I go from mustache only to goatee to full beard to partial beard on a regular basis. Right now...Im fully bearded..gonna let it grow until I get a job interview which would necessitate shaving. I let it grow really long once...to where it was touching my chest...combine that with the hair to my beltline...and I can't count the number of "Hey Jesus, what's up" I used to get. I use conditioner on it to soften it up so it doesnt scratch my lady...works pretty well. Let yours grow Smeg...we will compare them when you get here.
Yeah, the only thing I miss about shaving is....well going to the barbershop for a shave. Man I swear I think that's something most men either haven't done or don't do enough. Speaking of changing it up, once I had the wildman beard going and was screwing around and went for the Rutherford B. Hayes muttonchops. I mean old school 19th century style when you shave your chin but everything else is wildman. I thought it looked stylin' but when my wife got home all she said was.....'No.'
My best friend's sister owns a "salon" over near West and Jones. I say "salon", but shes does kids hair (my son), women's hair (my wife) and men's hair (myself .......if I had hair).
I had always had a goatee or LOCK-like design a-la last-game Astros. I WAS going for the ALL-EVERYTHING look, but all I get is some patchy stuff and some silly beard that makes everyone laugh when they see it instead of a full growth. Everything came off right before Halloween, and now I must continue to shave it. On the other hand, how do I make it grow? I can't get away from the Aztec/Indian/Mestizzo look. It's in my blood.
Get a good beard trimmer. You can use regular hair conditioner on it if you want it to soften up, which can keep it from itching. If you haven't grown one in either in a long time or ever, let it grow in for a couple weeks without doing much to it then shave it off and let it grow back. This opens up the pores and allows it to grow in much more evenly the second time around. I like my beard especially since I began keeping it really short. I like the way it looks and it sure beats shaving every day.
I've had my first "full" beard since the Astros playoffs this year. I can't grow much on the sides, but it's enough to get a decent width on each side. My mustache doesn't connect to my goatee either.
Man, he's more high maintenance then Liz Taylor. He looks like some sort of Spanish courtier from the 16th century crossed with Freddie Mercury.