Fear of beards (pogonophobia)

Pogonophobia, a fear of beards, can make meeting bearded people uncomfortable, family members included. Some people also feel uneasy seeing facial hair in photos or on screen. The fear may relate to hygiene, to faces that feel harder to read, or to a particular memory.

About this phobia

The name comes from the Greek pogon, meaning beard. It is an uncommon fear that appears more in articles and lists than in clinical writing. It is sometimes grouped with other fears about appearance, such as peladophobia, the fear of bald people.

What it feels like

• Unease or wanting to step back when talking to someone with a beard
• Feeling that a beard hides the face and makes a person hard to read
• Thoughts about germs or dirt caught in facial hair

Explore more unusual fears in the rare phobias A to Z, or browse the common phobias.

Common questions

Why might someone be afraid of beards?

Reasons differ. Some people find beards make faces harder to read, some worry about hygiene, and others link beards to a person who frightened them in the past. If it relates to someone who treated you badly, a GP or specialist counsellor can help with that.

How can you help?

I use hypnotherapy and NLP to change how your mind responds to the thing you fear, so the old alarm stops going off. Sessions are one to one over Zoom, and you get a recording of the hypnosis to listen to afterwards.

How many sessions will I need?

Many clients notice a real difference after one 90 minute session. If the fear goes back a long way, three sessions gives us room to make the change stick.

Ready to start?

Book a £49 consultation call and we’ll talk through your fear, or take the free suitability test first.

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