Shave to love

Are beards bad?

Many women I've discussed this with say they'd make their man shave it off if they grew one. But reading the stories about Gary Glitter this lunchtime and spotting his ridiculous new facial attachment made me think - are beards bad for business? As a tech PR person, should you advise your clients to be clean-shaven because, well, not many people really actually like beards?

Me being daft perhaps. And there are plenty of very successful UK businessmen who have beards (I can think of two in particular).

But I scanned this week's Computing and not a single person pictured in it - stories and ads - is bearded. I Googled for information on how many UK males sport beards. Reports were inconclusive. Yet apparently questions have already been raised about whether techies and scientists in labs should have them. And many people I've discussed beards with reckon that generally speaking they struggle to see beyond the beard when talking to someone who has one.

So if your spokesperson doesn't shave, maybe it's time to buy them a Gillette.

Wikipedia cites beards as potentially indicative of wisdom, or even virility. I am not convinced. Of course beards have huge religious significance, but if your religion isn't pro-beard, or you aren't religious, why do it?

Of course, it's a purely personal choice. But if we have to advise clients on what to wear for interviews, shouldn't we be considering these broader issues?