Hello, my name is Matt and I am 25 years old. I have
recently become infatuated with facial hair, and have been growing a full beard
since October 2010.
As a first time poster here, I wish to share my bearded journey to inspire any
man struggling with growing their beard, and to receive comments and
suggestions from fellow bearded men.
Although it has officially been a year, I am uncertain whether or not my beard
qualifies as a "yeard" because of the routine trimming I do to
maintain a more professional look for my job.
My inspiration for growing facial hair definitely comes from my dad, a
dedicated beard grower: (seen here in July 2011)

Obviously I have the genes, now it was just a matter of sticking it out and
seeing where my journey takes me.
I first started growing out both by scalp and facial hair 7 years ago when I
started college. It was the perfect time to ignore social norms and find my
true self.
This picture shows me on my 19th birthday. As you can see I had spend some time
growing out the scalp, but the facial hair was just not ready yet.
Me at 19 years old: (the faint goatee you see was kept extremely short because
of the lack of density and connectors.)

Well, after a year of experimenting, I decided the long hair look was not right
for me. I decided to cut the hair and shave the face. I wanted to begin a new
chapter in my facial hair story.
Me at 20 years old: (little did I know that it would be the last time I would
be clean shaven)

At this time I had started a job in the restaurant industry, and had to follow
their facial hair policy. Luckily, facial hair was allowed as long as it was
kept short and neat.
Me at the restaurant: (starting to show some stubble)

A later restaurant picture: (22 years old, sporting a short goatee again)

By this time, my interest in facial hair had grown. I decided it was time to go
for a full beard.
December 2009, 23 years old. (full beard kept trimmed on the lowest guard
setting)


The next leg of my journey takes me to summer 2010. My childhood friend was getting
married so I decided on the day of the wedding to shave the beard down to a
goatee.
I had also started my current professional job, but again "neat"
facial hair was acceptable.
July 2010: (last time without a full beard)


My girlfriend and I broke up in October 2010, and this was the time when I
decided to let the beard go. It was getting colder, and without a girlfriend to
bug me about length, the time was right to really explore my beard's potential.
Winter 2010: (the beard was great during the December football game in
Cleveland!)


Early November 2010: (a little over a month of growth, with routine trimming
and defined neckline because of the job)



And here's the beard at Christmas 2010: (about 3 months in, with routine
trimming and defined neckline)



After arriving back home from Christmas break, I decided to try to add some
length to my beard.
January 2011: (4 months of growth, again routine trimming and defined neckline)




Early March 2011: (over 5 months of growth, and finally deciding to cut down on
the frequency of trimmings)

Finally I had gotten to a point where my mustache was almost completely
covering my upper lip. I liked the look, but hated the hair getting in my mouth
constantly.
This was also my transition point from trimming with an electric razor, to
using solely scissors and a comb.
Early April 2011: (after hitting the 6 month mark, I assessed my beard
growth and decided a trim and styling was in order, and the difference of using
scissors is evident)

From here on out, I became dedicated to maintaining my beard and achieving more
length.
My only sister got married in June of 2011, and (with her permission of course)
I was able to keep the beard for the wedding.
June 2011: (the day before the wedding)

(and day of the wedding, i think the beard/tux combo is a win)

And since that time I have added on more length, while still keeping up with
routine trimmings to maintain the "professional" look.
And this is where I am today: (unofficial "yeard", now trying to
slowly grow out the neckline)






So where do I go from here?
Well, I've recently been thinking about entering a beard competition either in
the Verdi or Garibaldi category. If anyone has experience with competition,
please share.
And of course, any comments, suggestions, or other, please feel free to share.
If my story is able to inspire even one man to start his own journey of facial
hair exploration, then my time was more than worth it.
Keep It Growing!
