Show us your beard!

[Cave Dweller]

Great news, AJ!

I have a feeling the reaction will be similar at your work place.

[slybeard]

Cave Dweller, I am glad to see you going to the full beard.  It will look great on you.  I do think it would have been good to not trim the goat, it makes a nice pointed beard when the goat has a head start.  But too late for that now, so just let it grow.

 Slymyke, glad you are growing yours back out.  It always looked good on you as well.

Looks like you both have been blessed with very good beard coverage.

[AJ Q-Ball]

It's feeling more natural every day Sir Harry.  You had the right feeling Cave Dweller because I did receive a lot of positive comments at work today.

[Cave Dweller]

And into week four.

It finally is starting to feel like a beard rather than just an unshaved face.

I had forgotten how patchy mine grows in.

[Razor X]

It doesn't look patchy at all.

[Mike E. P.]

That looks pretty great, Cave. Especially for only four weeks. I like how the beard comes to mid ear, too.

[slybeard]

That is not patchy, I call that almost perfection.  A little more length and it will be fine.

[Cave Dweller]

I appreciate the words of encouragement, gentlemen.

I guess the statement so often made to guys worrying about their head shape is true. We are our own worst critics.

[Rusty Shackleford]

I'm very non linear in my thought process and often actions. Not to drive anyone crazy (that's just a bonus) but because that's how I operate. Sometimes I do or don't do things just for the hell of it. 

Damn it Jim!  You are a person not a TV show!  You need to stop exhibiting the random processes and actions of Star Trek Voyager and be more coherent like Star Trek DS9!   
 

[Razor X]

I am going to give it until June to decide if I want to keep it.

Give it a little longer than that.  I would suggest the whole summer at least.  If you go through the bother of growing it out, then you ought to get to wear it for a while -- and like shaving the head, it can take a little while to get used to and fully appreciate it.

When I grew mine out, I committed to keeping it for six months, which are up tomorrow.

[Rusty Shackleford]

And into week four.

It finally is starting to feel like a beard rather than just an unshaved face.

I had forgotten how patchy mine grows in.

Yea I'll never understand this fascination with stubble because it just just makes a person look unkempt instead of like they have a beard.

If I had to make a suggestion I'd recommend lowering the neckline.  The neckline visually divides the head from the neck, so when it is up too high it can often make the beard look like a stripe running along the side of the head.  From what I've experienced, it is best for the beard to wrap around the jaw like it is "sling" holding the jaw. 

In the past when I would expand my goatee into a beard I would basically just give my goatee sides that connected to the sideburns because I thought that was how it was done, but it never came out right.  I even noticed how awkward it was when cutting this line especially when I got to the tight U-Turn under the chin but I still didn't get it.  The weird thing is that a high neck generally looks fine when viewed from the front, and it was only when I saw a profile picture or played with mirrors that I noticed the problem.  Even then I still couldn't figure out what was wrong. 

On my last attempt I finally decided to do something different and edge the neckline as minimally as possible.  I was sure this decision was going to be a bad one but I ended up being completely surprised that this was actually 100% correct.  I finally have a beard that works and this time around I have had no interest whatsoever in shaving back down to a goatee like I did with the others.

From what I've experienced and seen on others, the optimal neckline tends to be that point under your jaw where the angle is the tightest as it turns to go down into the neck.  If guys want to reduce the total amount of skin covered by hair I think it is better to lower the cheekline than to raise the neckline.   

[greatnessinc]

Damn it Jim!  You are a person not a TV show!  You need to stop exhibiting the random processes and actions of Star Trek Voyager and be more coherent like Star Trek DS9!   
 

LOL. I really only shave the upper part of the stache if there are stray hairs pissing me off. Or if I go too far trying to clear the strays.

[slybeard]

I did not really do anything different than normal, but I am having a good beard day.  It just seemed to cooperate more that normal.

[Razor X]

Looking good!

[slymyke]

Good to see an update, SlyBeard!  You have gotten some good length on that beard.