Ryan

Bearded since: 2004. I am an occasional or seasonal beard grower.

Comments:
I had a two-month gap between jobs. I work in a professional environment and needed an extended period of time to get through the initial awkward "growth stage".

How do I feel about my beard? Beards are way too much fun. Considering the type of job (financial services) I have, beards are not encouraged. In fact, most industries and vocations implicitly discourage beards. Not cool.

When I have a beard, I feel more confident and original. It's a great form of self-expression and lots of fun to run your fingers through.

People get their beard opinions from their dads. If your dad had a beard, one, male or female, is much more likely to be a fan of the beard. My dad had and has a beard.