Barmy for beards? You might be a pogonophile

The hipster trend means facial hair and bushy beards are more common than ever. That’s great news if you’re a pogonophile – someone with a beard fetish. But what is it about facial fuzz that is such a turn-on? Victoria Blisse brushes us up on this kink...

Are you a pogonophile? If you’re not sure, think about how you feel about beards. Would you love to run your fingers through Jason Momoa's luscious facial hair? Does it turn you on when your partner grows out their beard? Do you love the way stubble or hair scratches on your neck, legs or thighs when you're making out? Then you may well be a pogonophile.  

Pogonophilia, or the love of beards, seems to be on the rise. Maybe it’s due to the bearded hipster look which has become so popular in recent years. Facial hair is definitely in fashion, but does that mean that pogonophiles are too?

The word pogonophilia comes from the Greek ‘pogon’ which means beard and ‘philia’ which is love. The term ‘pogonophobia’ came into use first as the fear of beards. Pogonophilia is the antonym of this.

So, what is a pogonophile?

The meaning of a pogonophile is someone who gets turned on by beards and facial hair. It might be a man who loves to grow his beard and enjoys the different stages it goes through, and gets pleasure from the whole grooming process. Or, it could be a non-binary person who feels sexier and more themselves when they have a beard.

A pogonophile may love how a beard feels on their body shutterstock/Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB

Perhaps more obviously, a pogonophile can be a person who just loves to see beards on others. However, it may be that their kink isn’t just about looking at beards and moustaches. After all, a fetish often embraces multiple senses. Enjoying the feel of a beard, wanting to play with it, or even licking it or smelling it could feature in your beard fetish fantasy.

Why does a pogonophile get turned on by beards?

There is some evidence that women do find men with beards more attractive. In 2013 a study was undertaken by Dixson and Brooks to evaluate the importance of facial hair in male attractiveness.

The study showed that when these women were showed photos of clean-shaven, heavily stubbled and bearded men, the women found the heavily stubbled to be more attractive. The women also associated the men with long beards with an increased child-rearing ability.

“A pogonophile is someone who gets turned on by beards and facial hair. Enjoying the feel of a beard, wanting to play with it, or even smelling it could feature in your beard fetish fantasy.”

However, you may not have realised that beards are often associated with social status too. Especially well-groomed beards that the person can afford to maintain. Healthy skin is associated with beard growth as is the hormone testosterone. These links to good health may explain why people react unconsciously to people with beards. For women, some of it may be in our genes, in how to find a good partner to rear a child with. 

Of course, there are many factors that can explain why a pogonophile might get turned on by beards, and all of that is personal. It may have to do with the way a beard feels to the touch, or it might be that a huge crush on a person with a beard happened in your formative years and now that feature just turns you on.

Or, perhaps it could be that your beard just makes you feel good and you enjoy looking at it or feeling it, especially during sexual play. Or, it could be the way that rough stubble feels on your skin during sex is a particular turn-on. 

Those with a beard fetish may love stroking or pulling facial fuzz

What does a beard fetishist enjoy doing?

There are lots of ways a person can indulge their beard fetish, including:
 

·         Looking at beards, in person or in images.

·         Pressing faces together so their beard tickles your face.

·         Caressing the beard, running fingers through it, or over stubble.

·         Pulling on it to direct your lover to the task in hand.

·         Rubbing it over your genitals for stimulation.

·         Kisses all over the body or trailing the beard just over the surface of the pogonophile’s skin.

·         Beard grooming: massaging in beard oil, trimming the hair, or using other treatments

Is a pogonophile only into beard hair?

Being a pogonophile might be your gateway to other kinks and fetishes. Hair fetish includes beards, and pubic hair fetish is basically the pogonophilia of the genitalia, right? Or perhaps you may have a hair pulling fetish if you love to tug on that beard and other hairy areas? Or, have you thought about how sexy it might be to denude someone of their beard and watch (and feel) it grow back? A shaving fetish might be just what you're feeling!

MORE LIKE THIS:

• Our Guide to Hair Play, Hair Pulling & Hair Bondage
• Waxing Fetish: the Pleasures and Pitfalls
• Hair Raising! The Many Strands of Hair Fetishes

The final fetish: pogonophiles

As a good beard indicates health and possible wealth, it could also mean a beard fetish. Rough and scratchy or soft and smooth, the choice is yours. Pogonophilia might be a fetish that comes and goes with fashion, and right now beards are very much in fashion – from hipsters, to dad beards and hairy biker facial fuzz too. For some people, though, a beard is for life, and a pogonophile will never complain about that! •

Victoria Blisse is an erotic author, a sex-positive Reverend and part of Smut.UK who arranges events for curious and kinky people with a literary bent.
 

Curious to know where to find other pogonophiles? Maybe you can start a beard fetish thread in the forum and have fun with other pogonophiles at fetish.com!

Images shutterstock/Volodymyr TVERDOKHLIB