Face The Future

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We thought you would appreciate this Editorial (no less!) from one of the UK's leading quality national newspapers. It followed an article on laser treatment designed to permanently remove mens facial hair (we can hear your shouts of indignation from here!) The article reassuringly finished with the fact that the treatment costs £1,600 (approx $2,600), enough to buy at least 30 years' worth of razor blades - and plenty of time to repent and return to the path of hirsute happiness!

The Independent 3rd April 1998.

Face The Future

A small pioneer force of men are using laser technology to abolish shaving for ever. Is the end of the beard nigh? History suggests otherwise.

Some of the proudest episodes of our island story have been accompanied by facial fecundity - think of the Elizabethans (smart, pointy) and the Victorians (lush, extensive). But the 20th Century has seen an onslaught of anti-beard technology (the safety and electric razors). But the decline of facial hair has been halting, and never complete. By the First World War the "full set" had given way to the moustache (Kitchener and Haig). The 1920s saw the beard confined to a few intellectuals (the likes of D. H. Lawrence). The Second World War saw a further decline, with the exception of the RAF's heroic handlebars. The post-war period saw the credibility of the moustache undermined when it was adopted by the "spiv". The 1950s were a low bristle mark until the Angry Young Men adopted neat beards to go with their duffle coats and pipes.

By the time the musical Hair! appeared in 1968 face fuzz had entered an avant-garde phase that saw the triumph of neo-Gothic sideburns (Noddy Holder and Dr. Rhodes Boyson) and luxuriant moustaches (Jason King or Private Eye's Dave Spart). The 1980s saw things trimmed back (though not for gays) but recent years have seen a surge in popularity of the goatee. Beards are facial fashion. Like all fashion they live in cycles. One day these laser-trimmed guinea-pigs may regret losing their follicles.

Letter to The Independent, 4th April 1998.

Your leading article (3 April) is quite right to argue that laser technology will not get rid of people's desire to have beards. You are quite wrong to suggest that this is simply a matter of fashion. There is a fierce battle of class and politics going in this country between clean-shaven revisionists such as Tony Blair and Peter Mandelson, who are continuing their contest as to who can appear the most clean-shaven and those with beards, such as Frank Dobson and Jeremy Corbyn, who stand by the hirsute socialism of Keir Hardie, Marx and Engels.

Keith Flett

General Secretary, Beard Liberation Front, London N17

If you're not familiar with British politics (and there's no reason why you should be), Blair is the Prime Minster, Mandleson, Dobson and Corbyn are members of his political party. We like the look of Frank Dobson, he's a cute cuddly grey bear, we also think Alistair Darling (another member of the Government) has potential!

We know nothing about the Beard Liberation Front, but we don't think it's a gay organisation.