[William Cloud Hicklin]

Well, while I realize that the dog that didn't bark is always a dangerous line to take, Holmes notwithstanding, it might be postulated that Tolkien was of a generation whose men simply did not wear beards (ancient Victorians like Joe Wright might sport grey ones); it was something so unusual that, like long hair, it would have been remarked upon. Tolkien makes a point of telling us that Boromir's hair was "shorn about his shoulders," but mentions no facial hair; Wizards, Theoden, Beorn and all Dwarves (and Cirdan!) are expressly bearded, but elsewhere he is silent and, just maybe, we can "read" that silence.

Certainly in Tolkien's real world even those few men who had beards had genuine beards, not a week's stubble! (Query- how did Aragorn out in the wild for months on end maintain that 7 days' growth look?)

But "canonically speaking" I fear we're on no firmer ground than we are with Legolas' hair color.