Why is it that Northern European men have less facial hair than men from other parts of the world?

Question

I'd think the guys from somewhere as cold as Northern Europe would have more beard to keep them warm, why is it not this way?

Answer 1

Hair is a good insulator against the cold, so your confusion is quite understandable. Animals, human and otherwise, produce more hair in cold climates.

However, this does not necessarily include facial hair. Inuits (Eskimos) have very little facial hair as opposed to Vikings who were relatively recent migrants to cold northern climes.

The reason that facial hair was not beneficial in evolutionary terms is that it was dysfunctional.

Think about yourself on a very cold day. When you exhale, you can "see your breath." But, what exactly is it that you see?

We exhale carbon dioxide, unused oxygenated air, and water vapor. The H(2)O mist can catch in the beard and mustache. During sleep, it can form an ice patch over the nose and mouth, causing suffocation.

So, no hairy faced Inuits!

Answer 2

The reason that Northern European men have less facial hair than men from other parts of the world is that they have more razors.

Also that if you look at their DNA, many have "Asian" backgrounds. Sure, you can't tell from the face, but it's in the blood.

Answer 3

I think navy was right. Northern European men are more hairy in the face as well as on their bodies on the average. I am Irish/German on my mother's side and English/Polish on my father's and I can grow a thick facial beard when I let my whiskers grow out. The thickest and longest beards I have seen have been on people of Russian descent.

Answer 4

I wouldn't exactly say that. The Vikings seemed to have a lot of facial hair. And my ancestry is Scottish and just look at my photo.

I think you need to review some more data

Answer 5

I think your initial premise is wrong. The white race
is actually one of the hairiest, perhaps THE
hairiest of all human races. Asians, in particular
tend to have much less hair overall.