ear, nothing like the lad in the LT we are talking six times bigger) I had to get him to take his lobes together it was that extreme. I often wore stubble myself (Partly because of Jims reasoning, mostly because the ladies liked it) however in the last couple of months I have got myself a part time retail job and I have to shave before I go in, I do so because the role requires me to do so, I personally see nothing wrong with the lad in the papers stubble but if it wasnt school would he and mother object to the request to shave, I think not. Personally my big issue is people who lack personal hygene to the point they stink and clearly do not wash, these people got told by me if I was their manager.