Pogonophobia is the official name for a fear/phobia of beards. As seems to be the trend, the term is made up of two Greek derivatives which are pogon (beauty) and phobia (fear). It is difficult to pinpoint why there are so many people feared of beards but there do tend to be a lot of stereotypes which are way outdated in the modern era. You would be very surprised to learn how many people do have a fear of beards!
Causes of beard phobia
Firstly, it might also be helpful to define “fear” which is a perceived danger/threat that can cause a change in metabolic/organ function within an individual. This can see them hiding, freezing or fleeing the scene, often referred to as fight or flight. Whether the perception of fear is real, the reaction from a sufferer’s body feels real. Interestingly, a recent research note highlighted quite a few reasons why people have a fear of beards and why Pogonophobia is likely to be more prevalent going forward. You will be surprised at some of these while others are more straightforward.
Historic traumatic event
As tends to be the case, a lot of phobias can be traced back to a historic traumatic event in childhood or adulthood. The mind is a very powerful machine and it can instantly associate beards with that traumatic event hence the emergence of Pogonophobia. So, what type of traumatic events might have occurred to create a phobia of beards?
There are many historic traumatic events which could trigger Pogonophobia which include: –
• Dislike of a bearded family member in years gone by
• Dislike of a teacher who had a beard
• Verbal or physical abuse by someone who had a beard
These three examples are by no means exclusive as there are many different things which may have occurred in earlier life which the brain will carry on.
Appearance of beards
Again, stereotypes seem to play a very strong part with regards to a phobia of beards. Subconsciously you may associate beards with illness, misfortune, homeless people or those who do not look after themselves. The idea that a beard is somehow unhygienic is often very wide of the mark but unfortunately something which many people presume. In reality there is every chance that someone with a beard takes more care of themselves than someone without one. All you need to do is look at the texture and the colour of the beard to see the level of hygiene/care.
No, you are very unlikely to see any type of food in a beard before you ask.
TV stereotypes can create a phobia of beards
For some reason, people with beards have regularly played “villains” on television and beards have therefore somehow become associated with untrustworthy and dangerous individuals. You often see dishevelled and beaded people committing murders in dramas so for many people the brain automatically associates beaded individual with this stereotype. How powerful is TV? Can it really bring on a phobia of beards?
Terrorism
Who would have guessed that one of the reasons why people have a fear of beards, Pogonophobia being the official name, can be traced back to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Apparently, research has shown that some individuals directly associate beards with acts of violence and terrorism as a consequence of the TV coverage of the individuals/religious fanatics who carried out the atrocities. Again, this is very unfair on 99.999% of individuals but as we mentioned above, the brain is a powerful machine and certainly rules the head and the body – fear can prompt fight or flight and the body will react.
East/West divide
The way in which beards are presented in the Eastern world and the Western world is very different indeed. For example, in the Western world the majority of images of Jesus Christ show him clean-shaven without a beard. In the Eastern world it is the exact opposite, even the famous “The Last Supper” painting by Da Vinci depicted Christ with a beard. This is a trend which is very common in general life and interestingly there is a real distinction between East and West when it comes to the portrayal of beards.
Women fear beards most
Pogonophobia is much more prevalent amongst women with a split of 66%/34% between women and men. Whether it is the touch of a beard or the stereotypical image and perhaps hygiene questions, it seems that a lot of women are concerned by beards. Incidentally, it appears to be the age groups under 18 and 18 up to 34 which are most impacted which will probably surprise many people. In recent times there has been a trend for beards among young men but it looks as if they are barking up the wrong tree!
Politicians and their trustworthiness
While many people would have you believe that no politician is trustworthy, the beard factor is one which can be traced back many years in the US. Did you know there has not been a bearded president in the US since the 1800s when Abraham Lincoln was prominent? You will very rarely see any politicians with a beard these days as many prefer the clean-shaven look which research has shown makes somebody look more trustworthy. Is this really true with politicians, are they feared of people with a phobia of beards?
Symptoms of Pogonophobia, phobia of beards
As those who have studied phobias will know; when the brain takes over and prompts a fight or flight question regarding a phobia, there are usually physical/mental symptoms to follow. Some of the more common symptoms associated with a fear of beards include: –
• Hyperventilating/shortness of breath around bearded men
• Excessive sweating and trembling
• The feeling of a full blown anxiety/panic attack
• Feeling nauseated and a high degree of anxiety
• Irregular heartbeat/palpitations often associated with hyperventilating
This is by no means an exclusive list of symptoms for a fear of beards but it does give you an idea what to look out for.
Beating a fear of beards!
As with any phobia, there are certain things you can do to reduce the anxiety felt when around bearded people. Some doctors will provide medication although this is not recommended as a long-term solution. Others will advise therapy/psychotherapy which can include things such as cognitive behavioural therapy that allows you to focus on your phobia fears and why this phobia occurs. Many people prefer facing up to their issues to help them beat their phobias but for others it could make a difficult situation even worse.
Therefore, it is very important to take professional advice as soon as possible as and when you are ready to address your fear of beards. We wish you well in the future…….
