No Mo’ razor [Fergus Falls Daily Journal, Minn.]

Nov. 04--In an earlier time, wars were won when soldiers grabbed their opponents' beards so that they could be wrestled to the ground and stabbed.

But today, men grow facial hair -- beards, mustaches and sideburns -- for very different reasons. Some rely on the facial hair to make them look older. Others use it to keep them warm. Others make a statement or indicate a religious affiliation.

Still others grow a beard to bring awareness to a cause, such as the global "Movember" movement which brings men's health issues to the forefront.

Facial hair styles may define a man's personality depending on his choice to wear stubble -- or a 5 o'clock shadow -- or to grow whiskers into a mustache, goatee, French cut, mutton chops, Van Dyke, handlebar, full beard, Fu Manchu, goat patch, German goatee, side whiskers or toothbrush mustache.

In this part of the country, facial hair is fairly common and tends to be somewhat nondescript, said barber Ryan Oliver, owner of Uptown Barber Shop in downtown Fergus Falls.

"We have a pretty conservative look around here. There aren't many 'Wolverine' sideburns," he said, in reference to a X-Men movie character. "Younger people like the thin line from their sideburn and along the jaw."

Oliver has practiced barbering for three years now at the shop across from the Viking Cafe on Lincoln Avenue. He is the third owner of the shop, where he did his apprenticeship under Lloyd Schuur, a master barber, who owned the business for 18 years. Prior to Schuur, Art Hoffman barbered there beginning sometime in the 1950s.

Oliver originally worked in plumbing and heating but a question from his boss got him rethinking his career choice.

"He asked if I had ever thought of being a barber," Oliver said. "I said no at the time, but I had a bad knee that was getting worse with time. Then my boss retired and the housing market crashed and I was laid off."

That question came back to him and he pursued a year of training at Moler Barber College in Fargo where he learned, among other things, the 14 facial bones along with the cranial bones and layers of skin. He was also required to serve a year under a master barber.

Then three years ago, Schuur asked Oliver if he was ready to buy the shop. Oliver hasn't regretted his decision.

"I love being a barber," he said.

While the average person may think barbering is just about cutting hair, knowing the skin layers is important, Oliver said because of cancer concerns.

"Most guys don't listen to what their wives say until a barber says something," he said. "Most farmers didn't use sunblock, so it's important to know what to look for in skin cancer."

Oliver is also trained in rest facials, massage and straight-razor shaving.

He gets asked frequently about straight-razor shaving, mostly by the older generation, but on occasion by younger guys who have never experienced it.

The stereotypical barbershop of "The Andy Griffith Show" era often depicted men waiting their turn in the chair while chatting about hometown life. Oliver said the barber shop of today isn't much different, though guys don't gossip, they shoot the s -- , or "talk smart."

As a barber, he is also bound by a code of ethics that ensures confidentiality between a barber and his client.

"What is said in the barbershop, stays in the barbershop," he said.

Although many men may not admit to enjoying sitting in a barber's chair, getting a facial and shave is much like a day at the spa enjoyed by many women, he said.

"It is so relaxing to sit for a couple of hours with hot towels on your face," he said. "Kicking back and having someone you trust shave you is a good feeling."

As the temperatures start to drop, many guys choose to grow a beard for the warmth it offers. Hunters in particular will often sport a beard as deer hunting approaches.

Some men are also participating in Movember, an official global charity in which men are encouraged to grow a mustache to raise awareness and money for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health challenges.

Since its beginnings in 2003 in Melbourne, Australia, Movember has inspired more than three million "Mo Bros" to grow a mustache.

Each Mo Bro must start the month clean-shaven, register at (M)november.com and grow and groom his "mo." There must be no joining of the mustache with sideburns, no connecting of handlebars to the chin and each participant must be a gentleman.

Throughout the month, those men who grow a mustache are asked to contact family and friends requesting donations.

Programs served and directed by the Movember Foundation are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, staying mentally healthy, living with and beyond mental illness and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men's health, according to the Movember website.

But just because one is male doesn't mean he can grow facial hair. Pogonotrophy, or the growing of facial hair, has traditionally been associated with wisdom and virility, according to Wikipedia. The appearance of facial hair typically starts in late puberty and is usually fully developed by the time a man is in his early 20s.

Rian Bosse, 24, has long wished to grow a beard, but as his friends began growing beards and shaving, he realized it just wasn't going to happen for him. He thinks guys grow beards or mustaches for three reasons -- to fit in with your age group, looking your age and sex appeal. Bosse, a student and sports stringer at The Daily Journal, said a beard would help him look older.

"When you have a baby face, you want to look older," he said, adding, "People who can (grow a beard) they don't understand why it's such a big deal, but you don't know what you've got unless you can't. And girls dig beards, no matter what they say."

There is really nothing to do when facial hair doesn't grow, though a news piece aired in September on KDAF-TV in Kansas City reported that hair transplants were the "sixth most popular cosmetic procedure for men in the U.S." That number represents a 3-percent increase over 2011, which includes beard transplants.

However, the $1,000 to $4,000 procedure likely isn't covered under insurance because it is cosmetic, which may make it too costly for many men.

Through the generations, Bosse's family has had difficulty growing beards, he said, and that should have been his clue he could have trouble, too. His father and both grandfathers had patchy facial hair. Although he admits he doesn't care about his inability to grow a beard anymore, he sure wanted one in college.

"All the idols that guys have in the sports world and music world, all have beards -- Brad Pitt and the guys from Les Miserables, Jesus all had beards -- so it's something you want," he said. "It's a coming of age thing. And I think I'd look cool with a beard."

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