[cmsd2]

RAF allows moustaches too. Apparently "not to extend below the edge of the mouth" which still leaves quite a lot of room for expression I would guess. Rule still applies while on secondment [1].

My Grandfather was born before the days of safety razors and tells me that Navy personnel were able to petition to avoid shaving on account of delicate skin (something about the salt water and fresh air). I think anybody who could grow a beard would have done.

1. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7451939.stm

[etatoby]

Interesting observation. The area of the upper lip is known as the "Danger triangle" of the face, in which due to way blood circulates in that area, including the upper lip, infections can spread back towards the brain:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danger_triangle_of_the_face

I never thought that mustaches had a health / self preservation / natural selection origin, but it could very well have been the case. Shaving every day without modern tools and products could easily cause infections, which in that area could prove fatal.