5 Facial Hair Facts Beard Trivia

Think you know everything there is to know about facial hair? Check out these 5 fun follicle facts about beards. They’ll surely grow on you!

During the Middle Ages, if a man even touched another man’s beard it was taken as an offensive gesture and could be grounds for a duel.In 1535, King Henry VIII introduced a tax on the beard, even though he had a beard himself.In 1698, Peter the Great of Russia encouraged men to keep their faces free from hair by taxing bearded men 100 rubles a year (which bought the hairy violator a medallion that served as a license-to-beard.)Pogonophobia is the fear of beards. (Who knew?)On average, a man’s beard will grow 5.5 inches per year.

Heading to the barber? See the gruesome history behind the meaning of barber poles!