Pictures: A brief history of beards
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Australian scientists have found that as more men decide to grow a beard, a bearded face gets less attractive. So how have people worn beards over time and why are they more popular in some parts of the world that others? David Beckham's hair styles have often been trend setters, with people wanting to copy the celeb in the way he looks - like his beard...
Whether an ancient Egyptian king had beard or not, they were often portrayed as having one when they were buried. Tutankhamun's mask has a long fake beard as it was a sign of status and was thought to bring the king closer to the Egyptian gods.
Over the centuries beards have moved in and out of fashion. Way back in the early 1500's having a beard was a popular especially amongst the wealthy and powerful. Figureheads at the time included England's King Henry VIII (above) and France's King Francis I.
Some of the greatest men in history have had beards. Famous scientist and artist Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) had a huge beard. If you are scared of beards then there's a word for that - pogonophobia. Hopefully no one working with him suffered from that!
Styles of beards have changed over time. Some famous people are remembered for the style of their beards as well as their achievements, like famous author Charles Dickens pictured here. He had a long beard that only covered part of his face.
Often politicians have grown a beard or shaved off their beard to improve what the public think of them. In the 1860's iconic American president Abraham Lincoln had a beard.
Having of a beard can also be a religious observance for men of many different faiths, such as some Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and Christians. Beards are quite common in many countries in the Middle East.
In recent times - beards have moved back into fashion. Even pop stars like Justin Timberlake have lost their clean-cut image with a bit of facial hair. But how long will they remain cool?