Beard or no?

I have just joined the bearded fraternity. I am 34 and have never grown a beard in my life. Then one day I just got fed up with butchering my face every morning and let nature do its thing.

However, I quite like my hairy face. I like to touch it, I like to stroke it, scratch it, and when I go out I notice people treat me with more respect then before. 

Will I keep it? I don't know but I like it for now.

How about you guys. Anyone here who loves having a beard, can't live without it?

Do you hate having one and shave everyday like I used to.

My missus hates beards, so I am a shaving man. Think the itching would irritate me.

I personally don't really like being unshaven, but I get the worst pimple outbreaks when I do, so I don't shave. Mind you, my facial hair doesn't really grow that fast so it's not an issue. Haven't shaved in about a month and a bit, and all I have to show for it is a crud moustache and some throat hair. Sideburns always look impressive though.

I've been growing a beard for 3 weeks now and I love it. Keep the beard.

I like having facial hair.

not had a full on beard before though.

I've not been clean shaven in about 10 years.

Good thing about being a man, you have that choice.

I have a full beard, have had one for over a year. Stella, ignore the itching you only really get that in the first couple of weeks, once you're over that as long as you wash the beard it does not itch.

Rowley wrote:I have a full beard, have had one for over a year. Stella, ignore the itching you only really get that in the first couple of weeks, once you're over that as long as you wash the beard it does not itch.

I can ignore the itching, but can not ignore the moaning from the better half

For 20 years I had designer stubble but once it started going grey it went...

Miss the crunching feeling of running my hand through it..

Never had a beard though....Always thought people with full beards looked like boring stiffs..

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:For 20 years I had designer stubble but once it started going grey it went...

Miss the crunching feeling of running my hand through it..

Never had a beard though....Always thought people with full beards looked like boring stiffs..

I always imagined you looked like one of those Duck Dynasty fellas.

Seriously

I've never personally been concerned about either being clean shaven or bearded in a social sense - and I think many men think about the two very much in such terms (I blame them bloody Man-zines!)

The truth is I've often been out in public at events and simply realised just there and then, as I'm talking to someone, that I had a week or two growth (it grows fast).  Other times if I'm working at home on DIY things or out mucking about (away from the public gaze), I'll keep shaven. I just don't seem to think, I'm just either shaven or not shaven at any point in time but it has nothing to do with days of the week or months of the year. It's never something I've considered with a mind on the public perception of me.  I think it's how you carry yourself (style and personality) that is more important to how you are looked upon by the public.

On beards though... there are a few little things (I'll admit!) that do niggle me about my perception of Others with beards!  

Everyone to their own of course and, yes, a beard is to most men a statement of some kind and therefore how it is styled is an attempt at classification (a signature of the kind of person the guy is attempting to be or a culture he's identifying with)  So...whilst I understand the draw to have a 'manicured' beard in some - I have a strong aversion to them!  If you're a man and you want to make a statement about your manliness in beard form then, in my opinion, let the beard be a beard.... that means letting the parts of it that grows down onto the neck GROW!!!  That's the real sign of a man - that part that grows on the neck.  The sculpted jawline shave is.... it ain't cool, man ... it's a cop-out

Well its the third week and I still have a beard.

Its more then I have grown before and I still like it but I find myself catching my reflection in the mirror and having doubts.

Still not sure if I will keep it but I am sticking to it.

I do shape it ever so slightly however but have just been told I am ''copping out''. The neck growth is a problem tho because I look like captain caveman with heavy bush under my chin lol

No beard ever for me now (never had one before anyway).

Didn't shave for a couple of days, and all I could see was grey stubble. Hair is still largely not grey other than a couple of go faster stripes around the temples, so a grey beard would be a terrible mis-match, and would also be dangerously reminiscent of my boss...

I've joined the Lumbersexuals in the past few months, I do though have quite a bald patch between my bottom lip and chin in which no hair shall ever grow.

Doing Mo-vember again and may consider doing Decem-beard but my wife hates my facial hair which, the silly dear should realize, is one of the reasons I persist with things like that.

Had a beard during August, quite liked it and wasn't too upset with the amount of grey in it but generally prefer being clean shaven. Can't used electric razors as my face never feels smooth enough but I could have bought my house 15 times over if razors weren't so expensive.

DAVE667 wrote:Doing Mo-vember again and may consider doing Decem-beard but my wife hates my facial hair which.

Can't picture that shrek lookalike out of Hearsay with facial hair.

TRUSSMAN66 wrote:

DAVE667 wrote:Doing Mo-vember again and may consider doing Decem-beard but my wife hates my facial hair which.

Can't picture that shrek lookalike out of Hearsay with facial hair.

That's probably because you're a very unimaginative person...it's the reason your wife prefers to be pleasured by me...and basically everyone else

As long as my dinner is on the table..

Man's gotta have standards if they're so low as to be subterranean

Subterranean blues............."The vandals took the handles".....

Great stuff..

Can't say I like beards. It's just a fashion thing at the moment I feel that will fade out.

Beards, tinted prescription glasses and amateur photography paraphernalia are the retro pedo look that's all in this year.

Seriously though beards before they became fashionable were generally worn by people with a weak chin line.

I'm not sure if the five o clock shadow counts as a beard, I do like that look.

I also have a weak chin line

i have a large beard, grows back really quickly, and i tend to keep it because i cant be bothered to shave everyday..

Strongback wrote:Can't say I like beards. It's just a fashion thing at the moment I feel that will fade out.

Beards, tinted prescription glasses and amateur photography paraphernalia are the retro pedo look that's all in this year.

Seriously though beards before they became fashionable were generally worn by people with a weak chin line.

Or you could just say 'I can't grow a beard'

When I'm at work I let my full (but patchy) beard grow out, it's stupid but part of it is my little rebellion about working long and stupid hours as they can only request I shave.

When home I either have a goatee or shave it off. Can't have stubble as my daughter hates it (it's too scratchy.)

Worst thing though is that i'm certain grey hairs show in your beard before anywhere else. Damn you aging.