h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It's such a drag!

PP

Traveller in Time with a fullgrown beard
"Haw can you say so ?

I used to shave in the car driving to my work. When I had a job I only had to use the bicycle I just reduced the frequency to once a month. Still satisfies me "

Ah, but if it's a drag then you're clearly not using the new 37 bladed Wolfkinson-Sabre 2008 with special new slidy-smooth technology.

*scratches his beard absent mindedly*


And more seriously.
Well the Romans considered those who didn't shave uncouth and barbarian-like (except presumably those ancient greeks they were so fond of). Clearly from heiroglyphs, the even earlier ancient Egyptians were at it and I think from Stone Age archaeology there have been found (at least what's thought to be) shaving equipment.
I think from very early on in human culture there's been an urge to become hairless.

Traveller in Time just waiting
"Chances are I will loose most of the hair before I am really

So some races are less 'barbaric' then others "

So I'm a barberian then. Cohen the Barber.

PP

Only if you happen to bump into a Roman of the ancient variety.
(and I don't mean Benedict XVI )

Traveller in Time now really confused
"And 'Researcher 194505' is bold ? "

Well if you just let your beard grow it will be dipping into your soup eventually.

So don't eat soup - simple

The Ancient Egyptian priests would shave their whole bodies as part of their purification rituals. Ancient Egyptian children had their heads partially shaved, leaving just one patch of hair - the 'sidelock of youth'. I don't know of any instances of shaving further back than that.

Beards and moustaches have gone in and out of fashion countless times over the centuries. These days it seems to be pretty much 'do as you like'. I like well-trimmed beards, I also like clean-shaven. 'Designer stubble' just looks messy.

I prefer just trimming down to stubbles myself.

I think facial hair in a society probably says a lot about it´s attitudes. A society that promotes adult values such as responsibility will probably have a lot of facial hair. Whereas our carefree, peter pan style one today will have less of it.

I dont know the details but I believe there is evidence of flint blades being used to trim body hair, possibly facial growth was trimmed shorter or off in hot summers purely for comfort to stop it being so itchy but was probably kept on for the majority of the year to keep the face warm.

Chances are that feminine shaving came about much much later. Probably closer to the ages of the fashion industry and women being photographed more in less clothing and finding ways to enhance the image?

In fact, if you read a bit of Jilly Cooper, the descriptions of luxuriant genital hair are quite clear... I would say there's been quite a large change in women's hair habits in the last three or four generations.

men? well... Trimming, shaping and oiling of hair, especially facial is probably pretty ancient, narcisists that they are

Xanatic, you're making clean-shavenness seem so negative.

You could also say that shaving promotes values of youth, vigour and hygene. And discipline, since anyone can let a beard grow, but it takes effort to make sure it doesn't. So there's a responsibility of a sort, even if it's the responsibility of making sure you look as infantile as possible.

Having a beard can also require discipline. My husband has a beard and trims it regularly. He also shaves his cheeks and neck, and keeps his moustache neatly trimmed. In some ways, keeping a beard neat is more of a job than just shaving the lot off.

People probably got the urge to shave because they thought that facial hair felt horrible.

I've only ever tried growing any while on overseas work-trips, to avoid peer derision. Under-the-chin beards felt so disgusting that they were quickly rejected forever. Sideburns don't feel so bad, but they look ridiculous.

A moustache remains a maybe. Trouble is, I don't seem to grow hair on the philtrum, so there's been a gap in the middle of each of my attempts.

Shaving is not so bad anyway. It's a chance to lose yourself for a while, without the vanity being too obvious. And it leaves you feeling kind of nice.