The role in which facial hair affects how people perceive and view individuals has changes steadily over the course of time. 

Across various cultures, the value of facial hair and the symbolic meaning behind it can be wildly different.

Ancient Greek culture viewed the beard as a sign of virility and a clean shaven face as a feminine trait. The Roman historian Tacitus remarked that some Germanic tribes had customs in which a warrior was forbidden to shave his beard until he had killed an enemy in combat. Ergo, a long beard was a sign of minimal combat experience.

"Obviously heavy facial hair is a sign of masculinity," Ann Larabee, a professor in the English department and editor of the Journal of Popular Culture, said. "It’s a biological sign so I think that any impression of facial hair, as a sign or a symbol of something, is gonna be tied to masculinity depending on what the gender mores and understanding are." 

It goes without saying the association between beards and masculinity has changed. Back in the early 1800s, beards were seen as boorish and a sign of indecency in American society. 

Flash forward a whole century and the prevailing image of success was tied to close or clean shaven men.

"I remember in the 1960s guys were growing beards and mustaches but they also had long hair which kind of troubled the super masculine image of facial hair," Larabee said. "And I think for a long time facial hair had been connected to a rebellious spirit because in the mid 20th century men were clean shaven when going to offices, think of the world in the 'Mad Men' TV show, hardly anyone has any facial hair." 

In a more modernized society, hair took on less of a religious or symbolic association and more of a class based one.

Tyler VanSyckle, a barber at the local Campus Barbers shop, said shaving used to be a class thing, mainly because it needed to be done at least every other day and that could be costly. 

"Not everybody was using a straight razor and honestly the beard might go along with class today because if you want to have a well kept beard you need to usually go somewhere and have someone take care of it," VanSyckle said.

VanSyckle and his co-worker, John Dowen, have been cutting hair at Campus Barbers for about a year and a half and six years respectively. In that time, they've seen plenty of trends come and go.

"We’re kinda going back more towards older kinds of styles and beards were super popular and kinda went with those hairstyles especially," Dowen said.

VanSyckle, on the other hand, feels that the beard dynasty is coming to its end.

"Fads come and go, I think the big bushy beard is on its way out," he said. "It’s been around since a little before I started barber school which was about a year and a half ago and it’s kind of reached its crest I think."