Alexander L.

Bearded since: 2003. I am a dedicated, permanent beard grower.

Comments:
When I was a child, my mother told me when I saw a small comb: "When you are grown-up, you will comb the beard with comb." Maybe it laid the foundation for my love to grow a beard. Time went by. At about thirteen years old, I found single hairs on my chin and fuzz on my upper lip. So moustache stuck out in all directions and looked acceptable with only a modest length. I started to shave, but always had cuts and irritation, whatever cream and razor I have used. At eighteen years old I grew relatively acceptable sideburns, at twenty-one years old about a three-month goatee beard, and since twenty-two years old, constantly changing style. I grow mostly a full beard. In the two most recent pictures you can see three- and six-month progress.

These three photos show the process of changing the style I did exactly one year ago. Currently I'm growing a full beard after a chin strap in combination with non-caved chin and mustache.

How do I feel about my beard? The beard has become a part of me and now I feel unnatural when clean shave or change the style. I am a fan of the full beard on my face and would like to grow it without a cutting or trimming for one-to-two years. But in my case it would be uncombed and dirty. So I have to make a concession to society. I would like to have a thicker beard without a bald spot on my right cheek, but overall I'm happy that I can and want to grow a beard. After all, the beard differentiates man from woman and man from boy.