Beard appreciation thread

[MissoulaSquatch]

Thank you crash.

[MissoulaSquatch]

Sounds like the beauty industry has you hook line and sinker. 

 

Toothpaste prevents tooth decay and heart disease, Deodorant masks our smelly truth....

 

Beards, and hair as a whole produces it's own oil. If you want to style, that's fine, but don't make it sound like you need beauty products to live.  

 

"Beauty Industry" I loved that when I first read it, anyone who clicks any of the links I have shared would see I support small companies not huge conglomerates.  Although, this is a recent change for me, and I am almost 100% done switching to all natural products for hygiene (which my beard products all are).

I do realize that by not expanding on my two examples my statement was poor, however the content of my previous posts which crash3400 has clearly read show what I was trying to get at.  These products do provide a service, no they are not ultimately necessary to grow a good beard.  But if you want a great beard..yeah, they sorta help.  I've got friends who were skeptical, now they have beard oils, brushes and even special barber shops they go to (I'm still good with mine..he does a good job for no additional charge).  You are more than welcome to grow your beard as natural as you want, but please do not diss those of us who have benefited from adding a couple things to our daily routine.  And with the exception of beard wax which I use from time to time, the products I have recommended are about care not styling.

And in response to your final line about how the skin and hair produce their own oils..yes, they do.  But as crash3400 pointed out, our bodies are exposed to a lot every day and they sometimes need assistance.  If we truly took to heart your final statement, then none of us here would take showers, use body soap, shampoo/conditioner, facial cleansers, body lotion, etc because the body is just too good on its own, right?

As a note of humor: Someone with hippy in their screen name might get a kick out of this..but when I started using beard products I added patchouli oil to my routine purely by accident..and it is rather nice, I have a whole new respect for the hippies in my life.

[lairpie]

Someone may have linked this and I missed it, but this guy (who is sadly not me) does beard art:

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/features/amazing-beard-sculptures-incredibeard-takes-the-hipster-trend-to-the-next-level-9941078.html

[MissoulaSquatch]

Yeah, I've been seeing those a lot lately..honestly the creepiest one is the noodle bowl..I don't know why but that one just weirds me out the most..lol

[erosan]

So many incredible beards on this thread!

 

Here's mine... not impressive by any means, but I like it anyways.

 

I used to wear a chin curtain, but those days are in the past. I had to shave for work but I have since moved to a different gig. I went full beard, haven't looked back. My girl agrees. No beard = look TOO young.

 

[Rurik Harrgath]

It's been more than half a decade since my chin last saw the light of day, and frankly, I don't think a person I know would recognize me shaven.  Thankfully that isn't a situation I intend to find myself in any time soon.  I'm quite fond of my face-kevlar.

[insanity]

It's been more than half a decade since my chin last saw the light of day, and frankly, I don't think a person I know would recognize me shaven.  Thankfully that isn't a situation I intend to find myself in any time soon.  I'm quite fond of my face-kevlar.

5 years?.... I did 6 months and it freaked people out. I'd be scared to do it after 5 years.

[CrackerWatson]

I did it every Movember for the last 5 years...last year was the last time...the donations went down every year that its no longer worth me losing the beard again. I am just going to donate from now on.

[SevenofSeven]

My partner is at his Mum's place and he is getting pressure from her and his sisters to shave off his beard, I told him if he shaves it off he better not come home!

[Guzzi]

My husband had the same thing from his parents before our wedding. I told him I'd say "No" if he did

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[MissoulaSquatch]

I tried so hard to get on tv last night at the Blackhawks game..I was all prepared to show off my beard..next time, next time I will do it.

I will also have to pick up a NF beanie..just in case.

As for how long I usually wear a beard and the last time I saw my face....

In the past I would change up my facial hair every 2-3 weeks, I've worn some pretty funky combinations..I think I even posted one a few pages back.  My best I called the "Johnny Depp/Pirates of the Caribbean": Soul patch, long goatee, whispy mustache, and some mild chops on the side..it was beautiful.  Also had one I called the "legionnaire" that was a combination of chinstrap and fumanchu, unfortunately I don't have great pictures of that one.  But that was the old me, and during that time I want to say 5-6 weeks was the longest I ever held a beard.

My current beard I started in August I want to say (I honestly didn't keep track of the start date..but I want to say it was around that time).  This puts me about 6 months in, the longest I've ever had a beard..and to be honest I don't see myself shaving it anytime soon.  I have had one trim done at the barbershop and recently I've begun doing my own corrections/trims at home.  Just minor stuff for the most part altho I'm debating a more aggressive one today since I'm starting to get close to the shape I want to achieve.

Guzzi: If you have any sisters/cousins/friends who respect the beard as much as you do, send them my way..it seems a good woman who appreciates a proper beard is a rarity in Chicago.

[lairpie]

I've actually been debating shaving. I had to consult some friends, but I think the last time I didn't have a beard was maybe 7 years ago for a friend's wedding. It occurred to me though that a lot of the reason I have the beard was to help give my face some shape that it needed as it had become rather round. Now that I've lost a lot of weight, i actually have a jaw line again and debating seeing how it looks.

[Rurik Harrgath]

My partner is at his Mum's place and he is getting pressure from her and his sisters to shave off his beard, I told him if he shaves it off he better not come home!

 

I hate facial hair peer pressure, but I stand behind your message here.

 

My husband had the same thing from his parents before our wedding. I told him I'd say "No" if he did

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The world needs more women like you, Guzzi.

 

I've actually been debating shaving. I had to consult some friends, but I think the last time I didn't have a beard was maybe 7 years ago for a friend's wedding. It occurred to me though that a lot of the reason I have the beard was to help give my face some shape that it needed as it had become rather round. Now that I've lost a lot of weight, i actually have a jaw line again and debating seeing how it looks.

 

That's actually one of the better reasons I've ever heard for shaving.  As much as I am a "give me beard or give me death!" kind of person, I would agree with the idea of at least trying out your clean shavenness to see the progress you've made if nothing else.  If it turns out that you don't like your chin or cheekbones you can always grow that bad boy back in a matter of weeks, and return to your full blooded bearded self again.

[lairpie]

Yeah, Lor pointed out that it would be back much faster than the 12 inches of hair she cut off her head. I think she's the last person to see me without a beard and was trying to figure out when it even was.

 

I think this is the last pic of me w/o a beard, at a friend's wedding in 2008:

[Nefiros]

Guzzi: If you have any sisters/cousins/friends who respect the beard as much as you do, send them my way..it seems a good woman who appreciates a proper beard is a rarity in Chicago.

Come to Australia. Beards seem to be a necessity. Pity I can't grow anything that looks better than if I had just shaved downstairs and glued it to my face >.<

[MissoulaSquatch]

A friend of mine shaved his beard off this week because he needed to get a new passport photo..seeing him without it has solidified my decision to keep mine for the long haul.  I just can't do it.  In related news..I bust out laughing and go into giggle fits everytime I see him..so there is that, lol

[Robpocalypse]

I have no visits from upper management on deck until November so it's full on beard season.

[Nubbins McGee]

I am upper management. Otherwise, I'd look like Grizzly Adams.

[Robpocalypse]

Our office is pretty lax (business casual). The VP of finance doesn't give me a hard time about shaving, only when division management comes in, then I have to dust off my tie and shirts that have buttons.

I'd gladly tell my employees they're welcome to grow beards but they're all women, so I have to imagine that's against some HR policy.

[erosan]

I am upper management, that's why I can chose to look like Grizzly Adams.

[Rurik Harrgath]

It would be against HR policy to tell women they cannot grow beards!

[StillWaters]

Especially since some of us with hormone issues (thankfully I dont have such concerns) are capable of growing beards

[redtomato501]

It's been more than half a decade since my chin last saw the light of day, and frankly, I don't think a person I know would recognize me shaven.  Thankfully that isn't a situation I intend to find myself in any time soon.  I'm quite fond of my face-kevlar.

 

This actually ties into one of my fears... My dad hasn't been clean-shaven since his wedding (before I was born), and I'm not entirely sure I'd recognize him without it! I can't imagine he'll ever shave it, but if he did, would I know him? Eep.

 

Guzzi: If you have any sisters/cousins/friends who respect the beard as much as you do, send them my way..it seems a good woman who appreciates a proper beard is a rarity in Chicago.

 

Where were you when I lived in the Midwest?! Although truth be told, I saw many beards in Michigan, so I wasn't lacking. Not like now in DC... not enough beards in my life.

[Nubbins McGee]

As I said earlier, I'm the only guy in my office with a beard, period.

Where at? Suburban DC. Men are weird here, or so the ladies I know tell me.

[erosan]

so, just out of curiosity… where or how did you learned how to trim/give shape to your beard?

my dad only wears a moustache (and the one time he shaved it like 3 years ago still haunts me), and I was not living with them when I allowed my facial hair to thrive… so I could not learn from him (say thankee for papa google, sai).