George Clooney. Ben Affleck. Bradley Cooper. Hugh Jackman. What do they all have in common? They are four hot men all rocking beards at the Oscars.

Clooney’s Santa-esque look was for a role in World War II drama The Monuments Men. “It makes me look old,” the 51-year-old admitted to EOnline (it does). Though girlfriend Stacy Keibler told the site has no issue with his appearance. Duh!

As for the others? Diana Schmidtke, Seth MacFarlane’s groomer and The Art of Shaving’s brand ambassador, weighed in.

“I think it’s a personal choice,” she said. “Not to mention it’s seasonal. It’s typical for men to grow a beard in the winter months only to shave it off at the first sign of spring.”

Stars may also decide they need a vacation from all the foam and blades.

“It’s nice to not shave for awhile and give yourself and your face a break,” added Schmidtke. “What is important to note is that all the beards on Oscar night were neatly trimmed, which made the look work.”

Jennifer Garner doesn’t have to put up with itchy kisses anymore. Her husband Affleck reportedly yanked out the clippers at a party after his big Argo win. An insider told E! News that the actor-director did it “to mark the end of a chapter. It had that ceremonial quality to it.”

Should average guys experiment with facial hair?

“It gives men a rugged look,” said Schmidtke. “However, in real life growing a beard is not always an option, depending on your job. And [it’s] not a license to no longer groom.”

A beard can also have a thinning effect.

“When properly taken care of; you can use it to enhance or diminish facial features,” explained Schmidtke, who is based in Los Angeles. “ If you have a round face you can make it appear slimmer by sporting a beard. Think of it like contouring with makeup for women.”

Personally, Schmidtke preferred the clean, more refined auras of Joseph Gordon Levitt, Channing Tatum and “dapper” Jeremy Renner, who kept his chin scruff short.

As for MacFarlane, the cheeky host was given the cleanest shave possible. (“No one wants that 5 o’clock shadow to appear at 1 a.m.”) A professional barber’s straight razor can do the trick.

The Oscars scene backstage?

In a word: chaos.

“It’s very dark,” the groomer to the stars said. “Things move quickly!”

Madeleine Marr