Men and Beards: How To Project A Winning Image Without A Beard
Why do men wear beards? What is the best way to look your best without a beard that sometimes can be limiting and perhaps even threatening in today’s world because of certain cultural associations? What is the best way for an executive man to look like a shining star and thrive in not only his business and career, but life overall? How can the men I’m speaking to project a winning image without a beard and for the ladies, what can you do to help your man look his best?
In 1860, Abraham Lincoln grew a beard following advice from an 11-year-old New York girl who wrote, “You would look a great deal better, for your face is so thin.”
Alexander the Great (July 356 - June 323 BC) banned his soldiers from wearing beards, in order to ensure the enemy would not use it as a “handle” to hold a soldier down in combat.
In the late 17th century, Peter the Great, Tsar of Russia, ordered men to shave in order to bring Russian fashion for men closer to that of modern European men’s fashion and cultural acceptances.
There is no shortage of opinion on beards today. While one may connect them to career growth and put forth that “Ladies hate them, guys fear them.” Another may find that while women are typically more attracted to a clean-shaven face, other men see beard as projecting masculinity and strength and put forth that a beard makes them look older and commands more respect.
There is no right or wrong, but the fact is that the real reason men wear beards is to combat a deficient chin and jawline in an attempt to look better. A well-defined chin and strong jaw is one of the best ways to project a winning image for all the men out there wanting to improve their appearance and look their best! For any executive business man that wants to shine and to thrive in their career and within their personal life, it is imperative to look his best in particular, give that we live in the world of communications today and everything is about image and perception. Therefore, why not promote the best possible winning image? It is imperative to do so. Indeed, a perfectly measured, well defined chin and jaw is associated with success and masculinity and can help you achieve your goals of wanting to look your best and be your best!
The facial skeleton is the fundamental determinant of facial appearance. The shape of men and women’s skulls have differences (referred to as sexual dimorphism).There are 3 basic skeletal traits that distinguish men’s and women’s facial skeleton’s and hence, facial appearance. As demonstrated by the specimens shown below this sexual dimorphism includes:
OVERALL SIZE Men have larger skulls
FOREHEAD SHAPE The forehead of women tend to be more vertical, while men have foreheads that have a bulge directly over the brow bone (due to larger underlying frontal sinuses) and then a slope towards the top of the head.
LOWER JAW men have proportionately larger lower jaws than women. They are wider from angle to angle, they are longer, and their chins project more.
the Atkinson Skull Collection, University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, Webster Street, San Francisco, California)
This can explain why some beards are worn. How else can one explain the beard worn by many professional baseball or football players or leading executives trying to secure that next multimillion or billion dollar deal? Most men wear beards to camouflage a small chin and lower jaw or to make an average size chin and lower jaw more robust - and again, as I have already mentioned, more masculine. Some communication experts say that a beard communicates that one is hiding something and yes, that “something” can be as simple as a man wanting to hide a chin he doesn’t feel confident about. There are some great options to solve this challenge and improve one’s overall self-confidence and appearance.
Rather than hide or camouflage a small chin and jaw, today’s technology provides materials to increase the size of these features with biomaterials also known as facial implants. These implants are biocompatible which means that the body accepts them without their causing inflammatory reactions. These implants when placed by the plastic surgeon can create a strong chin and jawline. The newest technology involves the use of computerized tomographic (CT) scans of the patient to plan and manufacture implants made specifically for a patient.
The image below shows a 3 dimensional CT scan of a patient with a deficient chin and mandible .Overlying it is the design of implants which will increase the width of the posterior jaw while increasing the projection of the chin while giving it a more masculine square shape.
As noted by recent statistics of ASPS, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of chin implant procedures performed in the past years. 1 suspect that many men have gladly undergone this procedure in trade for the inconvenience and sometimes stigma of their goatee or beard.
A less well known procedure, but one gaining in popularity is the augmentation of the posterior mandible. These implants increase the width of the lower face and improve the definition of the mandibular angles. They can be used alone for those with adequate chin size or together with chin implants in men whose entire lower jaw is small.
Below (on the left) is an example of a patient who was wearing a goatee for camouflage thinking it was his chin that was the problem. Accenting his chin with a goatee actually emphasized the relative deficiency in his posterior mandible. Augmenting his posterior mandible strengthened his lower jaw and put his entire face in a stronger , more masculine balance.
The impact of the lower jaw on male appearance is emphasized by Prince Harry below.
