Men show the progression of popular facial hair in the USA.
This video shows the history of popular facial hair styles in the USA.
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Early 1800s - Clean-Shaven
In the early 1800s, American men typically wore their faces clean-shaven. Barbers were commonly black men, who could become independently wealthy and were privy to secrets shared in the barbershop. As racial tensions in the U.S. grew towards the Civil War, white men became less comfortable with the black barbers’ position of power.
The black barber’s fall from favor coincided with increased popularity for white men to have less groomed looks. Men who shaved their own faces at this time risked tetanus and even death if their razor was not properly sterilized, and so facial hair came into fashion.
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1860s - Sideburns and Chin Curtain
During the Civil War era, heavy sideburns (named after Civil War general Ambrose E. Burnside) and Abraham Lincoln-esque chin curtain beards were popular. However, it wasn’t just these two styles which were in fashion. In general, all facial hair was extremely popular for men in the late 1800s.
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