Facial Hair Fashions

**Sullyville** · 09-12-06, 01:37 PM

I read a lot of police memoirs and crime books and have noticed that overwhelmingly, the facial hair configuration of choice for male law enforcement officers is the thick moustache.

My question is in three parts:

(a) Why has this been the tradition?
(b) Do you feel that in recent years this tendency has been on the rise or decline?
(c) If there is a change, what is the new look for the fashionable LEO of today?

Thanks.

**ghost98** · 09-12-06, 01:59 PM

Clean Shaven. No moustache or beard, unless ur an undercover doing low level work. And as im on the topic, "ALL" body hair should be neatly trimmed and groomed..

**TheOldRhino** · 09-12-06, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by Sullyville

(a) Why has this been the tradition?

I can't answer that. But I can tell you this:
Some of the best advice when I started this job was an old vet told me "You only need two things to be a good cop: Grow a mustache, and drink coffee any time of the day." I can't explain it in words. But he was right. That's something you only learn after putting in years on the street.

Originally Posted by Sullyville

(b) Do you feel that in recent years this tendency has been on the rise or decline?

Decline. I think that's mainly because baby-faced cops like me have a hard time growing a mustache. Must be the chicken hormones. If I try to grow one, it looks like a molester-stache. However, if I could grow a thick manly stache, you better believe I would. Thomas Magnum ftw.

Originally Posted by Sullyville

(c) If there is a change, what is the new look for the fashionable LEO of today?

Shaved heads.

**dlefdal** · 09-12-06, 03:06 PM

Hell yes, SHAVED HEADS ROCK MAN!!!!!!

Goatees rock too.

And yes, all body hair shall be removed or nicely trimmed

**conalabu** · 09-12-06, 03:35 PM

Rhino hit it right on. I go for the neatly trimmed-corner-of-the-mouth stache though. No big burly lumberjack stache. Gets in my mouth and I end up chewing on it. Nasty. However...the bald head is close to being a requirement for the "cool cops", of which I am one. Coffee...my first and only true love. You ain't a man until you drink a cup of coffee at high noon on a 120 degree day.

**dlefdal** · 09-12-06, 04:42 PM

[QUOTE=. However...the bald head is close to being a requirement for the "cool cops", of which I am one. QUOTE]

Amen, my brotha from a different motha!!!

**Dudleydoright** · 09-12-06, 05:21 PM

Ok, here goes. Law enforcement is quasi-military. Soldiers as well as police officer generally wear short hair so no one can grab it and hurt them. Same goes for facial hair except the moustache. Most departments that I've observed allow a moustache and have regulations for them, how long etc. Some departments on the east coast from what I've observed have relaxed some of those restrictions. But length (short for safety and tradition) have a lot to do with it! That's why cops in undercover assignments and when on vacation go nuts with growing hair. Hope this helps.

**Five-0** · 09-12-06, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by Dudleydoright

Ok, here goes. Law enforcement is quasi-military. Soldiers as well as police officer generally wear short hair so no one can grab it and hurt them. Same goes for facial hair except the moustache. Most departments that I've observed allow a moustache and have regulations for them, how long etc. Some departments on the east coast from what I've observed have relaxed some of those restrictions. But length (short for safety and tradition) have a lot to do with it! That's why cops in undercover assignments and when on vacation go nuts with growing hair. Hope this helps.

This is the truth. I have been off for 11 days and I now have a full beard. No roll call no razor, well I do keep it neat. The beard is shaved along my jawbone.

**dlefdal** · 09-12-06, 05:28 PM

"Shave the bearded clam, Shave the bearded clam....."

**snuffy2202** · 09-12-06, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by conalabu

However...the bald head is close to being a requirement for the "cool cops", of which I am one. Coffee...my first and only true love. You ain't a man until you drink a cup of coffee at high noon on a 120 degree day.

I have a crew cut, now. Seriously thinking of going bald all the way...BAD ASS BALD!

Coffee...only black! No fancy, smancy crap. Bomb Starbucks! Bring back real coffee!

**BEK** · 09-13-06, 08:14 PM

I have been either bald or short hair for the last 10 years. I am also allowed a goat as long as it is nicely trimmed. My last dept tried to change my image and told me to grow my hair out and shave my goat...I told them to put it in the policy book and well just say that I no longer work at that dept.

**kdm0409** · 09-13-06, 08:20 PM

Ok, I'm gonna probably be the only female officer to say anything on this thread lol. I think that a bald head or extremely short hair is sexy, next to that is the military high-n-tight. Personally, I think if it is kept neat then it is ok, I again think it can be sexy! lol Anyways, Our department allows the guys to have neatly trimmed moustaches and in the past they allowed goatees. New admin now, so not sure what they are going to do. At my old department there was nothing said about facial hair or anything and I tell ya some officers looked rough, damn rough, sometimes worse than the suspects! lol

**Hannibal** · 09-13-06, 08:28 PM

'70s Porn staches and shaved melons rule. I am thinking of growing mine back.

**dlefdal** · 09-13-06, 09:01 PM

Originally Posted by kdm0409

Ok, I'm gonna probably be the only female officer to say anything on this thread lol. I think that a bald head or extremely short hair is sexy, next to that is the military high-n-tight. Personally, I think if it is kept neat then it is ok, I again think it can be sexy! lol Anyways, Our department allows the guys to have neatly trimmed moustaches and in the past they allowed goatees. New admin now, so not sure what they are going to do. At my old department there was nothing said about facial hair or anything and I tell ya some officers looked rough, damn rough, sometimes worse than the suspects! lol

Well then...........

Hi there, do you come here often?

(please see avatar)

(would bribe you with a smiley if I had one)

**Ivory** · 09-13-06, 10:00 PM

please see sig line

**Ducky** · 09-13-06, 10:07 PM

Agreed. Super short or shaved bald is sexy as hell. Never been one for flavor savers though.

**Pedro56** · 09-14-06, 08:16 AM

I work cd in Chicago General Order prohibits us from having facial hair except for a mustache, I have no idea why, it might have to do with the fact our uniforms haven't really changed in over 60 years. I have a shaved head, I had the

but now I went back to the goatee, it is a little shabby but it helps working cd.

**kdm0409** · 09-14-06, 08:21 AM

^ My last Sheriff and half the guys at the department had those kind of moustaches. Since he left office, they have all shaved theirs either completely off or very neatly now.

**me again** · 09-14-06, 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Sullyville

I read a lot of police memoirs and crime books and have noticed that overwhelmingly, the facial hair configuration of choice for male law enforcement officers is the thick moustache.

You mean like like this mustache?

Farva is my hero.