Many people tend to think that women are the only ones who allow popular culture to influence how they look. Oh contraire my dear; look close enough and you’ll notice that men are just as susceptible to the whims and fancies of the latest styles. Sure women are more obvious with it since hair, make-up and clothes are particularly noticed, but men, to a very large extent, reflect the trends of the day.

During the course of history and throughout different cultures, facial hair has been regarded various ways. For instance, men with facial hair, particularly beards, were seen as men of wisdom or sexual potency or high status, and in contrast, facial hair has also been seen as a lack of cleanliness and refinement, or an eccentric personality.

Beards were among the first facial hairstyles to surface. Many philosophers, Kings and noble men wore them. Soon beards were so popular throughout western Europe that the vast peasantry adopted the look which was so valued that men swore by their beard. When the bearded look became far too common placed, Kings and aristocrates took to the ‘clean-shaven’ look, which made handsome refinement a thing to be admired since many a man could no longer hide behind his beard, so to speak, but rather his features were completely exposed, thus emerged the ‘Gentleman’s Era’. And when men who were considered less handsome felt the need to maintain his refined quality without seeming brutish, thin moustaches and goatees started to surface.

Today the trend is no different; when trendsetters don styles, we all follow. Only today, unlike in times past, we no longer copy the Kings and politicians, but rather we follow the pop-icons of the day. For men, culture plays a significant part in shaping their identity, reinforcing their manhood and attracting the attention of the opposite sex. It is really no wonder why men tend to adopt not only the hairstyles, but also the facial hairstyles of well-liked actors, popular musicians and magazine models.

Today it is not so much a matter of what is in style as it is a matter of what style will look good on a man to make him the next GQ man of the year, and because of this facial hairstyles range from the clean shaven look, to the rugged ruffled look, to a full face beard. Goatees, patch spots and even stubble have also become very popular in todays culture of men’s facial hairstyle. However, the moustache has lost some of its popularity among pop-culture icons, that is unless you’re acting as a cowboy in Broke Back Mountain, or you are Burt Reynolds.

Moustaches and beards have seen an increase in popularity in the last several years. While you won’t see a lot of goatees these days, you will see a great number of soul spots, small patches of hair in the center of the chin. Oh, and the ZZ Top beard is definitely out – though you have to wonder why it was ever “in” in the first place.

Men’s facial hair styles come in a wide variety. Choosing the best facial hair style is actually more than just letting the hair on your upper lip grow out. And there are several things to consider before deciding on a facial hair style

These things are important because, for example, you can grow a moustache to help balance a large, round face. You can disguise a soft jawline with a beard. You can also round out a square face or pointy chin with a beard. Facial hair is a great way to camouflage a wide variety of flaws, including acne scars. To help you decide what facial hair style is best for you, consult your hair stylist or barber. They’re great resources and can be a big help.

Having facial hair does take time and effort. First you have to grow out the hair and endure the scruffy look for a while. Then you’ll have to shape and maintain your facial hair style with regular trimming. How often you have to trim depends on how fast your hair grows. Hair tends to grow a little faster in the winter, so be prepared to do your trimming more often. You’ll want to invest in a good, high-quality trimmer for your moustache, beard, goatee or soul spot. You can also use a comb and scissors, but trimmers are generally a little faster.

Be prepared for your facial hair to grow in different directions. This means, especially if you have a beard, that you will most likely need to use a combination of trimmer and scissors techniques for facial hair maintenance. You may want to plan for quick trims with the trimmers during the week, with a longer session on a weekend morning for full trimming.

If you find you have bare patches in your moustache or beard, you can blend the hair using the trimmers blending attachment. You can also use colored eyebrow pencils that match the color of your facial hair to fill in any blank spots. Just be sure to use a waterproof pencil so that it doesn’t run if you get sweaty during a work out. You can find eyebrow or facial hair colored pencils at beauty supply stores or online hair supply websites.