Brandon S.

Bearded since: 2000. I am a dedicated, permanent beard grower.

Comments:
As a youth, I looked forward to the day when I could grow facial hair. My father had a large, full beard when I was a baby and I always admired the pictures of his bearded face hanging in our home. He would change his beard style often and I was amazed at how different he appeared with each new look.

I started out with sideburns and a goatee. At sixteen years old, I returned from a fifteen-day backpacking trip with my first full beard and fell in love! Ever since then I've experimented with various styles. The full beard is still my favorite.

The beard in these pictures was grown for a beard competition between me and five other friends. We all put $20 in to see who could go the longest without shaving. I documented my growth on a semi-weekly/monthly basis. After seven months, I was victorious. I'm seen in one of these shots with the $120 my beard and I won!

With much regret, I shaved my award-winning beard for a job. Now I'm laid off and am a month into my "Unemployment Beard". This time, I'm determined to hit the one year mark.

How do I feel about my beard? I love my beard! It's nice and full and has many different colors in it. I feel privileged to own such a fine piece of masculinity.