The Ancient Egyptians 3100 BC – 332 BC Although ancient Egyptian men could just have grown genuine beards, they opted instead for fake hair out of worry for hygiene. They believed thick mustaches, beards, and eyebrows were indications of a lack of cleanliness.
Fact 2: Nobody would grow a moustache or beard in Ancient Egypt because facial hair was considered unhygienic and unfashionable !
For years, beards were frowned upon as symbolic of the Islamist movements that Mubarak considered a threat to his reign. Government employees, ranging from police officers to EgyptAir pilots, were forbidden from growing a beard. But now, civil servants across the country are are calling for the ban to be lifted.
Hairlessness was associated with cleanliness and youthfulness, and many Egyptians believed that removing body hair was a way to purify the soul. Additionally, priests and those engaged in religious ceremonies were often required to be completely hairless as a symbol of their purity and devotion.
Ancient Egyptian women strived to be thin with pert breasts, while men with broad shoulders tapering down to flat stomachs were considered handsome.
Spain tops the list with 44.50% of bald men, followed by Italy, France, the United States, and Germany. The research findings reveal that hair loss is a global concern, with percentages exceeding 30% of bald men in countries across the five continents.
The beard took the form of a long braided artificial goatee, straight or curved at the tip, worn on the chin and attached to the ears by a long golden thread. The Pharaoh Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty), as holder of supreme power, didn't hesitate to wear this typically masculine attribute.
Ancient Rome
Roman men took a liking to shaving with a passion, and Julius Caesar is reported to have had his beard hair plucked out with tweezers (which still sounds like a step forward from rubbing a pumice stone all over your face).
We have good historical evidence that Jesus had facial hair as a devout Jew in the first century AD. But even if we didn't possess this historical data, Isa 50:6 clearly teaches that Jesus had a beard, objections notwithstanding.
There is no specific ethnicity that can't grow facial hair, but East Asian individuals, such as Japanese and Chinese, tend to have less facial hair and slower growth rates compared to other ethnicities. Let's take a closer look at the fascinating differences across various ethnic groups.
You can kiss the Sphinx but not your partner
Romantic travelers can display affection towards their partners, but doing so in public is essentially prohibited in Egypt by the “Public Morality” law, and is not recommended.
Although Article 2 of the Egyptian Constitution declares that the principal source of legislation is Islamic Jurisprudence (Sharia), and this Article was maintained in the 2011 (post-revolution) Constitutional Declaration, no laws were identified that prohibit tattoos.
We think the best explanation of this is given by Warwick Bray (member of our Panel of Experts) in his introductory classic Everyday Life of the Aztecs, so we're going to quote him directly... Hair on the face was considered unpleasant, but nature collaborated with art by endowing the men with only meagre beards.
During the days of the Roman Kingdom and Early Republic, it is most likely Roman men wore their hair long with beards, in the style of Greeks. With the introduction of barbers called tonsors in about 300 BC it became customary to wear hair short.
In summary, the rarity of beards in Japan stems from a combination of cultural, social, and genetic factors. While beards may signify masculinity or style in other cultures, in Japan they are often associated with negative stereotypes and deemed unprofessional.
“The Romans didn't remove body hair to look beautiful, they did it for cultural and religious reasons – men removed it as a sign of purity,” said Viren Swami, a professor of social psychology and an expert in body image at Anglia Ruskin University.
But such cases were rare and exceptional. On the other hand, it's a commonly known fact that Native Mexicans - Mexica, Maya, Mixtec, Tarahumara, Tarascan... - generally disliked facial hair and were at pains to get rid of it, either by pulling out unwanted hairs with the fingernails or by using pincers.
First, in Israelite culture, the beard served as a sign of mature masculinity. All Israelite men grew beards; God commanded it: “You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard” (Leviticus 19:27).
Some Egyptians removed their natural hair altogether. Others kept their hair cropped and wore wigs over it. Wigs guarded wearers' natural hair from lice. Priests in particular kept their heads shaved, as lice would have interfered with their ritual purity.
In Viking society, beards were more than just a fashion statement. They symbolized the transition from boy to man and were a sign of wisdom and experience. Warriors with long, well-groomed beards were often seen as particularly brave and honorable.
Around 2780 BCE, King Djoser's architect, Imhotep, built the first pyramid by placing six mastabas, each smaller than the one beneath, in a stack to form a pyramid rising in steps. This Step Pyramid stands on the west bank of the Nile River at Sakkara near Memphis.
Japan, Spain and Sweden are widely known for having people with healthy hair, but there are also other countries like India, France and Russia that are also known for helping people keep their hair natural and not messing with any artificial coloring.
You're less likely to experience male pattern baldness if you're of Chinese or Japanese descent. Male pattern baldness doesn't typically affect Native American, First Nations and Alaska Native peoples. You're more likely to have male pattern baldness if you have a family history of it.