Tony Jarvis

Bearded since: 1991. I am a dedicated, permanent beard grower.

Comments:
I couldn't grow a beard until I was about 33 or so. Before then, it was a patchy mess, no matter how long I let it grow in. Even now, I can't grow a full beard because of the spotty growth. I have always thought a beard looked good. My uncle, whom I admired all my life until his death in 1992, had a van dyke and I always thought it looked striking.

I always compare my beard with others. I think mine is good enough for me. I feel that a beard "feels right" on my face. I am almost 47 and I do color my beard. As soon as it turns all gray, I will stop coloring it. The drawback is that it is quite messy to do this. Also eating soup and brushing my teeth requires a bit of cleaning afterwards. I have always been a bit of an exhibitionist. Until lately I had long hair and I love the feel of the hair and the beard. I will probably have a beard for the rest of my life.