Hey Guys,

I'm sorry to report that my skin irritation got to be too much for me to handle. I shaved my beard off a few days ago so I can properly treat the breakout smiley: frown Fortunately, things are starting to look better already as my skin is starting to get under control. I (hopefully) will have med school interviews over the next couple months and I need my skin to heal properly before then, so I will be clean-shaven for the foreseeable future.

Thank you all so much for your encouragement and support while I grew out my first beard. I definitely wouldn't have gotten through the awkward stages without all of you! I enjoyed growing it and I really loved sporting it, especially in the last few weeks. I will definitely grow another beard (probably sometime in 2012), so this is not the last you'll hear from me!!!

Mike