Tag Archives: beards

Going Retro: Discover Amazing RETRO Beards

2025/02/05 Steven Wilson 6 Comments

Looking BACK. Growing FORWARD.

Awesome beards from the past can inspire present and future awesome beards. All About BEARDS is proud to announce the launch of our RETRO Beards feature! We will take an in-depth look back at all sorts of magnificent beards from the past with an emphasis on beards from the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century.

The early days of widespread photography were in the nineteenth century, a century which could be considered the glory days of epic beard growing. Beards were abundant and bold. These men did not hesitate to grow massive beards and mustaches in every imaginable style, from the common classics to creative and unconventional styles.

This incredible golden age of beard growing quickly faded away after the turn of the century, especially after 1910. In our lifetimes we have not seen such prolific beard growth. But we could. And we should! Let’s do it!

Discover amazing Retro Beards at All About BEARDS, featured beard image 2 — **This is a preview of some of the beards you will see in RETRO Beards here on All About BEARDS. Photos: All About BEARDS collection. Click on image to view larger.**

RETRO Beards on All About BEARDS will present beards from the past on a regular basis to honor them and for these beards to inspire you and others to grow your beards freely without holding back. Even if you are not ready to go all out, we still want to inspire you to grow whatever beard you are comfortable with for starters!

RETRO Beards: from well-known to unknown

RETRO Beards will include well-known bearded men from the past along with not-so-well-known men as well as unidentified men, whose stories have been lost to history. We want to showcase and honor these legendary beard growers from all walks of life whether they are famous or unknown. As more of these bygone beards are added to the site, they will be gathered into a dedicated gallery of antique beards.

RETRO Beards: a preview

To get started, let’s take a quick look at a prominent beard grower from the past.

George Foster Peabody

George Foster Peabody (1852-1938) was born in Columbus, Georgia USA. Impoverished by the US Civil War, Peabody’s family relocated to Brooklyn, New York by the time George was in his early teens.

George started working in Brooklyn as a young teenager. Eventually he got involved in investment banking. Peabody became a partner in a New York investment banking firm where he was known for managing the firm’s investments in railroad construction.

George also turned his attention to philanthropic support for education. He served as a board member for multiple educational institutions and as treasurer for others. He supplied funds for new buildings and educational programs at these institutions.

Peabody was awarded honorary degrees from Harvard University, Washington and Lee University, and the University of Georgia. In honor of Peabody’s service to the University of Georgia, the university’s journalism school established the prestigious Peabody Awards in his name.

All about the BEARD

Beard type: full beard including large walrus mustache
Beard characteristics:

the large walrus-style mustache is a prominent feature
the beard’s cheek line is relatively high but is not at the full natural height in this photo
neck line is left natural, which was a common practice in this era

Remarks: George F. Peabody’s full beard was a striking, trademark feature of his appearance. Photos show him with his beard at various ages all the way through to old age. His big full beard with natural neck line, walrus mustache, and high and sometimes natural cheek line was accepted as a professional appearance for a prominent New York investment banker and philanthropist.

About his beard’s cheek line, I’ve seen it higher in other photos. In the photo above, the cheek line has been lowered a bit and runs almost horizontally from the mustache to the sideburns. Other photos reveal the cheek line joining the mustache just a tad higher up and running from there along an upward angle to reach the sideburns.

How to grow your beard like George’s beard: Keep in mind that George was blessed with abundant beard growth. Not every beard will have the same look. That’s a reminder that every beard is unique, no two are alike. Knowing this, you can try growing your own version of George’s beard and see how it turns out. You may be pleasantly surprised.

The steps are pretty simple.

let all of your facial hair grow: beard and mustache
let both neck and cheek lines grow naturally
allow the beard plenty of growing time to achieve the desired volume similar to George’s beard
continue to allow the cheek line to grow naturally, or trim it down sparingly
allow the mustache to grow to “walrus” proportions as you like

Need more beard-growing info to get started? See our guide on how to grow a beard.

The power of RETRO Beards

Retro beards: Look BACK. Grow FORWARD! featured beard image — **Photo: All About BEARDS collection. Click on image to view larger.**

Why bother looking at beards from so long ago? There are many reasons.

These beards from the past can be powerful sources of inspiration for potential new beard growers to start growing beards of their own.
Once you see the tremendous variety of these beards from the past, you can adopt a whole new outlook on beard growing and possibilities that you wouldn’t have imagined.
Whether you are a new or current beard grower, you may be inspired to model your beard after one of these RETRO Beards.
Even if you’re not interested in duplicating the look of a specific retro beard, just seeing the variety of beard styles and features may spark new ideas to apply to your current beard style.
Looking back at these RETRO Beards, is a fascinating opportunity to see what kinds of amazing beards were produced during a period when seemingly men were free to grow their beards in whatever size, shape, or style that they wanted. They grew their beards without holding back!
Seeing these beard-growing ancestors and the beards they produced gives an opportunity to pause and contemplate what their lives may have been like in those days.

All About BEARDS invites you to stay tuned and stay with us as our parade of RETRO Beards begins.

Even with beards today enjoying much greater acceptance and prevalence, a lot of beard-growing reluctance remains. We should have a lot more beard growers! And beard growers should grow without holding back!

Let’s learn from these bearded men, beard pioneers, who grew before us. They left us a legacy of powerful beard growing. Let’s harness the power of RETRO Beards and embrace the freedom to grow our beards however we like! Look BACK. Grow FORWARD!

Post header photo credits: Background image: Canyonlands National Park, Utah by All About BEARDS. RETRO Beards portraits: All About BEARDS collection.

about beards.org

All About BEARDS For Twenty-nine Years

2025/01/17 Steven Wilson 4 Comments

The world’s first website dedicated to promoting beards

All About BEARDS was the first website exclusively devoted to all aspects of beards. The site was launched to raise awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of beards. It is just as important that All About BEARDS was also created to be a place where anyone interested in beards and growing a beard could find helpful information about beards along with encouragement and inspiration.

The main message of All About BEARDS was to say to the world that beards are worthy of appreciation, and it is natural for potential beard growers to be curious about beards and seek information about beards.

Right from the start, All About BEARDS proclaimed that beards deserve respect, acceptance, and even admiration. The site set out to change hearts and minds about beards to reduce widespread anti-beard bias. All About BEARDS encouraged all men to boldly grow their beards, leaving all doubt and hesitation behind while dismissing the outcry from anti-beard naysayers. All About BEARDS‘ never-ending campaign to encourage and inspire more men to grow their beards is based on the bedrock principle that the more men there are with beards, the more common beards become. And the more common beards become, greater beard acceptance follows.

Before I started All About Beards, there was something called The Beard and Moustache Page. It resided on a web server at the University of East Anglia in England. Online searches as of today’s date do not show any trace of the existence of The Beard and Moustache Page.

The Beard and Moustache Page was strictly a web forum. It was a page with a running stream of users’ questions, answers, and related discussions about beards and mustaches. It wasn’t a full-fledged website dedicated to beards. Even its name clearly called it a page, not a site.

All About BEARDS was the first standalone website dedicated to being all about beards.

The Beard and Moustache Page is long, long gone and barely remembered at all. Meanwhile, All About BEARDS is still here and still dedicated to its mission to:

promote beards and beard growing
educate people about beards and be a resource for beard information
encourage beard appreciation and acceptance
work to reduce anti-beard bias
encourage and inspire men everywhere to grow their beards as they please

All About BEARDS also holds the title of “world’s longest-running beard website”. And it’s been helping men grow more and better beards, worldwide, since January 17, 1996.

San José, California: home of All About BEARDS

All About BEARDS: established 1996, San José, California — Birthplace of All About BEARDS: On January 17, 1996, All About BEARDS was launched onto the Worldwide Web from south San José, California. Seen here is a view of San José from a hiking trail in the Santa Teresa County Park. Communications Hill is on the left side of the image. Adobe headquarters is just to the left of the gray All About BEARDS circle. Today All About BEARDS is still based in San José as well as Tulsa, Oklahoma. Photo by All About BEARDS. Click on image to view larger.

All About BEARDS sprouted from San José’s Blossom Valley, making its debut on the web on January 17, 1996. The little site was launched on a big mission: to make the world more beard-friendly. It was a tall order. Beards were far less prevalent and far less accepted in 1996 than they are now or even the last couple of decades.

The site’s been named All About BEARDS from the first day, January 17, 1996. Its first home was on America Online (AOL) user webspace at the address members.aol.com/beardguy/. Soon after the site had been established there, I looked into registering a domain specifically for the site. I looked at the beards.org domain and it had not yet been taken. But then I hesitated and didn’t register it immediately. Soon, someone else picked it up.

I was disappointed but accepted that I let it get away. Quite a bit later on, the beards. org domain was put up for auction on eBay in August 2004. By that time, the domain had already changed ownership a few times. I won the eBay auction for the domain. I don’t remember how much I paid. I don’t think it cost me very much.

With the beards.org domain in hand, I quietly started preparations for moving All About BEARDS to beards.org. I don’t know why I took so long. But I launched All About BEARDS at its new home on beards.org on January 20, 2005. And the site has been here ever since, interchangeably known as All About BEARDS or simply beards.org.

All About BEARDS 2025

All About BEARDS will be looking back and growing forward in 2025. — In 2025 All About BEARDS will be looking back and growing forward. Background image is of a scene from All About BEARDS’ hometown of San José, California. In this view, an Amtrak California passenger train passes by the Alviso Slough Trail, accessed from the nearby Alviso Marina County Park. Photo by All About BEARDS. Click on image to view larger.

Watch for some new surprises on All About BEARDS in 2025. We will be looking back and growing forward.

Let all men be free to grow their beards as they wish

All About BEARDS 2025: May all men grow their beards freely. — **May all men around the world grow their beards freely and abundantly. That’s what All About BEARDS has been striving for since January 17, 1996. Let’s all grow! Click on image to view larger.**

All About BEARDS‘ key mission is to help pave the way for men everywhere to be free to grow their beards as they see fit. No man should feel shy, reluctant, or not at liberty to grow his beard if he wants to. All About BEARDS is here to help him out, to encourage him, to inspire him, and to make it easier for him to truly experience the Joy of Beard.

Ready to start? Let’s grow!

Happy 2025 to everyone.

beard life

All About BEARDS: goodbye to you, 2024

2024/12/31 Steven Wilson Leave a comment

It’s the end of 2024. Goodbye to 2024.

Leave it behind and go forward.

All About Beards: Goodbye to you, 2024. Featured beard image 002. — Leave 2024 behind. Face the future with courage and optimism, no matter what. Click on image to view larger.

Reflect on what you’ve experienced and learned.

Focus now on what’s most important to you.

Do your best every day as we move forward through the new year.

In addition to everything else, let’s encourage more and more men to grow their beards.

Let’s encourage everyone to grow their beards boldly. No shyness, No hesitation. Just grow bold and strong.

Send off 2024 with this classic song:

Goodbye to you, 2024. Goodbye.

growing a beard

Start growing your beard now! No-Shave November 2024

2024/11/01 Steven Wilson 4 Comments

Here’s what you need to know about No-Shave November.

It’s one of the best times of the year to start growing your first beard.
No-Shave November’s larger purpose is to raise awareness of and support for men’s health issues.

Scroll on down for more information to help you make the most of No-Shave November 2024.

Start growing your beard now! No-Shave November 2024: Chris, featured beard image 2 — Beard: Chris. Click on image to view larger.

It’s the perfect opportunity to grow a new beard.

Start bearding today! If you’ve always wanted to grow a beard but have been hesitant about it, wait no more. You can stop shaving and start beard-growing today while you’re doing it for a great cause.

No-Shave November gives you instant justification for finally trying out growing your beard. No-Shave November also means that you are not alone in your new beard-growing pursuit. Others you know may be participating in No-Shave November as well. Plus, you should encourage everyone you know to join you as fellow new beard-growers for No-Shave November. Challenge each other to join in and to stay with it.

And when November ends, consider staying with your new beard growth by letting it continue to grow through December and beyond. After all, why let your new beard-growing effort go to waste after only one month?

Be sure to visit our guide on how to grow a beard to help you grow your beard the right way.

Start growing your beard now! No-Shave November 2024: Chris, featured beard image 3 — Beard: Chris. Click on image to view larger.

Grow your beard and help improve men’s health.

No-Shave November aims to put the spotlight on men’s health issues, especially prostate cancer and mental health. You are encouraged to make sure that you are taking care of your own health as well as motivating others to do the same. No-Shave November is also a good time to consider supporting charities that benefit men’s health issues.

Whether you can grow a beard or not, you can participate in No-Shave November’s men’s health efforts. Check out our detailed guide on No-Shave November and men’s health for more information.

Start growing your beard now! No-Shave November 2024: Chris, featured beard image 4 — Beard: Chris. Click on image to view larger.

Get bearded and get healthy!

What could be better? Helping others to do the same.

Happy No-Shave November 2024. Welcome, new beard growers! Enjoy your beard journey.

growing a beard

Share your gift of beard.

2024/05/31 Steven Wilson 2 Comments

Being able to grow a beard is a gift, a blessing. Recognize and embrace the gift of beard. It’s a gift that brings many benefits to you and to others. Don’t disregard or discard the gift of beard by keeping it shaved off. Grow your beard and share the gift of beard with the world.

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 2. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Got beard? Grow your beard!

Not all men are blessed with the ability to grow a beard. If your facial hair follicles are pumping out genuine beard hair, nature has you already growing a beard. Listen to nature’s message and stop shaving your beard growth off. Your beard is unstoppable awesomeness. Why fight nature? Let your beard grow and flourish. Your beard is a blessing to share for all to see. Your beard regularly will be admired and appreciated by others whether you know it or not.

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 3. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Be more authentic. Grow your beard.

People appreciate authenticity. Your bare, shaved face is not your authentic look. It’s a contrived appearance achieved only through the drudgery of regular shaving. Further, you’re not hiding your “real face” by growing your beard. You are revealing your true face by growing your beard. Without your beard, your face is missing an important part of you.

Embrace authenticity. It’s a great asset. Show off your authentic and true face by growing your beard.

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 4. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Embrace your uniqueness. Grow your beard.

Every beard is a unique creation in nature. No two beards are exactly alike, not even among identical twins (but those can be close!).

Your gift of beard is uniquely yours. Don’t prevent its rightful presence in the world. It’s a key feature of your own uniqueness. There is a reason why beards have long been associated with rugged individualists.

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 5. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Boost self-knowledge, personal growth, and confidence. Grow your beard.

Growing your beard often turns out to be a journey of self-discovery and learning. Growing your beard takes discipline and often requires courage and dedication. This process builds confidence along with strength of character. Your beard can make you feel better about yourself, which also gives you a boost.

You will see yourself in new ways, not just in physical appearance but also in attitude and outlook. All of these changes can help transform you into a better, stronger person. Change and improve your life. Grow and share your gift of beard.

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 6. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Inspire others. Grow your beard.

Sharing your gift of beard simply by making your beard visible to the world can inspire others. Your beard may inspire awe in children who have never seen a beard before and view it as a thing of mystery and wonder. Your beard may inspire a young boy or teen to dream of one day having the power to grow a beard like yours. Those who are unable to grow beards may admire your beard and appreciate that you have grown your beard for all to see.

Your gift of beard likely will serve as a call to adventure for potential new beard growers. They may see your beard and be so impressed that they are inspired to grow their own beards to also share with the world. You never know how many lives your beard may change!

Share your gift of beard. Beard: Sean. Featured beard image 7. — Sharing his gift of beard: Sean. Click on image to view larger.

Make the world a better place for beards. Grow your beard.

Sharing your gift of beard with the world makes the world a more beard-friendly place, which is a friendlier place for all. Don’t deny nature. Grow your beard for all to see!

beard

Your beard is unstoppable awesomeness.

2024/04/30 Steven Wilson 4 Comments

You can’t stop your beard. Let it grow. Let it flow.

You can shave it. But you can’t stop it. It grows and grows and grows. Why keep cutting it off? Don’t deny your beard. Let it grow and flow. Your beard is awesomeness that’s too powerful to keep inside. Let it out for the world to see.

Look at the photo above, at the top of this article. It’s clear that the beard is a majestic wonder of nature. The beard is a force of nature. Unstoppable! Stop shaving!

Your beard is unstoppable awesomeness. Featured beard image 002. — Why shave when you can grow your beard? Don’t deny your beard’s awesomeness. Beard: Mack. Click on image to view larger.

There’s nothing like having a beard.

Your beard is unstoppable awesomeness. Featured beard image 003. — Beard: too awesome. Beard: Mack. Click on image to view larger.

Having a beard is like displaying the grandeur of Niagara Falls on your face. It’s just too awesome.

Let your beard grow and flow. Let it cascade in glorious splendor from your face. You have greatness in you. Show it off. Enjoy your bearded awesomeness!

growing a beard

Get inspired to grow your beard!

2024/03/30 Steven Wilson Leave a comment

The power of beard inspiration

Have you wanted to grow your beard but just can’t get started? Or have you started growing your beard one or more times and haven’t been able to stay with it? Or have you never even thought of growing your beard? You probably could use some beard-growing inspiration!

Getting inspired to grow your beard may be the key to strengthening your motivation to start growing. Inspiration also strengthens your dedication to staying with it all the way to beard-growing success. Beard-growing inspiration can be a major power source to get you from being beardless to being bearded.

Already bearded but are hesitant about growing bigger or bolder? You could use some beard-growing inspiration, too.

Here are some easy steps to take you down the road to success:

Get inspired to grow your beard.
Start growing. Follow our beard-growing guide.
Refer to your inspiration whenever you need to stay motivated and continue growing.
Commit to growing for a long enough time to give your new beard growth a proper chance: six weeks or more.
Enjoy your beard-growing success!

Keep reading to learn about multiple sources for inspiration to get you growing your beard or growing your existing beard to a new level.

Sources of beard inspiration

Look at beard examples

Seeing the beards that others have grown can be a great source of beard-growing inspiration. The variety of beards out there is endless. Each one is unique and many may inspire you to see what you can grow.

Where to look to see beard examples?

For inspirational beard photos and the encouraging stories behind them, see our featured beards and beard success stories. We also have thousands of beard photos available for viewing in our beard galleries.
There are plenty of other online sources for inspirational beard photos. The biggest is probably Instagram.
You can also view beards in real life in your environment. Pay attention whenever you may see random bearded men on the street or at work. You can even take a break some time at a good people-watching spot and watch for any bearded passersby. Every beard you see is a potential source of inspiration.

Consider beard role models

A beard role model can be a tremendous source of inspiration. He can also be a big help to keep you growing whenever you feel unsure about continuing your new beard-growing adventure.

A beard role model can be anyone you are aware of who has a beard that you admire. The beard role model does not have to be someone you personally know. He could be a friend, relative, or co-worker. Or he could just be someone you don’t know but happen to see occasionally during your regular routine. A beard role model could also be a public figure seen on television or other media. Someone you follow on Instagram or other social media could also serve as a beard role model.

The value of beard role models is that they are a persistent source of beard-growing inspiration. Whenever you think about giving up, think about your beard role model. Remind yourself that the beard role model is staying bearded and you can, too. With your beard role model in mind, refresh your inspiration and keep growing!

Seek guidance and encouragement from a successful beard grower

If someone you know has a beard that you admire, consider asking him for guidance and encouragement. Most bearded guys are happy to be of assistance to a new beard-grower’s effort to grow his beard. Bearded guys are usually happy as well to give advice and encouragement to an existing beard grower who wants to take his beard to a new level.

Just having a beard adviser can do wonders to bolster your motivation and commitment. Their advice or even just a nudge of encouragement may be all you need to stay on track toward your beard-growing success.

If you don’t know anyone bearded who could give you advice and encouragement, you could ask a non-bearded friend or relative to be your beard “sponsor”. They could provide you with ongoing encouragement all along the way on your new beard-growing journey.

Spend time thinking about and visualizing yourself as bearded

Your thoughts and feelings can be an internal source of great beard-growing inspiration. Spend some quiet time alone for thinking and meditation.

Also, get out and go for a walk, or go for a hike, bicycle ride, or other outdoor activity to get fresh air and a fresh perspective, an opportunity to generate fresh ideas. This could include fresh ideas about growing your beard. When you’re out in nature, remember that your beard is a natural part of you. Why deny it? Embrace your beard and choose to grow it.

While spending time on thoughts and meditation, visualize yourself as already being bearded and enjoying that new identity. Visualize this so strongly that you feel the excitement of already living as a bearded man.

Picture yourself as a confident, bearded man whose friends and associates admire him for his independence as a beard grower. Also imagine yourself performing your regular activities as a bearded man. View yourself as a successful, confident, beard grower who sets a great example for others to follow.

Inspired beard growing

What’s next? Get inspired to grow your beard and start growing. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Don’t be shy. Grow your beard with great enthusiasm and confidence. Congratulations on your new beard!

beard products

All About BEARDS merchandise is coming soon! Update: Now here!

2024/02/03 Steven Wilson 2 Comments

Official All About BEARDS merchandise finally will become available soon. Stay tuned for the official launch of our All About BEARDS Shop.

UPDATE: Check out our starter set of plain logo merchandise NOW! Go to our preview shop.

We are creating All About BEARDS official merchandise featuring high-quality, original designs that promote:

beard appreciation
beard acceptance
beard growing
beard-positive, pro-beard messages

…you know, all the important stuff!

Any and all beard growers and beard fans will be delighted to show off their support for beards by wearing or using All About BEARDS official merchandise.

All About BEARDS official merchandise preview image 002 — Yes, it’s real: All About BEARDS official merchandise will soon be here!

Watch for the official launch announcement coming soon!

Check out our starter set of items now:

Clicking or tapping on any item above will take you to our store on creator-spring.com where you can complete your purchase as well shop for additional items.

beard life

Make your beard plans for 2024.

2024/01/26 Steven Wilson 4 Comments

Celebrate beards more than ever before!

Make plans now to ensure that 2024 is a great year for beards no matter what else is going on. Your beard plans should be for your own beard as well as for all other beards!

Fortify your beard enthusiasm. Your beard enthusiasm can be contagious. Be aware that this should cause more beards to be grown and appreciated everywhere you go.

Can’t grow a beard yourself, but are a beard fan? Increase your beard enthusiasm level as well. You can be a great resource for encouraging potential beard growers to make the decision to grow.

Spread the joy of beards.

Beards are a gift. Not every man is blessed with the gift of being able to grow a beard. Those who can grow a beard, should.

Beards are for everyone, whether they can grow a beard or not. Beards naturally attract visual attention. Many people appreciate and enjoy seeing the endless variety of beards in the world whether they themselves are beard growers or not. People also enjoy witnessing the transformation of family, friends, and others when they observe them growing new beards. Let the world see your true, bearded face.

As your beard is a gift, don’t take it for granted. Appreciate it. Your beard should be a source of joy to yourself and to others. Enjoy the gift of being bearded. Don’t deny anyone the pleasure of seeing the beard that is uniquely yours!

Spread the joy of beards further by encouraging others to grow their beards and appreciate their beards as the gifts that they are. And encourage these new beard growers to encourage more and more men to keep this beard chain reaction going.

Keep your beard enthusiasm level high at all times:

Be eager to tell others about your beard, the story behind it, and more. Many will be curious about your beard but hesitant to ask about it.
Always be ready to encourage potential beard growers to make the decision to grow. You could even offer to be an informal “beard coach” to help them along the way and to stick with it.
Don’t overlook former beard growers who have left the beard behind for whatever reason. Offer encouragement to them to return to the beard. Maybe they gave up for a reason that you could help them overcome.
Freely compliment other beard growers whenever you have a chance. They appreciate the positive reinforcement. This can go a long way toward strengthening their resolve to remain bearded. Giving compliments is free. Be generous!

Improve or expand your own beard experience.

Make plans to up your beard game or try something new with your beard in 2024. You’ll always benefit from the new experience. Even if a change doesn’t turn out to your liking, at least it will have been a lesson learned!

Here are some ideas for changing up your beard for the better:

Strengthen your beard grooming skills: Maybe try out a new beard oil or beard balm. Get a new beard trimmer or work with your barber to take your beard grooming to a new level.
Change your beard style: If there’s a beard style that you’ve always wanted to try but have never done it, give it a go! If you don’t like how it turns out, you can always revert to your previous beard style. Check out our beard style guide for ideas.
Expand your beard: Switch to a full beard if you can. Let your existing beard grow out more. Let your full beard grow out natural. Consider even going for a “yeard”, a “year beard”, which means letting your beard grow with minimal or no trimming for a full twelve months.

There are lots of ways to make 2024 a great year for beards. Try some of the ideas presented here. Or come up with your own ideas. Let me know what you do!

P.S. beard recognition:

The splendid beard used to illustrate this post is produced by our wonderful friend Nathan Maingard. The photos are from a photo shoot that we did during one of his visits to the USA. Be sure to see:

Nathan’s beard feature here on All About BEARDS
Nathan’s website
Nathan’s All About BEARDS video series on YouTube with helpful advice on beard growing with a bonus performance of one of his songs:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=videoseries%3Flist%3DPLv3hn1q8dDfdcQNweNP97S5k5uWlMZ0kx

growing a beard

Natural Full Beard: Your Freedom To Grow

2024/01/12 Steven Wilson 16 Comments

The natural full beard should be a valid beard-growing option.

There is nothing wrong with growing a natural full beard. It should be a valid beard-growing choice for any man. However, too many men are too intimidated to grow their natural full beards. There is a lot of societal pressure against the natural full beard, both real and imagined. Plenty of men self-censor and don’t even consider allowing themselves to grow a natural full beard. But it’s worse than that. Far too many are reluctant to even grow a minimal beard, fearing that growing beyond a minimal beard would be “too much”. Some won’t even grow beyond a stubble-length beard.

Natural full beards are seldom seen these days because the bias against them is pretty strong. And because the natural full beard is so uncommon, it attracts a lot of attention. Much of that attention consists of outdated negative stereotyped comments. Just the fear of these negative stereotypes is enough to scare men into avoiding the thought of growing a natural full beard as well as limiting the amount of beard growth they allow themselves.

What is a natural full beard and why is it important for more men to grow one?

The natural full beard is simply a full beard with the cheek lines and neck lines left naturally defined. Some may not prefer this look and that is fine. But those who like the look should be free to grow their beards this way. When more men grow natural full beards, they are not seen so much as rarities and gain more public acceptance. If natural full beards are more accepted, acceptance of all other beard styles improves. All men should feel free to grow the style of beard that they desire.

Much of the time, natural full beards are reflexively and automatically dismissed as “too much”. But they are only “too much” because people are not used to seeing them. Many people immediately want to reject them. Similarly, people are quick to instantly proclaim that certain beards are “too long”. Really? How is the standard determined for a beard being too long? Is an eighth of an inch too long? How about a quarter of an inch? Two inches? Three? Of course, the definition of what an acceptable beard length should be is simply arbitrary and subjective. Beard length should be determined by the grower’s preference.

Judgments on beard cheek lines and neck lines are similarly based on arbitrary and subjective whims, reinforced by negative stereotypes. Who decides when a cheek line is too high and a neck line is too low? It’s not a question of neatness or good grooming because natural cheek and neck lines can be cleanly and neatly maintained, just like the rest of the beard.

Don’t be shy about growing your natural full beard.

As long as natural full beard growers are rarely seen, these uncommon brave growers are targets for undeserved negative comments and negative stereotypical remarks. Increasing the number of natural full beards in the world will help improve the acceptance of natural full beards as well as all other types of beards. Consider growing your natural full beard!

Tips on natural full beard design.

Natural full beards are easy to maintain. However, a strictly natural full beard may not produce entirely desired results at first and may need some slight adjustments to achieve your best look. In no time you’ll having your natural full beard looking its best with a minimum of extra effort. See the following examples.

Join the natural beard cause and contribute to beard freedom for all!

Now step up and grow your full natural beard. It’s easy. Don’t wait any longer to grow your beard all natural and show it off to its fullest advantage. Happy natural beard growing!

Looking BACK. Growing FORWARD.

RETRO Beards: from well-known to unknown

RETRO Beards: a preview

George Foster Peabody

All about the BEARD

The power of RETRO Beards

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Let all men be free to grow their beards as they wish

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Here’s what you need to know about No-Shave November.

It’s the perfect opportunity to grow a new beard.

Grow your beard and help improve men’s health.

Get bearded and get healthy!

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Got beard? Grow your beard!

Be more authentic. Grow your beard.

Embrace your uniqueness. Grow your beard.

Boost self-knowledge, personal growth, and confidence. Grow your beard.

Inspire others. Grow your beard.

Make the world a better place for beards. Grow your beard.

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You can’t stop your beard. Let it grow. Let it flow.

There’s nothing like having a beard.

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The power of beard inspiration

Sources of beard inspiration

Look at beard examples

Consider beard role models

Seek guidance and encouragement from a successful beard grower

Spend time thinking about and visualizing yourself as bearded

Inspired beard growing

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Check out our starter set of items now:

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Celebrate beards more than ever before!

Spread the joy of beards.

Improve or expand your own beard experience.

P.S. beard recognition:

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The natural full beard should be a valid beard-growing option.

What is a natural full beard and why is it important for more men to grow one?

Don’t be shy about growing your natural full beard.

Tips on natural full beard design.

Join the natural beard cause and contribute to beard freedom for all!

Share this:

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