Men will often grow beards when they have suffered a bereavement, a trauma such as divorce or job loss, or an injury. Young men tend to grow beards in order to look older and to give them gravitas.

Steal Your Data to Mr. Steal Your Girl,” more than one person joked. “It’s crazy how much a beard can change a man’s life,” another person tweeted. Even Gwyneth Paltrow was a bit taken ...