Maybe he just wants to hide away from the adulation, maybe he’s optimistic of a warm spring around the corner – whatever it is, Ben Affleck has got rid of his beard!

Ben Affleck Jennifer Garner Oscars 2013

Enjoy rubbing up to that beard Jennifer Garner, you'll miss it more than you'd ever thought possible

E! Online reports that the director behind the best picture Oscar-winning Argo has been pictured with a jawline you could roll a dime down and a chin you could eat your food off. If you were only eating a single peanut . Beardos everywhere will be forlorn at the move, with Affleck undoubtedly one of the best looking out there, but apparently the Oscars marked the end of a personal chapter, and so the facial hair had to go.

"He did it to mark the end of a chapter. It had that ceremonial quality to it” a source told E! News, with it being revealed that Affleck had originally grown the beard for his movie, Argo, but then opted to keep it for good luck. He must have wondered what he was thinking when he missed out on the shortlist for best director at the Oscars, but since then his superstition has proved well-founded, with big wins at the likes of the Golden Globes, Critics Choice, Screen Producers Guild and more culminating in Argo’s success at the weekend. Accepting the award for best picture alongside friend and producer George Clooney, Affleck commented "You have to work harder than you think you possibly can. It doesn't matter how you get knocked down in life because that's going to happen. All that matters is you have to get up." He’ll certainly have to get up earlier now he’s committed to regular shaving.