“Nowadays there are even men who cut their hair to free themselves of the weight of it and they also shave their cheeks. Clearly such men have become slaves of luxurious living and are completely enervated, men who can endure being seen as womanish creatures, hermaphrodites, something which real men would avoid at all costs. How could hair be a burden to men? Unless, of course, one should say that feathers are a burden to birds also.”
-Musonius Rufus (1st century AD)

Although both men and women have equal amounts of hair potential through their hair receptors or follicles, it is the male hormones that turn fine colourless hair (Vellus follicles) into thicker, longer and more pigmented hair types (Terminal follicles). Hair follicles have a growth cycle of around seven years and a follicle must go through its whole growth cycle to regenerate as one hair type or another, Vellus hair or Terminal hair. It is the level of male hormones (androgens) that determine the number of terminal follicles that produce facial, pubic and scalp hair which makes beards unique to men due to their androgen hormone production and thus make facial hair a secondary sexual characteristics. Continue reading “Lumberjack Passion” →