To Be(ard) or not to be(ard)

[garethEds]

One for the male Edugeekers (please correct me if I am assuming too much) - but as I work through my bucket list which I made over a year ago, I've reached the item on the list that notes I'm going to grow a beard.

 

Never done this before. I've gone a week without shaving but usually it gets too itchy and it has to go - but now this is it. I am into my second week and the growth is a mixture of red/ginger and white/grey.

 

Who out there has beards? How do you look after them? How to you cope with not wanting to shave it off? I've passed the itchy but but now have the sharp ends sticking into my lips.

 

From my research last night I read that I need to grow it for 4 weeks before I start shaping.

 

Beard noobie here - so any advice is welcome. Or shall I just shave it off?

 

Gareth

[Domino]

Early days you wanna be using a trimmer to keep the length pretty uniform, not really shaping but keeping your mustache out the way and stopping the few patches that sprout out at odd directions.

I normally trim mine once a week to stop it getting too wild.

 

Wash and shampoo it when you have a shower as it gets longer.

 

It's a divisive concept but I've found Beard Oil not only stops it getting too spiky but keeps it soft after its been battered by the elements first thing in the morning.

[abillybob]

Depends how long you want to grow it. I have facial hair but like to keep it relatively short (I set my beard trimmer to 6mm) any longer and imo it looks shaggy. Alpha M on YouTube has some good tips on grooming and shaping your facial hair etc... might be worth checking him out.. He's also quite entertaining

[6Foot2]

I have a beard and moustache. I don't grow them, but simply, don't shave (if you get my drift) If I shave I get shaving rash particularly under the chin. Mrs P occasionally gets a glint in her eye and she gets the clippers out. There seems to be no pattern when this will happen.

 

That is when I get 'sheared' I must say that it surprised colleagues at school the first time I did it. I normally have a lot of hair and quite a full beard.

 

Many did not recognise me with one person assuming that I was an intruder sitting in my office.

[garethEds]

Thanks everyone so far. Mrs E doesn't like it - but it's not her bucket list. This will be the first and last time.

 

How long?

 

Google Jake Ball (Welsh rugby player) and see his. My hair is already shaved short. My stubble is longer at the moment.

[witch]

Not that I can comment on the growing or tending of a beard - but I much prefer a fairly short beard which follows the contours of the face. You also need to look at whether a full beard, or a goatee-type affair or anywhere in between suits you best. MrwITch has the whole thing - although it really is only where he doesn't shave - but he keeps it short. One son has a full, short, nicely trimmed beard and tache, and the other one has a tache and goatee-type affair which suits him better, it defines his chin and shapes his rather round face! Pay particular attention to how far up the sides of your face the beard comes. Really high beards look very silly IMHO. Good luck though, and why not

[kearton]

You can't talk about beards and not mention @StevieM ...

#beardenvy

[DJ-1701]

I've grown a beard a few times, I have found the itching stops at a point and the sharpness of the hair does dull. With regard to the maintenance, the most awkward part I have found to maintain and trim is the moustache (which is pretty obvious when you think there is a nose in the way) and in I had to go over the areas a few times in different directions to make sure the hairs were trimmed.

 

In the end it just became too much faff for me so I went back to shaving it off, and after the last time, I don't think I will bother growing it again. Also it could be helpful if anyone meets my evil mirror universe doppelganger.

 

[SpuffMonkey]

Its just great not having to shave. Grew mine when my son was a baby (he's 19 now) and I was too tired and boggle-eyed to waste 5 minutes of sleep to keep clean shaven and never gone back - just a trim every 10-15 days.

[PotNoodleTech]

If you're gonna do the bucket list then do it properly. I want to see 2 months of Growth you need to report back to me regularly and post a photo of the finished product in in half term.

 

There will be many tests, friends who feel their manliness is being challenged will try to get you to shave it, the missus will try and get rid of it as it is a direct competitor to the trousers she likes to think she wears. The beard itself will test you with all sorts of strangely coloured hairs popping up, and itchiness etc - you need to prove you're manliness by pushing through all of these meagre, boyish tests in order to emerge - caveman style. A real man. A manly man. A bearded man.

 

I am with you 100% on this task.

[mthomas08]

Had some one tell me to get a decent grooming kit.

 

Now I keep my beard tidy with a grade 3 on my shaver. It keeps it trim and tidy then use a clean shaver to do my neck and top cheeks.

 

As much as I would be happy just to leave it, if its too big it gathers more food than my mouth and irritates.

 

Now it's tidy, presentable and makes me face look healthy and thin. At least what women tell me.

[DavePa]

Its just great not having to shave

 

As one of the older edugeekers I can verify this - had a beard for close on 35 years now and have never shaved it myself or even gone as frequently as 10-15 days - I go every 4-5 weeks and get it taken back to a 0.5 cut but by the time I go back I look like Father Christmas!

[DJ-1701]

Whatever I do with facial hair I can't win, even when I shaved it off I was told I 'look 12'.

[2ilent8cho]

Whatever I do with facial hair I can't win, even when I shaved it off I was told I 'look 12'.

 

Surely thats a good thing? Doesn't everybody want to look young?

 

Personally i hate facial hair and won't date a guy with it. I just wish Gillette would do some mass advertising to try and get this beard trend gone. So many guys in there early 20s looking more like late 30s because of the facial hair.

[abillybob]

Surely thats a good thing? Doesn't everybody want to look young?

 

Personally i hate facial hair and won't date a guy with it. I just wish Gillette would do some mass advertising to try and get this beard trend gone. So many guys in there early 20s looking more like late 30s because of the facial hair.

 

.

[DJ-1701]

Surely thats a good thing? Doesn't everybody want to look young?

 

Personally i hate facial hair and won't date a guy with it. I just wish Gillette would do some mass advertising to try and get this beard trend gone. So many guys in there early 20s looking more like late 30s because of the facial hair.

 

Not that young! If they were using a larger base math system then maybe, but would have to be between Base 20 and 30 for a compliment.

[Gaz]

I used to shave then decided to save money buy just keeping it really short using a beard trimmer keeping it a couple of MM. Now I've gone back to shaving but in the more traditional wet shaving using a double edge razor which takes a bit of getting used to but having a nicely shaven smooth face feels quite nice. I'm just trying to perfect my technique now to avoid razor burn, preparation is key.

[korifugi]

I'm going to grow a beard.

 

Your mission, should you choose to accept it - is this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36070[/ATTACH]

You have until September...

 

 

 

Go!

[Tesla]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it - is this:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]36070[/ATTACH]

You have until September...

 

 

 

Go!

 

Is that when the Beard of the Year contest is, by any chance?

[korifugi]

Is that when the Beard of the Year contest is, by any chance?

 

To be honest - No idea, just that September (and the start of a new school year for us) seems a good date to pin it to.

[DJ-1701]

To be honest - No idea, just that September (and the start of a new school year for us) seems a good date to pin it to.

 

I assumed it was to scare the kids. If it's shaved off the December, it could be used as Christmas tree.

[Andrew_C]

Been bearded since 1980 or so. A couple of weeks doing geology field work, then a few festivals over the summer, just easier than shaving. Normally quite short, but I did let it get bushy for a while over xmas. Not sure about that, snd MrsC prefers it shorter.

[pooley]

I'm bald with a beard (upside-down head) the wife let's me know when it gets too scruffy. I just let it grow, no shaping, shampooing or oiling. Just grows grey and brown.

[DavePa]

I just let it grow, no shaping, shampooing or oiling.

Almost exactly like I do although I do shampoo mine daily - I have very little hair on top so a handful of shampoo does both top of head and beard

Just grows grey and brown.

Mine used to be black, then black with hints of grey then grey with hints of black then grey with hints of white but lately seems to be white with hints of grey