Beards : Classic or Dud?

Still only breaking out the razor once a week though.

Bearded since 2005, thanks to sunburn at a Tracer Hand softballl party. Dreads since 1998. I don’t really do change.

35 years bearded. Both times I've shaved it have been painful chilly mistakes.

For me, wearing a relatively short beard has been classic because for me shaving every day is beyond dud.

Short beard is a dud look for me and overdone generally, but fuck do i hate shaving so there i am.

beard since about 2003 - was a redhead, now i'm a balding ginger bastard

i'm bald with a large patchy-grey beard and i look better than i ever have tbh

So are there any men on ILX who don't have beards?

Uh, maybe? My face is a field of conflict between incompatible impulses. I don't like shaving, and I don't like having a beard.

The normal state is DonJohnsonian permascruff, which is mostly fine. I probably trim and/or shave every week or 10 days. But there is nuance behind this, and a story. Unfortunately it is a very boring story. Sorry.

My facial hair naturally grows into a goatee shape with ease, while the surrounding territory remains scraggly and sparse at best.

For cultural reasons I cannot do a goatee. Some dudes can manage it, but I just look like the worst barista you had in 1992, or maybe the slightly dim hillbilly in a movie. (The one that Pa sends out to the farm in case the Sheriff comes snoopin' around.)

With careful management, I can get a beard-like shape in a month or so. But every time I do so, it starts itching me almost immediately and irritating my wife's skin. So I get abruptly sick of it and go back to Miami Vice territory.

Pro tip: when you're shaving off a beard, it can be amusing to stop at different stages and give them names. Some of my faves:

- 1970s Motorcyle Cop

- Serial Molester

- World War I Fighter Pilot

- Fascist Dictator

- Substitute Junior-High Gym Teacher

- Civil War Cavalryman

- Free-Jazz Saxophonist

We’re basically in the same boat, but my goatee just looks like I’m going for knausgaard or jesus