I'm not surprised that this thread has its' share of passionate responses. It seems that, wherever I've travelled, the shape and appearance of a persons' head playa a major role in saying who you are, and what you do; such things seem always to be a matter of social 'rules,' rather than personal choice.
For example, I've been places where a mans' hat told you what village and family a man belonged to, and what his position was in life.
Facial hair is no different. For example, our troops in Afghanistan have had a certain amount of trouble with the natives, who assume a man without a beard simply must be a gay transvestite.
Among the Amish, the beard is the symbol of a married man.
Ditto for tattoos. There's the tattoo that says "I'm a proud Marine" ... and the one that says "I'm a loser who just got out of jail - again!"
However, we seem to have made a doctrine out of denying reality. One is - somehow - no longer allowed to consider ALL factors in enforcing a rule. "You can't, but he can, because you don't look good with a beard" is feared to be a lawsuit in the making. Say "no beards," and someone is likely to claim you're intruding on his religion. Stand clear of the issue, and you're scaring customers away. The businessman just can't win.
All I can say is that we have a trade that is made of many, many small shops; unlike the car makers, we're not dominated by a handfull of firms. Remember that our priority is pleasing the customer, and not making a personal fashion statement.
Finally, recognize that there are some things where life can be neither fair, nor consistant.
