Pogonophobics would have had their anxiety pushed to the limit in recent years, as beards have become incredibly trendy. Pogonophics are adverse to this fashionable facial hair. Apparently, almost 100 years ago the psychologist John B Watson was even able to induce a fear of beards in a young boy by conditioning him to be afraid of them. The term in general is used light-heartedly, and Jeremy Paxman, presenter of Newsnight, who famously grew a beard before he left, accused the BBC of pogonophobia. He compared them to the Disney corporation, who refused to let their employees grow beards until their policy was changed in 2012. The fear of the beard has generally been associated with believing that the facial hair is unsanitary, or that it hides the face in a secretive way is that a wry grin or a heartfelt smile, Mr. Bearded?
