1.11.2011

on beards

So we're in the thick of winter up in here and one of the many logical things to do in the winter (from curling, sledding, warm breakfasts, etc) is growing a beard.  Aside from having winter utility beards can be both fashionable and fun!

As my beard has grown longer in length, Its started to become somewhat vagrant-esque, due to my lack of hair density.  It's ok... it's my lot in life. You've got to dance with who brought ya, right? I do like the fact that I have quite a bit of blond and red in my beard.  It's like the beard of many colors!

Here's my beard in a festive setting:

Here's my beard in an action shot!

As I mentioned earlier, I needed to trim it down a little because I was looking a little worse for the wear, so I purchased a beard-trimmer on amazon.  Everything seemed to be cut and dry until I read the instructions.

There were four things that I thought were kind of funny, as numbered in the image above.

1+2.  I like that it says that there are "three factors" in determining "which beard style is best for you."  But it leaves me in suspense, not telling me anything and then directs me to a defunct link or a professional hair stylist.  A small info graphic with different head shapes would be great here.

3.  This description really confuses me, but immediately makes me think they are trying to get me to grow a Count Rugen.

4.  This is actually good advice.  Cutting the perimeter of your beard should be UNDERNEATH the jawbone, not along it.  This is a mistake that many novice-beard-growers make, and you end up looking like an MLB pitcher or an extra in the community theatre's rendition of Henry the 8th.

Here's a helpful link if you need direction on beard trimming.

I realize that 85% of the readers of this blog are female so... this may not pertain to you, but it may pertain to the man in your life!  I'm fortunate to have a wife who is pro-facial hair.  I hear many guys say that they "can't" grow a beard because their wife doesn't like it.   So... good for them to accommodate that preference.

Some other random thoughts on beards.  Growing up, my dad almost always had a beard.  It's a great beard - and I think that a lot of my fond feelings concerning beards center around my dad's beard.

My friend Chad can grow the best beard... I mean, like world championship caliber 



So what say ladies and gentleman of the jury?  Are you pro-beard, or anti?

8 comments:

the youngs said...

I love beards. Everyone keeps telling me that I must convince Sean to shave his and to them I say, "nay." I even bought him this trusty tool to keep his looking good: http://www.amazon.com/Switchblade-Mustache-folding-faciacl-grooming/dp/B001M51VHI

Sarah Heder said...

PRO! I'm a huge fan of facial hair on guys.

Karolyn said...

Facial hair looks great, but I think it ruins kissing.

Dawn D. Lion said...

Pro, of course! I like to fondly tell the true story that the first time Jason shaved his beard, I wasn't sure if I loved him anymore. It was a real crisis in our relationship.

David said...

haha, that is awesome dawn.

so it sounds like if you can sacrifice kissing, then we are all engines forward, right?

most people are pro, it appears.

so i don't want to get too "personal" here but we're all friends so i'll relate this anecdote that i've probably said before.

ashley and i were watching this show on the discovery channel and we stumbled upon a program called "the science of attraction." (one of my all time favorites)

they showed women varying degrees of the same face and registered their indicated level of attraction to the man. they found that when they were ovulating, they were more attracted to the FACE with more masculine features, facial hair, sharp jaw lines, prominent brow/chin. but when the women were not, they were more attracted to the less masculine versions of the same face. (they took the same face and slightly altered it in on a scale of like five or something.) super interesting right? its like... the force of the universe driving us to procreate? wild.

on the flip side, they found that men were typically attracted to features that were perceived as being more conducive toward bearing children... i.e. "curvy."

of course there are exceptions to everything. but its kind of fascinating to think that the reason, the REAL reason that men were attracted to certain "areas" of the body are because it's supposed to ease in childbirth.

just one theory, but really wild to think about.

Chad said...

sean has a beard, too? I was thinking about shaving today, but with everyone going full speed ahead I suppose I will, too.
Can I convince anyone to stop trimming their beards?

David said...

chad, sean's beard is nice! marissa sent me a pic. i'll forward it to you.

i don't think you can convince me to not trim... but... well lets think of something else creative.

Liz said...

Scott can grow a beard like none other. It comes in really fast and really thick. It's pretty much impossible for him to be completely clean-shaven. I don't think he even was at our wedding.

Did you get out Christmas card? Did you see his beard? Well that pic was taken on thanksgiving. By Christmas, it looked like your friend Chad's. Not quite, but getting there.

In the end it was too much for me, so he shaved it (of course, first into a handlebar and then into a "Mario" then back to bare).

I'm very pro-facial hair. But not so much that I'm attracted to homeless men.