What's new

To beard or not to beard…?

Have been growing this facial fungus since August 18th, and now that I’m travelling it’s becoming a bit of an annoyance.

I intentionally didn’t bring any shaving kit with me, but saw a Philips One Blade shaver on sale in the airport so I picked it up just in case I didn’t pass border security due to my face not matching my passport!

If I’m being critical then I think the strong parts are the chin and moustache areas, so was going to just trim everything else. Or maybe trim everything but the moustache in order to emphasise the moustache?

Or would you guys advise I just put up with it and keep growing? My original intention was to get to 6 months growth to see how it looks, so I’m about half way there. Anyway, I’ll put it out to public vote to get a general consensus.

170CE350-10DB-4F83-9360-88A0F369DE70.jpeg
A20B409B-882F-475D-9059-1F6330EC076F.jpeg
BACD589D-1224-4DDE-A0C7-973E03B08C49.jpeg
93B88A67-2AA8-4244-8B8F-009367E46815.jpeg
 

Star_Wahl_Clipper_Treker

Likes a fat handle in his hand
Hello there!

I personally am not a fan of beards, with my course whiskers, scratchy as all get out! Plus, with beards you have to have proper defining lines, and keep it well trimmed, as such, a Wahl detailer is your friend. Your beard appears to be a bit dense and less dense at the same time, which suggests its not growing in very evenly.

When I first saw your first picture, I thought you only had a goatee. IMO, I think you would grow a good goatee, and I would just stick with that, and forget about the beard. If it was me, I wouldn't be growing any facial hair at all, and I'd just cut it all off after a few days of whiskers growth, my usual SOP. But thats just me, you do you. But my opinion is you'd grow a good goatee, but drop the full beard though.
 
Personally, I can't stand the feel of hair on my face. My last attempt was a few weeks last Mo-vember. I couldn't even make the entire month before I shaved it off, but mine is a bit more even, though not dense. This is what it looks like after several weeks without any trimming:

20221104_102029.jpg


In your case, as SWCT pointed out, the strongest (fullest) part of your beard is the goatee area. If you are set on sporting facial hair, I would focus on that and lose the rest. I know some guys prefer a close-cropped, others prefer long, so either looks acceptable, IMO.

Having said that, I think the "white-guy-with-a-goatee" look has become a stereotypical caricature (especially for me, since I also shave my head). When I see pictures of my buddies at deer camp, all sporting goatees and ball caps, it just looks very...typical. So, if I could tolerate, or wanted facial hair, I personally would opt for a neatly trimmed, full beard.
 
If you're asking for honest opinion @rmac, you're a guy who should be clean shaven IMO. That look isn't working for you. And like gpjoe, I can no longer stand facial hair or even stubble which is why I shave daily. I wore a mustache for about 35 years but once you reach a certain age, facial hair is often very cliche, especially the tiresome look of 50+ year old, overweight white guys with goatees. If an older guy can pull it off, the most interesting man in the world beard is a good look for those who can stand facial hair.
proxy.php
 
Before you take a razor to the whole thing, have you thought about trimming it down by a half or as much as 2/3? Just knocking a good bit of length off will change the look of the whole thing.

If you're looking for honest opinions, I'd follow your instincts. You have an incredibly strong goatee, and that it extends out as it goes towards the jawline really works on you. If it were me I'd keep the strong parts, the extended goatee, and keep it to within a quarter inch either way of the length it is now. And then BBS everything else.

But then I'm an outlier, a man with a thick full shaggy beard on a shaving forum. Personally, I think well chosen and groomed facial hair looks good on a man the way the right haircut does. And a good sharp facial hair lines do much to flatter a man's shaving skills. So take any opinions I have with grains of salt to taste.
 
I have been shaving every day for more than 15-16 years. Can't even remember exactly. But I will try to be objective.
My advice is either to go clean shaven or go for the goatee, as advised above. In my opinion full beard doesn't work for you.
 
Top Bottom