Hi folks,
I'm brand new to this site and to the bearded community at large. I'm
24, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and am just embarking on what I
hope to be a fulfilling bearded adventure.
Some background on myself and my previous facial hair attempts: I've
been shaving my face for 10 years, and have dabbled in a few hair
styles in the past such as a full beard, moustache, and moustache with
goatee. Most of these have been short-lived -- the longest was the
moustache at 4 weeks. My facial hair isn't particularly dense or
thick, I suspect that it is mostly average. The main area of concern I
have for my beard is that my cheek line isn't as high or as thick as I
would prefer, and I don't favour the look of a shaved cheek line. One
hopeful aspect is that my beard is still getting thicker by the month.
I've always been interested in growing a full beard, but recently
circumstances in my life are such that it seems like the right time to
start growing. My initial goal is to not shave or trim for 4 weeks,
and then determine whether or not I should continue. The longest I
have done this in the past is one week, and from those experiences I
feel like after 4 weeks I will be able to continue the grow the beard
that I would like: a medium/long full beard with natural neck and
cheek lines.
One of the factors working against me is that I'm an enthusiastic
shaver -- I shave with and maintain straight razors exclusively. For a
few years I have been perfecting my technique with sharpening,
stropping, lathering, and shaving, and have enjoyed it very
much. Although I enjoy shaving and am able to get a good shave without
any irritation, the appearance of a cleanly shaven face is not what I
prefer. It seems to look a little unnatural, especially when the
stubble starts growing in later in the day. I can never get all of my
whiskers cut to the same level, which leaves me with a dissatisfied
feeling most of the time.
It will be a bit sad to leave my razor and hones behind, but I suppose
I can always treat my wife to a barber-shop armpit and leg shave. Part
of the reason for this introduction is to get some accountability from
you guys so that I can feel obligated to post some pictures in a
month.
I ordered The Facial Hair Handbook, which may take a while to arrive,
but do you fellows have any important pieces of advice that I should
know from that start?
Regards,
- Scott
I'm brand new to this site and to the bearded community at large. I'm
24, from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and am just embarking on what I
hope to be a fulfilling bearded adventure.
Some background on myself and my previous facial hair attempts: I've
been shaving my face for 10 years, and have dabbled in a few hair
styles in the past such as a full beard, moustache, and moustache with
goatee. Most of these have been short-lived -- the longest was the
moustache at 4 weeks. My facial hair isn't particularly dense or
thick, I suspect that it is mostly average. The main area of concern I
have for my beard is that my cheek line isn't as high or as thick as I
would prefer, and I don't favour the look of a shaved cheek line. One
hopeful aspect is that my beard is still getting thicker by the month.
I've always been interested in growing a full beard, but recently
circumstances in my life are such that it seems like the right time to
start growing. My initial goal is to not shave or trim for 4 weeks,
and then determine whether or not I should continue. The longest I
have done this in the past is one week, and from those experiences I
feel like after 4 weeks I will be able to continue the grow the beard
that I would like: a medium/long full beard with natural neck and
cheek lines.
One of the factors working against me is that I'm an enthusiastic
shaver -- I shave with and maintain straight razors exclusively. For a
few years I have been perfecting my technique with sharpening,
stropping, lathering, and shaving, and have enjoyed it very
much. Although I enjoy shaving and am able to get a good shave without
any irritation, the appearance of a cleanly shaven face is not what I
prefer. It seems to look a little unnatural, especially when the
stubble starts growing in later in the day. I can never get all of my
whiskers cut to the same level, which leaves me with a dissatisfied
feeling most of the time.
It will be a bit sad to leave my razor and hones behind, but I suppose
I can always treat my wife to a barber-shop armpit and leg shave. Part
of the reason for this introduction is to get some accountability from
you guys so that I can feel obligated to post some pictures in a
month.
I ordered The Facial Hair Handbook, which may take a while to arrive,
but do you fellows have any important pieces of advice that I should
know from that start?
Regards,
- Scott
Anyways, I've attached a hastily taken photo of the 11 days so far.
Regards, - Scott 
