To beard or not to beard?

[pina la nina]

Do you love your beard? Do you only go naked faced? Which do your kids/SO's prefer?

For the ladies - any preferences?

My dh recently shaved his goat after years...I miss it, though am trying to be supportive, still it doesn't look like him - weird. Our dd doesn't seem to mind either way, she loves her daddy.

[Pallas]

Dh has a facefull, and I love it. Once in a verrrrrrrry great while he gets a wild hair (ha!) and shaves it, and I just smile politely til it grows back ... I love my big ol' grizzly!

[Elphaba]

i voted for my hubby. he is the one "baby smooth" vote at this time. partially because he is in the army and they like it that way and partially because even if he wanted facial hair, he can't grow a decent looking one. his beard is patchy, so it would look silly if he did grow something. all the men in his family are like that.

[fourlittlebirds]

My husband has long hair tied back in a pony-tail and goatee and mustache, and usually stubble of varying length on the rest of his face. I *hate* it when he shaves!

[dfoy]

My dh has varying degrees of facial hairiness depending on when the day,week, month, year. Right now its a full beard. Sometimes it's a goatee. Othertimes, baby smooth. I prefer the full beard in winter, goatee in the summer. He plays with it, though, catches himself, and off it comes. It starts itching and bugging him. He's been saying for the last week that the beard is coming off but he hasn't gotten around to it yet. It's his face....he can do what he wants with it. He has to wear his hair short these days because of his job (they don't allow long hair, even tied back:( ) and until he got this job he has always worn it long. Since he has no hair options, he should get to have his face anyway he wants.

Our 6 mo old is soooo cute when her daddy has a beard and kisses her! She knows it's coming and leans her cheek into him but squenches her eyes up and shrugs her shoulders cause she knows it going to tickle! Too cute!:D

[Sagesgirl]

It's a joke of mine that you can tell a sailor's rank by looking at his moustache. ;) I've told my hubby for years he's got the 'stache of a chief petty officer (as opposed to a second class)...I love it. I hate it when he shaves, 'cause he never keeps it smooth for longer than about three days, & it's prickly as heck coming back. He's also the only blonde I know with blonde body hair too, this wonderful golden color. I like all the hair I can get on him, LOL.

[papabliss]

I hate shaving.

I used to do it on a regular basis, but the moment I didn't have to, I wouldn't. But one time two years ago, I quit shaving during the Christmas break. DW said to let it go and see what happens. Then she liked it. The rest is history. Now I just trim it up from time to time.

Cheers.

[Mallory]

My husband is 1/4 lakota but his face must be all native american. He shaves about every two weeks, when I start to tease him that his lip looks dirty :D he also has about five hairs on his chin that he shaves. His cheeks have never met a razor!!!

[Alexander]

From 20 - 30 I had a full beard. At the time I I shaved, (first time since being a teen), I looked like a religious fundamentalist!

I hate shaving, so I have 2 shavers, one for each side of the face! :D

Saves some time (alot actually, you girls are so lucky).

I am lazy though, so if I think I can get away without shaving, I do. But it rapidly goes to 5 o'clock shadow, which unfortunately is very un-popular herre in Japan. :(

a

[daylily]

I like dh's hipster goatee. Just a few days ago he cut off his long hair and donated it to Locks of Love. (They make wigs for cancer patients.) I hated his long hair, he looked exactly like Jesus. Now he's a hottie again.

[Dale]

I usually wear long hair OR a beard, but not both. Right now I'm in a long-hair, clean-shaven phase. Except for my moustache, I've kept that constant since I was 19.

[laralou]

I love facial hair! Dh has a goatee most of the time but now has a full beard. Every so often he shaves it all off but he looks like he is 12 and people ask me how much younger he is than I am so I hate it.

[Irishmommy]

I voted clean shaven for my dh. I hate face fungus on him. He had a moustache when I met him, and it was almost a deal breaker!

[m&m]

My dh has a goatee mustach combo - very sexy - and makes him look older.

our dds think it tickles.

[emmaline]

dh shaved off his full beard on new years eve1999 on condition that i get my legs waxed! as I had never seen his face fully before I agreed

he has been babysmooth ever since ( it was like getting a new man!) but nothing would induce me to wax ever again - the process itself didn't hurt at all but growing back - every last leg hair follicle turned into a redhot point of pain

[stormborn]

I voted for dh...he's baby-smooth now. He used to have something different all the time: full beard, funky goatees, mustashe-all in a month! But after dd was born & got to the grabby stage that was all over! She pulled out a few handfuls & he's been clean shaven since!

[papabliss]

Hi stormborn

I love it when ds pulls on my beard and he loves it when I tickle his feet with it while changing hid diaper.

However, when dd gets a hold of it (dd is 3), I consider shaving.

Cheers.

[Sylvia Lynn]

dh has a full beard & long hair. sometimes he wears a goatee. i like the beard, mostly cuz stubble hurts me. he's teaching kayli (6 mo) to play gentle & let go if she yanks. she does make the cutest faces when he tickles her with it.

[Dov]

I'm doing some research on male facial/body hair and cultural assumptions so this is an interesting thread. It's fascinating to me that whenever a male does something that is reflective of his innate wild-man nature, some societies attempt to get him to shave it off... I suspect that fear or control issues are at play underneath other "reasons." Some cultures don' t do that however, and long hair or facial hair is considered a virtue. So far, I've run across some interesting things. If I get a chance to finish it and publish, I'll let ya' know.

I do find it very offensive that in this culture, employers are permitted to dictate control over a man's body (much the way I am incensed generally at society's attempts to control women's bodies, the feeding of children, etc.). Also, what's with all the hairless male models? It seems ridiculous to show grown men that look like pre-pubescent boys as the societal image of male beauty... gimme a break. We want men to grow up not stay pre-adolescent. *shudder*

I grew my beard in college for pragmatic reasons I was tired of being "carded" at the movie theater! And that was in the days before they actually did that routinely for R rated films. Go figure.... My dw says I look like a "tick" when I'm clean shaven; big body, little head (obviously I did that once and never again!). Having a beard comes in handy when you're climbing in winter too.

We had a dog that would bark and get nervous if a shaved man came over. Our kids both exhibited such behaviors as well (not the barking ;) ). Our ds used to reach for a beard on any guy holding him and would cry if he didn't get himself a handful of beard. The other day I was trimming my beard and my ds stood by the mirror pretending to do the same. It was a riot!

I do keep my beard and moustache short along with my "top" hair because we live in a hot climate. If I lived up north, I'd grow everything out longer. Can you tell I like my curly beard?

Dov

[rwikene]

I didn't vote because I want my dh to do that for himself. But right now he has a goatie....it's ok...I prefer clean shaven now, I used to like his goatie, but I hate how prickly it is....I even get some sort of rash when he starts to grow it back

dd doesn't really like facial hair on daddy....it's scratchy (she's 8 mo) but she likes it on other men, to look at....so dh decided to grow it back b/c he got jealous...whatever:rolleyes:

He constantly changes it, when he get too lazy then he decides to have a goatie, then he'll decide to shave it....I never know what he'll look like when he comes home from work;)

It's his hair, his face...he can do what he wants, but he must decide if kisses are less important than facial hair...;) ;) I hate stubble......

Rachel

[NaturalMom]

Oh, I love a beard! When I first started dating DH, he had no facial hair. Shortly after, he grew a goatee. I thought he looked like satan - b/c of the pointed-face look. I talked him into growing a full beard, which I love! Never dated anyone with a beard before but always thought it was so sexy... It took him awhile for it all to fill in, but it did and looks great. It's been that way for a few years now. I doubt he'll ever shave again - he loves his beard, too - AND he loves not shaving ;)

A couple of years ago, we were visiting with family. My brother - who had a beard at the time - had disappeared for a few minutes somewhere and his DD (about 6 months old) started crying. We passed her around trying to console her. It wasn't until DH held her that she rested her head against his beard and stopped crying...! Guess it was just like her daddy...

[StarMama]

My DH has a goatee, blondish-reddish and a buzzcut (I do the trimming for that!). I LOVE that he has soft body hair. His stubble doesn't hurt me, I just have to remind him to trim the goatee every once in awhile for a few weeks because his hairs like to tickle and go up my nose! :eek

I've never seen him clean shaven. Don't really feel the need to, I think he's super sexy with the goatee! Its as much a part of him as my behind length hair is to me! :D

[MamaOui]

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[punkys_daddy]

I love my goat... I had one for nearly 3 years when dd was born and she didn't like it ... so I shaved and then realized that she liked to be held by men with facial hair - so I grew mine back! She loves it!

rwikene, on the other hand, has other ideas about my facial hair... Due to my size... I like the goat to hide my double chin - she likes the clean shaven look - but that's so hard to maintain - especially since I get up at 4:40 in the morning to catch a bus for an hour to be at work bright and early in the morning - the fewer things that I have to do in the am... the more I get to sleep... and the happier I am!

Maybe I'll shave it off after Christmas pictures this year... who knows...

[velveeta]

My DH has a moustache for the first time since we have been married. He has had it for about 4 days, and I feel like he is mad at me all of the time because of the way it makes him look.

I wonder if I should tell him that, because he *really* likes it.

He won't keep it for long -- he is always mixing it up in the facial hair department.

Please check out this link to the beard game. It is one of the funniest things that I have seen in a while.

http://www.b3ta.com/namethatbeard/

Jean

[branwyn]

my husband looks like his sister when he shaves (which hes only done once since we got together), so he keeps a goatee and i love it!

[MysticHealerMom]

Fortunately, it's not much of a problem for him. He's usually got 5 o'clock shadow at 2pm :) Can start a beard over a long weekend. He's usually got something growing there. Right now he's "clean" shaven, but he gets bored with shaving and it starts to irritate his skin after a while. I couldn't count the number of times he's gone from beard or some sort of facial hair to "clean". Except he's never just grown a mustache. It's not all that flattering. But he can do the Grizzly Adams thing in record time. :D

I didn't vote, I realize he's lurking, so maybe he will :) Plus, I can't remember what he looks like today, it changes so often :D

[Rocker]

My first post, what a big boy I've become. My dw says I should use the smiley faces so here it goes :jaw :angry :love :crying :thumb :) :( :o :D ;) :p :rolleyes: :eek :confused: :hippie hope thats good enough to appease. A bit off subject but you've got to have some fun being the new guy.
Anyway, I voted for the Don Johnson scraggly look. Mostly because of my general laziness and lack of willingness to comply with my employers requests to be clean shaven. Because of my complete lack of ability to grow facial hair I usually let it grow for about a week and a half to two weeks before I finally shave it. So at this point in time I'm actually somewhere between clean shaven and scraggly. Given a choice I would continue the cycle between clean and goatee, or in other words let it grow and then shave it off.

[jfatton]

I admit to being bearded out of sheer laziness (altho it is coming in handy these days in new [brrrr] hamsha). I keep it shprt and neat when I work in a real job (I am freelancing at home now so whooppee!), altho dear Rose likes me to shave the neck area (doesn't she know this defeats the purpose of not shaving? yes, she does, but she IS the boss [and has been for 18 years]).

When Autumn was 3 we were en route to New Mexic staying with family for a few days. I decide to shave (new job, new state, etc.) and when I came out of the bathroom she saw me and started to wail, cry, and generally act upset. She got used to it, but I didn't. Shaving...who needs it?:confused:

[mahdokht]

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[Chelly2003]

I like it ALL........... and Dh apparently can't make up his mind (which suits me) one day he's a little prickly then he shaves and its as SMOOTH as a baby's bum.....

I just love it, each week is something new, and its fantastic!

(He's never grown a full beard)


Chelly

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[Bladestar5]

I am 23 and dh is 40. I know there are probably lots of women in my age group that prefer no facial hair on their man. I love dh's goatie and I like him with a short beard. I think he is kinda weird looking without facial hair, and the hair covers up a horrible scar left on his chin, from being clotheslined while driving his snowmobile. I also love the gray hairs on his head and think he will be sexy even when it is all gray:love I love a mature looking man:love

[Dunn_Dad______]

Due to particular circumstances I'm required to be clean-shaven, and I don't mind it. I've had it all though; full beard, goatee, vandyke, funky long mutton-chops....

I really don't like shaving and only do it when I have to which is 3-4 times a week. I'd love to take a 2 month vacation and grow a full beard again, just for fun!

[Mommy StormRaven]

Well DH varies from full beard to Goatie. I liek both. teh one time he did shave it all he looked liek he was 12. I told him if he ever did it again I'd shave my head. He's staying furry now!

[Lucky Charm]

I voted baby smooth for my husband.

beards scare me. not on other men, but dh. he has grown one, and i tried my hardest to get use to it, but i was so scared of him, especially in the middle of the night, that he shaved it. I know, i know, i am such a baby!

[Teresa]

<<Also, what's with all the hairless male models? It seems ridiculous to show grown men that look like pre-pubescent boys as the societal image of male beauty... gimme a break. We want men to grow up not stay pre-adolescent. *shudder*>>

I agree completely!
Granted some groups naturally have more or less body hair, but it just looks strange to me when men have obviously shaved their bodies.
The only men I've ever known to do so were athletes--swimmers, bikers, wrestlers, etc. and then only for competition not as a matter of routine.
Maybe that's how that 'look' got popularized?

As to facial hair, or hairstyles in general, I think you should wear what pleases your partner--he/she has to look at it!

p.s. the Sherwin Carlquist "Natural Man" photographs are all of beautiful, whole, intact & *unshaven* men! t.

[Lucky Charm]

Granted some groups naturally have more or less body hair, but it just looks strange to me when men have obviously shaved their bodies
I agree. Its weird.

[Thalia]

I like the way my DH looks at all stages of facial hair growth, but his stubble beard the most common length) really hurts my skin on my face and neck, even though it looks ever so fetching. So when DH walks into the room and announces proudly, Honey, I shaved! I know that means I'm getting some action that evening!:love :thumb

[Towerkel]

my first post too! Yay me.

Anyway, I've had goatee/beard for almost two years now. Son loves it, was really sad when I shaved it. I had to promise I'd grow it back. Wife doesn't seem to mind, she's on the boards here somewhere, maybe she'll finally tell me the truth, right here. :eyes

[neveryoumindthere]

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[earthpapi]

i am in military i have to shave and i hate it!!!! :angry i want my goat back and i get it every monday morning then shave it again. very sad. but in two years it will be there for ever!!!!!!!! woohoo!!!!

[Joyce in the mts.]

My husband has had a beard since he was 17 or so...there was a brief period once or twice when he shaved for jobs and cut his hair much to my dismay. It was sad because it wasn't really HIM. And he felt very angry, but did it to support his family.

Today, after 25 years together, he has thinning long graying hair, usually in a pony tail, thinning covered by a beret (he is not really vain about thinning hair; he just really likes berets alot; he also has pierced ears and likes to wear interesting earrings).

His beard is long and full and has lots of gray in it too. I love his wild look. It's like being married to the Green Man. And I love his collection of berets: black wool from France, and red velvet and green velvet, and he has brimmed straw hats too for summer. Some day he will have the Benjamin Franklin look and that is wonderful by me.

Our 2 (ages 23 and 18) sons go from totally long hair and beard to very short hair and goatees...rarely do they ever shave clean, but they do make the change in length pretty often just for variety...they get bored with long hair after a while. Our daughter prefers that long haired, bearded, wild look in guys, but has trouble matching up the look with the way of being...someday she will find the right combo.

I am also kind of wild, with gray streaked long wavy, wild hair. We live where it is very cold in winter, so body hair is the layer before long johns! hehehe.

Long ago I intuited that hair is perhaps part of the body's natural filtration system, and must have function or it would not be there. (probabaly TMI but: I can't remember what year I last shaved legs.) And what is with the adults who shave their pubic hair?...If you find the prepubescent body to be attractive... Just seems weird to me, but that is just me, and when you get to know me, well, weird is just relative. (And relatives are weird! hehehe!)

Leastways, in my family, we are all furry (including two dogs and one cat) and happy...Joyce in the mts.

[GoodWillHunter]

I often tell DH shave it or grow it...I hate the sandpaper face. I loove the stubble (after a couple of days) look...It's a hottie. Drooooollll

[sadean]

I voted for dh, as he doesn't come to MDC (he doesn't share my enthusiasm :rolleyes; ) ANYWAY, he has a full beard most of the time. He hates shaving, but does because I think he thinks I like it. I am actually ambivilent, but it is scratchy when he is ummm "servicing" me :blush: I have asked him about doing a goatee, but he will have none of that...it's all or nothing :)

[Seeking Refuge]

I have been with DH for five years and I have never seen his chin except in pictures. I love his beard and I wouldn't change it for the world although he has more of a goatee going than an actual beard.