Beards.org is happy to announce that Richard kindly participated in an official beard photo shoot today. Thank you, Richard!
Here are some preview shots from today’s photo shoot. Stay tuned for lots more of Richard.
It’s summertime in the northern hemisphere. Enjoy having your beard! A common misconception is that beards cause added discomfort in the hot summer weather. For most, that just isn’t so. A beard can act as cooling insulation. Enjoy!
Many of the beard-growing mistakes that I see again and again may often be blamed on some extent to fear, anxiety, and a lack of confidence. Don’t fear the full beard when it’s yours. If you’re going to grow a full beard, go all in. Otherwise, why bother? You’re growing a full beard, for crying out loud. Show the world that you aren’t afraid to do it right.
For so many men, growing a beard is such a huge stretch out of their comfort zones that they are afraid to embrace the experience fully. They timidly grow out a full beard — and deserve commendation for that — but then stunt its growth or mutilate its shape out of some sort of fear that they’re going too far. For some, letting the beard grow in fully will surely make them look just like ZZ Top or Rip Van Winkle. We surely can’t have that now, can we? Except, of course, letting a beard grow out a little beyond the stubble stage is hardly the equivalent of a ZZ Top beard.
Some of the most common beard-growing mistakes for a full beard are:
These errors do not plague new beard growers exclusively. Plenty of veteran beard growers commit these mistakes all the time, too. Let’s take a look at each one.
What’s the fear? “If I don’t keep this cheek line down way low, I’ll look just like a wolf man.”
What’s the result? All too often, the result is a butchered beard that looks stifled and unnatural.
What to do? Look at it this way. Give your natural cheek line a fair chance. And don’t be afraid to do so. Some fear that their natural cheek line reaches all the way up to their eyes. Usually, this is an exaggerated perception. If your natural cheek line really is too high and you really do look exactly like a wolf man, then go ahead and lower the cheek line. But don’t go too far. If your natural cheek line is not truly that of a wolf man, but is a bit ragged and you’d prefer a neater line, go ahead and define a straighter cheek line. Just take off what’s needed to define a neater line. Don’t go too far!
What’s the fear? “I’d better define the neck line way up high, otherwise this beard would be too big. Besides, I’ve seen plenty of other guys with neck lines up high and they must know what they are doing.”
What’s the result? A neck line that’s too high makes a full beard look truncated, unnatural, unflattering, and even “clown-like”.
What to do? Think about this. The idea of growing a full beard is to grow the full beard. Why should the underside of the chin be clean shaven? Some even have defined the neck line to be above the jaw. That’s not a full beard. It’s a full beard with the bottom part missing. Don’t do this! Instead, follow the guidelines for designing a neck line for your full beard.
What’s the fear? “My beard is already an eighth of an inch (3.175 mm) long. People will think that I’m ZZ Top! This has gone too far. I’d better trim it down.”
What’s the result? Fear of letting your beard fully grow out results in essentially a stubble beard, or maybe just slightly beyond the stubble stage. That is pretty much just an extended unshaven look. To see what your beard really looks like, let it keep growing. If you look with an objective eye, rather than having a knee-jerk reaction based on lack of confidence, you can tell when it’s approaching the length limit for what you consider to be acceptable for your situation. Even then, you might be safe in going longer. The point is that too many are growing about an eighth of an inch (3.175 mm) and thinking that they’ve grown a real beard. Well, keep growing and you’ll eventually see what a real beard can be.
If that’s what you really want, go for it. Just make sure that it is what you really want and it’s not your fears calling the shots.
A properly cultivated and well-groomed beard can always give a professional look. It can even enhance one’s professional appearance. Just do it right. Be prepared for uninformed comments. That is, be prepared to brush them aside. People feel compelled to comment and usually just say something without thinking. Don’t worry about that. Keep growing. Grow a proper full beard. Don’t give into your fears and grow a butchered, stunted beard. Which one looks better and more professional? You decide.
Dad grows a world-class beard and provides inspiration. Mom carefully handcrafts beards for all. The kids embark on early careers as cutting-edge beard fashion models. What’s not to love?
The story of this ultra-cool family will be appearing soon on beards.org. Meanwhile, for those of you who want a beard and can’t grow one: buy one! …or more! Click on either photo to go to “The Monkey Cannon’s” online store and shop away!
– Photos are courtesy of “The Monkey Cannon” and are used with permission.
Christopher’s back! Here are some preview shots from his second official beards.org photo shoot earlier today! Stay tuned for more…
Brian’s back with a new look for his second official beards.org photo shoot! Here are some preview images from his photo shoot that took place today, October 15, 2010. Watch for an update to Brian’s beard feature soon!
Phill has written in to tell of his outstanding beard’s upcoming disappearance. But before it disappears, he’s taking votes on what to do with the beard. The voting goes to support a charity that Phill has selected. You may vote through September 30th, 2010. See below for all the information.
After it’s all done, though, I think Phill should grow that full beard back again!
Here is Phill’s message:
I hail from London, England and, as happens to many of us, I’ve decided that it’s time for the beard to go, but not before one last hurrah!
In a nutshell, I’m shaving off more than a year’s worth of hair and four month’s of beard for charity, a homeless charity, Centrepoint – partly on the basis that I look like a homeless person, if I’m honest…
But there’s a twist.
I have to go through an intermediate stage that will look ridiculous/spectacular – and I don’t get to choose what that is, Joe Public does.
I’ve had a website/blog up and running for a couple of weeks now http://phillsface.wordpress.com/
And I’ve invited almost everyone I know and everyone they know to submit ideas for how to shape/shave my beard and hair – anything goes (that I’m actually capable of.)
More than 80 ideas from nearly 1,000 people have been shortlisted to five and these are now online for people to vote and donate as of today. The one that gets the most donations is the one I have to sport for a week, at work from October 1st.
So, whatever they vote for, I have to go through with… and every vote is by way of a donation.
It would be great if you wanted to share this with your readers, Facebook, Twitter – anything to get some expert opinion involved.
This is what it’s all about: http://phillsface.wordpress.com/about/
And this is the Final Five:
http://phillsface.wordpress.com/the-gallery/
I hope you enjoy it and would love it if you could share it!
Cheers
Phill
P.S. This isn’t a corporate thing in any way. I’m doing this all of my own back, so there are no endorsements or anything except me having chosen a designated charity.
Andy kindly participated in an official beards.org photo shoot on September 23rd, 2010. Unlike any other beards.org photo shoot to date, Andy’s photo shoot included a trip to the barber shop for a haircut and beard trim. Here are some preview shots from the first part of the photo shoot.
Off to a great start: first photo from the shoot.
Beards allowed!
Andy! Now that's a BEARD!
Stay tuned for lots more of Andy!
Stay tuned for a whole lot more of Scott and his amazing beard! Meanwhile, check out a few sample shots from his official beards.org photo shoot:
