Lawmaker: Facial hair a macho thing

ALBANY, N.Y., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A New York Congressman says facial hair made him feel vibrant, but when he shaved off his mustache once -- about 20 years ago -- it made his daughter cry.

"I've had combinations of mustaches and goatees for years," said Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park. "It's a macho thing. It makes you feel vibrant."

Sweeney shaved his mustache after three weeks of talking it over with his family -- a move that pleased both his family and campaign staff, reported the Albany (N.Y.) Times Union Saturday.

"They all think it makes me look softer," Sweeney says. "I think it makes me look younger."

Although the 5 o'clock shadow is considered a hot trend in Hollywood, a survey conducted by the Gillette Co., found 79 percent of all U.S. presidents have been clean-shaven.

An Aqua Velva "What's Cooler" national survey of 1,200 people age 18 to 50, conducted by Harris Interactive, found 63 percent of women thought a clean-shaven guy was cooler than a guy with facial hair. Forty-nine percent of men thought a clean shave makes a guy cooler.