Johan v.d.W.

Bearded since: 2007. I am a dedicated, permanent beard grower.

Comments:
I never thought I'd have a full beard. The idea just never appealed to me, though my father had a goatee at times. I did always hate shaving, though. I stopped shaving at the age of twenty-five, and since then have always had stubble of varying degrees on my face, which I kept short with a beard trimmer. While on holiday in December 2007, I stopped trimming and received such positive comments that I decided to let it grow. I will never again trim, shave or cut any part of my beard.

How do I feel about my beard? I love it. It looks good. It feels good. It's natural. I really like the way it's graying with dark bands extending down from the mustache, which also hasn't turned gray. It's a year now and I'm curious to see how long it'll get.