Have you ever noticed that many Korean men don’t have beards?
Unlike Western men who often embrace facial hair, most Koreans naturally have little to no beard growth. But what’s the reason behind this?
Is it genetics, skincare routines, or something else entirely? In this article, we’ll dive into the five key reasons why Korean men don’t have beards and explore whether cultural preferences or scientific factors play a bigger role.
Why Koreans Don’t Have Beard
Can Korean men even grow facial hair?
After that intro, I bet you wondered whether the Korean men’s ability to grow facial hair is questionable. In all honesty, they can grow beards. They do have facial hair on their faces like every other man in the world, albeit quite sparse.
How much do Korean genetics and history play a role in growing facial hair?
I started to think that their past had a little bit to do with this. I have seen pictures of Korean emperors and I was quite confused. Must’ve been an evolutionary thing I thought.
The way the beard is viewed amongst Korean men changed over centuries. Generally noticed, Asian men have always had lighter beards than men from Western countries. The amount of testosterone and DHT produced in Asian men is much lower than in men from the west.
We could attribute evolution to that. During the migratory period, people’s bodies began to adapt to where they lived. People who lived in colder regions developed hair over the body to deal with the cold, and people in regions with a more moderate climate, Korea for instance, did not.
The change can be seen over three periods. The Joseon Era in the 14th century, Gwangmu Era from 1897 to the 1900s and the period after that. In the deep Jaeson era, it was an offensive thing to harm any part of the body, even hair. SO removing body hair or any hair on the body was out of question. That’s why in the photos of Korean history, you can see that Korean men had beards.
With the advent of the Gwangmu Era, the modernization of Korea began. People started seeing the benefits of a Westernized culture and that took to the beards as well. A westernized military-style look was adopted. Suddenly everyone was cleanly shaven.
After the colonisation in the 1900s, even though this shit to modernization happened, a large section of the older population preferred to keep a moustache as favoured by Emperor Meiji. It is still okay for older men in Korea to keep a moustache.
In fact, in some deep parts of Korea, it is found almost disrespectful to not have a moustache when the elder of the family has one. Respect for the elders is an understandably important thing in Korean culture. So having a beard can be a thing of rebellion and not having a beard can be called shamelessness.
Yeah, it’s quite the controversy.
Fear of judgement from other Koreans for growing a beard
Now, being cleanly shaven in Korea is associated with being young, successful, smart and intelligent. This whole notion is popularized by the media. If You’d look at any popular K-drama. You’d see that just before the protagonist is about to hit rock bottom in the show, they stop grooming themselves and have a face that is unkept with a sparse beard.
Regardless of whether the men in real life like to keep a beard, if they do keep one, they are going to be perceived as someone who has ‘lost his way’, and can’t keep off alcohol and drugs. You are thoroughly judged.
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Women’s “opinions” on Korean men with beard
People asking for opinions on others’ bodies has never been something I have been okay with. I’m betraying my integrity by reporting this to you, but of course, women seemed to have an opinion on men and their bearded-ness.
It’s a very twisted way of seeing this, but maybe this is finally a country where there is undesirability of hair on both men and women, not just the latter. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
I spoke about the effect of media and pop culture. The clean-shaven faces of the K-pop stars are being used as boyfriend ideals.
Many Korean women, girls have varied thoughts about how facial hair looks on Korean men. One of them seems to think it seems as if having facial hair means he doesn’t try hard enough and doesn’t care about his appearance. It says something negative about the character.
Another woman seemed to hold this belief but kept an exception. Foreign men are excused. They look stylish and well-groomed.
In contrast to that, some women seemed to think that it makes a man look strong where one of the women didn’t seem to care. It doesn’t matter whether or not a man had a beard.
Meeting Beauty standards for men in Korea
To be honest, I wasn’t surprised to find out why appearance is so important to Koreans. We all know what the Korean beauty standards are. Poreless, smooth, even-toned skin with not a blemish. It’s almost unnatural. Men are held to the same standards (for once).
Many Korean men go through laser procedures to slow down and stop altogether the growth of their facial hair. Shaving every day started to seem a bit too cumbersome.
On a side note, North Korean government propaganda began a television program back in 2004. It was called “Let’s trim our hair in accordance with the socialist lifestyle”. This program dictated how the men should be dressing and grooming. This program also claimed that the length of the human hair affected human intelligence. The longer the hair is, the more nutrients it pulls to grow and the less you have for the rest of your body.
Um, okay. We’ll let that slide.
Beards are now “dirty sexy” in Korean Movies
“Dirty sexy” is really becoming a trend in some Korean movies. The association of dirty, despite something being sexy just, proves how hell-bent the Koreans are and unaccepting of facial hair on men.
Besides, some women do find beards appealing, although not on Korean men. But Korean stars are changing that. Additionally, the clerks at Louis Vuitton in Gangnam, the richest part of Korea, grow a beard. Weird, right? Aren’t they supposed to clean-shaven? When they were asked why they did that, they responded with a coy, ‘to give the taste of the French culture’.
Beards — A financial signifier for Korean men
As we have already seen, it is common in Korea to judge people based on how much facial hair they have. Anything except none would mean an assumption that a person isn’t well to do or not sophisticated.
That’s like saying that all it takes is for you to shave to pull off easily blending in with the crowd at a coveted club in Korea. Unbelievable!
At some jobs and workplaces, male employees absolutely have to shave everyday. Even a small stubble isn’t allowed.
It’s simple, ladies and gentlemen. Why don’t Koreans have a beard? It’s because they shave it. They have to.
BTS’ take on growing facial hair
In a television broadcast, the members from the BTS ARMY revealed why their facial hair and beards are never viable. J-hope, Suga, and V actually spoke about how they have to undergo rigorous treatments to keep their beard growth under control.
V usually likes a little bit of stubble but keeps a clean shaven look. J-Hope kept a little facial hair when he started off with BTS, but his growth hasn’t been fast, so the look seemed unkempt. There have been times he has forgotten to shave so he wore a mask to cover it up in interviews.
Suga also liked his moustache, he had a thick one, but when he began apprenticing with BTS, he fearfully took it off because he was new. Nobody has been forced to remove their facial hair from the group.
FAQs about Koreans and Facial Hair
Do Korean men remove their body hair?
Korea is very popular for its laser hair removal treatments. Considering the beauty standards that exist in Korea, body hair is considered barbaric. It is extremely normal for men to not have body hair in Korea.
Is it illegal to grow beard in South Korea?
No rules exist in the present day, but back in the 1970s, Park Cung Hee, the then president of South Korea came up with a ridiculous rule about hair. There was no specific length, but if somebody’s hair was not trimmed to a short length, they were taken to the police station and given a haircut against their will.
Are beards common in Korea?
Only about 30% of Koreans have a beard. Since there are no laws, in specific, you’re allowed to maintain a beard. Of course, being indifferent to judgement is important.
Why do Korean actors don’t have a beard?
It’s not just actors but most Korean men, in general, don’t have beards. This doesn’t imply that Korean men are incapable of growing beards but they just simply shave their facial hair due to their cultural norms. Koreans are strict with their etiquette and it’s believed in Korea that men who have beards don’t take proper care of themselves.
In addition, women in Korea aren’t very much attracted to men who don’t have clean-shaven faces hence the men don’t grow their facial hair.
Why does BTS don’t have a beard?
BTS is one of the most popular K-Pop music bands with a massive following worldwide. Since the BTS members are Koreans they aren’t keen on growing their facial hair. This is mainly because facial hair isn’t given much importance in Korea and men with beards are usually deemed as unsuccessful. In fact, the BTS members also wanted to look more young and attractive to their followers and some of them underwent treatments to control their facial hair growth.
Why Koreans don’t grow a beard?
There are a few reasons why Korean men don’t grow a beard. Firstly, it’s something to do with genetics. Asians have the tendency to age slower and look younger to their age compared to Westerners due to testosterone levels. In addition, Korean beauty standards promote youthful looks which is why most Korean men prefer to be clean-shaven because it makes them look younger.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the question of why many Koreans don’t have beards is a multifaceted one, rooted in a combination of genetic, cultural, and historical factors. While genetics play a role in determining beard growth patterns, cultural ideals of grooming and appearance have also shaped the preferences for clean-shaven faces in Korean society.
Historically, ancient Korean dynasties, influenced by Confucian ideals, favored well-groomed and clean-shaven appearances. This cultural influence has persisted to some extent, impacting modern beauty standards. Additionally, the prevalence of skincare and grooming routines in Korean culture often emphasizes smooth, youthful skin, which aligns with the preference for a clean-shaven look.
Furthermore, the practical aspect of beard growth, such as the potential for sparse or patchy growth, can influence individuals’ choices to maintain a clean-shaven appearance. These factors, combined with the availability of grooming products tailored to this preference, contribute to the widespread trend of clean-shaven faces among Koreans.
It’s essential to recognize that personal grooming choices are highly individual, and many Koreans do have facial hair and choose to maintain beards or mustaches. In recent years, there has been a growing acceptance of diverse grooming styles in Korean society, reflecting changing beauty ideals and global influences.
Ultimately, the choice to have or not have a beard is a personal one influenced by a complex interplay of genetics, culture, societal norms, and personal preferences. While the clean-shaven look remains popular in Korean culture, it’s essential to celebrate and respect individual choices when it comes to grooming and appearance.
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