New Member and Pics

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JohnPA	New Member and Pics	Lead	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 8 (06/30/08 01:15:21) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Tags : None Hi. My name is John. I am 22 and from PA. I have wanted to grow something out for a while, but have caved around the 4 day mark every time. I was wondering if you guys would be able to lend your advice as to what I should do from here. I have attached photos with about 4 days of growth. I have shaped it out so that I have chinstrap.... that is not my natural shaping obviously haha. Anyway, any advice would be great. Should I shave it off and wait a bit longer for my density to get better? Should I trim it down to chin goatee, goatee w/ stache, stache (probably won't be doing this ha), or chinstrap? I have a job that demends a clean appearance, so I cannot just go three weeks without shaving. That said, what should I do from here. Also, I took these pics with my webcam. I think the chinstrap is an accurate portrayal of the density along my jawline, but the stache is actually much more dense than it appears here. Ill try uploading from my camera next time. If you think I should just shave it off, please say so... I am young and single... don't exactly want to be walking around with something on my face which is not going to serve to my advantage with the ladies haha. Last Edited By: JohnPA 06/30/08 01:18:50. Edited 1 time.
fullbeard		#1	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 1064 (06/30/08 03:20:33) Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	John, let your beard grow as you have carved it out for 4 to 6 weeks. you have strong growth on upper lip, chin, and part of the sides. looks like the upper sides might catch up in time. keep us posted of your growing progression. no need to shave it off now and wait if you want to grow something now. join us in chat sometime. FullBeardMA Marc
FlannelRoad		#2	[-]
Beard Master Posts: 966 (06/30/08 05:05:55) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Welcome aboard; you've got very respectable growth there for four days, and it's certainly tidy enough. I'll just second Marc's recommendation: carry on!
wulffpaul		#3	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 4617 (06/30/08 07:21:57) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I endorse the others' remarks, John. I think you have great growth for only 4 days and are on the way to an excellent chinstrap and possibly more in the future. The great thing about the chinstrap style is because it is so sharply delineated it starts looking like a proper beard from a very early stage, and I would say that at about 2 weeks you will be looking well and truly bearded even though you will need more time to complete the exercise. The fact that in the past you have caved and shaved after 4 days seems to show that you have been making the the mistake of many newbies in judging the final outcome of your beard by its initial stubble. Beards contain hairs of various growth rates and dimensions, and it is not until all these have grown out and consolidated that the full potential of a beard is realised. In addition, as the initial hairs lengthen the apparent density of the beard increases. Whatever your age and coverage a beard needs time to grow, and in doing so will pass through an initial scruffy stage, but after that, as the hairs begin to find their natural lay, the beard's appearance alters radically as you will find out if you persevere. Keep growing. Get bearded! wulff
JohnPA	New Member and Pics	#4	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 8 (07/01/08 15:04:07) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Thanks for the comments, fellas. I am still going strong, but I am thinking about starting fresh. I think i might start new and only shave my neck that way I can see if I can pull off the full beard too. Originally I was going to stop carving out my chinstrap and just let the rest grow in, but I figured this way would be neater. What do you think? Thanks for all of your advice! Plus, I would only be losing about 5 days of growth anyway.
DanoFromCO		#5	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 2745 (07/01/08 15:31:22) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	If you just let it grow in rather than shave it, it won't really look any different to others. In other words, nobody will even notice what you are doing, then one day it'll just be fuller. So, I suggest you keep it. Patience shall be rewarded!
acroesch		#6	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 1211 (07/01/08 15:50:58) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	John, Welcome to the board! After only 4 days you are on your way to a great chinstrap. If you wish to extend the growth to a full beard, try it out. Is the rest of your beard as developed already? If it is, grow it all out. The new growth is only 4 days behind and with your density a light trim is all you will need in a few weeks (maybe 4, depending on density) to make it look all uniform. There's a beard lurking underneath the surface of your face that can't wait to show itself to the world! Try it, you'll like being a bearded man. Take note of my signature. Keep growing, keep us posted! Every man should sport his beard at least once in his lifetime
wulffpaul		#7	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 4617 (07/01/08 15:51:20) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Dano's right. Don't waste the progress you have already made by going back to square one and starting again. If you decide to change course and go for the full beard just carry on shaving your neck and let the cheeks etc grow out. They'll soon blend in with the chinstrap you've already grown. Keep growing. Get bearded! wulff
FlannelRoad		#8	[-]
Beard Master Posts: 966 (07/01/08 15:51:59) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Same here. Just expand the growing area without subtracting anything. Don't worry: the extra growth you have gained this first week will only be a plus.
fullbeard		#9	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 1064 (07/01/08 21:34:59) Moderator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	JohnPA, I agree with all the others above. Why start all over and go through the initial scruffy/itchy phase all over again. Just stop carving the cheeks. Continue shaving the neckline as is. The rest of the beard will soon catch up at this point. Just even everything out with a beard trimmer in 3 to 4 weeks. See you in chat again sometime. FullBeardMA Marc
JohnPA	New Member and Pics	#10	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 8 (07/02/08 00:58:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Well, I guess I started at the right time... the beginning of the month. 30 days to go!
BEARDED BRO		#11	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 1100 (07/02/08 11:20:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I agree with "fullbeard"....I think that the style looks great, and will only get better with time. "He that hath a beard is more than a youth, and he that hath no beard is less than a man." - WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
JohnPA	Update from JohnPA	#12	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 8 (07/12/08 01:36:12) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Today was a sad day. I had an emergency meeting this morning which required me to shave off the beard because it was still in between the growing beard/being lazy and not shaving stage. I am growing it back in, though. I was not happy that I had to shave it off in the fist place.... but it will be back before I know it. What should I do? Let it just grow in (shave neck) or grow in something else?
wulffpaul		#13	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 4617 (07/12/08 09:21:11) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	I am not sure why the meeting "required" you to shave off the beard, John. Were you ordered to do so, or was it because you felt self-conscious in appearing with your beard not fully grown? Judging by your pic of 4 days growth I would have said that at 16 days your chinstrap style would have looked pretty good already. On the other hand, if you were going for a full beard it might not have looked quite so presentable but, even so, if you had edged a good neck and cheek line I think you would have got by OK. If you are in a situation where unexpected meetings might crop up at any time, I fear that the outlook for your beard seems pretty bleak if you feel "required" to shave whenever they occur. My advice would be to start growing again, decide on the style you want, and edge it (neck and/or cheek line) at an early stage so that it always looks like an intentional beard, or designer stubble, rather than lazy scruff during the growing stages. That way, provided you are neatly dressed and well turned-out in other respects, I think that your growing beard will be acceptable in those situations. Keep growing. Get bearded! wulff
JohnPA	New Member and Pics	#14	[-]
Beard Newcomer Posts: 8 (07/14/08 00:12:31) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Sorry I did not elaborate much in my last post... I was in a bit of a rush. Although I had to shave for a meeting, I do not expect to have any meetings in the near future. I would have no problem going to a meeting with a fully grown beard, but I could not go with a beard that could have been perceived as unkempt. I have already started growing it in again. Slow to start, but I am looking forward to monitoring the growth once again. Thanks for all of your support. I think I am going to go for a full beard, but I may end up shaving it down to a chinstrap with or without the stache. What do you guys think? Thanks.
wulffpaul		#15	[-]
Beard Legend Posts: 4617 (07/14/08 05:41:52) Administrator Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts Report Post	Up to you to decide what style will suit you best, John, but I still maintain that a half-grown beard does not necessarily look "unkempt" if it is neatly edged. I think that a chinstrap or a goatee are the two styles that look best in their early growing stages since these styles are the most clearly defined, but a growing full beard can still look presentable, for those who are concerned about their appearance in more formal situations, if it has well defined neck and cheek lines. Meanwhile it would be interesting to have pics of your progress, and I hope your beard makes it before your next meeting. Keep growing. Get bearded! wulff

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