Men used to believe mustaches filtered germs.

Vintage photograph of a Victorian gentleman
Credit: © duncan1890—E+/Getty Images
Author Michael Nordine
October 7, 2026

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Victorian doctors had what they considered a good reason for prescribing beards: They believed that facial hair, including mustaches, served as a natural barrier against germs and illness. The idea would appear to make sense at first glance: If whiskers can make cold weather a bit more bearable, surely they could protect against the foul air that, at the time, was believed to cause most disease. 

Indeed, one doctor wrote in the Edinburgh Medical Journal in 1861 that “the moustache is emphatically nature’s simple respirator, while the hair covering the jaws and throat is intended to afford warmth and protection.” By the late 19th century, however, the miasma, or foul air, theory fell out of favor, and the medical community accepted that “wee beasties,” as microbes were known in the U.K., are responsible for most infectious diseases.

Unfortunately for those of us who do sport facial hair, it seems to have the opposite effect when it comes to shielding us from illness. According to a study in Behavioral Ecology, “hair on the face and body are potential localized breeding sites for disease-carrying ectoparasites.” Meanwhile, Bav Shergill of the British Association of Dermatologists told the Guardian that “facial hair is more likely to trap bacteria and food” and “there is actually more chance of infection with a beard than a clean-shaven face.” The things we do for fashion.

By the Numbers

Did you know?

Men used a special spoon to protect their mustaches while eating.

Eating is one of the most important considerations when it comes to facial hair, which has an unfortunate habit of capturing food en route to its final destination. To navigate this problem, a novel solution was proposed in the late 19th century: the mustache spoon. Inventor Ellen B.A. Mitcheson’s 1873 patent included a guard attached to the spoon so a man could consume soup and other liquids “without danger of soiling or disfiguring his mustache.” As mustaches became less common in the 20th century, alas, so did the mustache spoon.

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