Tom- Thank you good sir! I was debating that before posting. She is a wise woman. She is generally right, even the times that she isn't.

JNC- Thank you! I checked out your journey so far. I agree, we do have very similar patterns and coloring, which is encouraging, as your beard is looking quite nice. I finally stopped worrying about the cheek density toward the end of last week when some of the higher bits that I had been shaving finally started to fill things in. 

Gato- Much appreciated, I'm really happy to be here in such a supportive community. I'm lucky with her support. She has always supported my various facial hair endeavors, with the exception of completely shaven. She has never been a fan of my bare face. She even got on board with my few month stint with a Fumanchoo that everyone unanamously made me look like a frightening convict. Thank you for the encouragement. I will definitely continue to update as it progresses. I must say, your epic beard just may be my new goal!



image


Trick- Thank you very much! I am definitely in the scruffy phase, at least some of it is. Sadly, I've been in the scruffy phase off and on for the last month or so, thanks to my numerous cheek and neck line changes. I wish that I had found this board when I first decided to go big. I would have let it all go from the start and not worry about carving out lines. As it's been, every time that I pass a scruffy phase, it will look somewhat behaved for a few days and then the next length will hit it. Oh well, this should be the last set to go through it...I think. I am definitely my own worst critic on just about everything and the littlest things seem huge to me. I try to keep that thinking in check. I have been using Honest Amish Heavy Duty Balm and a bit of Honest Amish Wax for a few weeks now. It has definitely helped to condition my beard and has given a little bit of control, but even the wax doesn't seem to want to hold the right sideburn area down. I finally went to a long beardsman owned salon today (don't worry, there was no cutting or trimming) and talked to him. He hooked me up with Gibbs balm and oil. I tried the balm while I was there and it put the hairs in their place right away, and my beard has never felt softer. I guess I found my brand. I will definitely keep up with the updates and questions. The trimmer is now safely tucked away under the bathroom sink. 

Slybeard- Good advice, those shaving thoughts are banished. Nature decided the hair style for me about 5 years ago, but I'm not complaining. Happily, it seems to suit me. Funny enouth, being bald is something that kept me from going big for a while. I always thought it would look out of place until I started seeing other guys doing it and pulling it off well. Speaking of, I think I have the height of the sideburns where it should be, but what do you think?

Last Edited By: Anotherbeardedguy Jan 12 16 11:21 PM. Edited 1 times.