The Death of a Beard

The past seven years my face has been adorned by various stages of facial hair. I have liked it, and want to have a big nice beard with streaks of gray. But maintaining and shaping a beard you have just let grow can be a pain in the ass, so I have had in mind of shaving it off to start from scratch for a while now. And when my girlfriend of four years decides she needs a break, and ends up moving out, I feel the need to change. Just to do something I normally wouldn't. So yesterday I shaved it all off. Not content with that I tried different styles as I removed it.

I make this blog because I know there are beard-people here. And to show how different you can look when the facial hair is or isn't there. It is strange for me as well, as I cannot recognize the person I see in the mirror. I am 24 now, and have of course aged and matured after I started the growth of facial hair. Thus the face I now see is more of an adult, than the teenager I was when I last looked at my clean-shaven self.

Anyway, here are the images. Enjoy.

(I just cannot seem to get the hang of adding images with the editor, so here is a link to the gallery. Some of the images are in the wrong order, but you get the idea)

The past seven years my face has been adorned by various stages of facial hair. I have liked it, and want to have a big nice beard with streaks of gray. But maintaining and shaping a beard you have just let grow can be a pain in the ass, so I have had in mind of shaving it off to start from scratch for a while now. And when my girlfriend of four years decides she needs a break, and ends up moving out, I feel the need to change. Just to do something I normally wouldn't. So yesterday I shaved it all off. Not content with that I tried different styles as I removed it.

I make this blog because I know there are beard-people here. And to show how different you can look when the facial hair is or isn't there. It is strange for me as well, as I cannot recognize the person I see in the mirror. I am 24 now, and have of course aged and matured after I started the growth of facial hair. Thus the face I now see is more of an adult, than the teenager I was when I last looked at my clean-shaven self.

Anyway, here are the images. Enjoy.

(I just cannot seem to get the hang of adding images with the editor, so here is a link to the gallery. Some of the images are in the wrong order, but you get the idea)

Oh shit. Looks completely different off.

the difference is crazy

Now cut your hair you hippy!
 
I had my hair long for 10yrs and then had it cut it of a few years back I would never go back to long hair now.

@ThePhantomnaut: @RepThePlantDawg420: Indeed. I am still not sure if I should leave it like this for a while, or try to get the good old beard up and running as soon as possible. It is kinda fun not being me, as it feels weird every time I see my reflection.

@JustKamToo: Hell no! I love having long hair. Had my hair almost shaved all the way to the age of 15, then I figured I could try it the other way. Like having long hair a lot more.

You almost look like a thin Vin Diesel.

I feel slightly homoerotic for saying this, but you look better without the beard... Right, time to go touch a girl's shoulder.
 
Also, I have a beard, and look completely ridiculous without it. It's not coming off.

It's amazing what shaving your beard can do. My beard is almost white and when I shave it I look ten years younger. Speaking of which, I need to trim it up.

Yay you look a lot better. As JustKamToo said, cut your hair too - I know it took ages to grow, but it's fun letting go. I looked like you a couple of years ago, and honestly; it's just a lot more manageable, easier and generally nicer not being so hairy-headed.

Dude. Either all or none. Those other styles look a tad scumbagy.

@Gargantuan: ... Not something I ever expected to hear. Not sure if I agree either. But thanks. I guess?

@ZimboDK: Oooh! Well, I just became single, so... no.

Shave it off and show us the before and after! I did!

@Claude: Yeah, the difference is really big. And damn, I want a white beard like that. Looks awesome.

@BeachThunder: But I liked my beard and I like my hair. I don't have much trouble managing it really. Plus, I cannot afford getting my hair cut right now. But maybe I should try it out soon.

@TheHT: Haha, yeah. That was just for fun since I was shaving it off anyway.

Long hair never looks good on a guy.

@BeachThunder: But I liked my beard and I like my hair. I don't have much trouble managing it really. Plus, I cannot afford getting my hair cut right now. But maybe I should try it out soon.

@W0lfbl1tzers said:

Long hair never looks good on a guy.

Gandalf disagrees.

@W0lfbl1tzers said:

Long hair never looks good on a guy.

Gandalf disagrees.

Get rid of it all. Grow up.

Don't listen to these fools. I love my long hair.

As a fellow owner of Jesus hair/beard, I am dissapointed in your decision to shave.

Pretty epic Unbearding you got there.

RIP Beard :'(

I love my beard. I'm 18, but haven't shaved in over 15 months, and I love it. Sure I trim it to 1/2" every few weeks, but I don't think I'm ever going to go clean again.

I think you looked better with the beard personally, but each their own. Sadly I have a baby face when I shave, but even sadder is that I just can't grow a full beard no matter how hard I try. It grows in patches, and the moustache area literally never grows hair for some reason; which means my choice of beard design is extremely limited. So I'm stuck with a nice little 5 o'clock shadow for about a week, but then once it gets long enough that you can grab it, it just turns into pedo beard and I need to shave it.
 
As for the long hair debate, well I keep it short because I hate the upkeep.

Long hair never looks good on a guy.

Very few can pull off the Jesus look.  
 
Bravo sir

WHAT DID YOU DOOOOOO? :'(

My girlfriend and I both love my long hair. To each their own.  

 
@W0lfbl1tzers said:

Long hair never looks good on a guy.

After having foe Patrick Klepek hair for years, its hard to imagine what people go through to maintain (or not) a mane like that.

@HandsomeDead: I am perfectly grown up. Having a beard and long hair doesn't have to mean I try to stay youthful or some crap like that. The fact is, I just like having long hair more than I do short hair. Just who I am. And I am pretty far from a hippie. Putting people in booths like that is not a good quality you know. You should change that.

@Gizmo: Ah, yes. My nickname has been "Jesus" for several years now. No more! But if I don't start to shave I'll be well on my way in a month or so. I have epic hair growth it seems, so I can do stuff like this without it affecting me for very long.

@crusader8463: I think I like me better with a beard myself. I have to say that I hadn't been trimming it for a week on that "full beard" image, so it looks really unkempt. I try to keep it more tidy normally. I am really lucky then, having good genes for growing beards.

I am baffled by the "upkeep comments" on the long hair though. I wash it when I shower, dry it off with a towel and run a hairbrush through it once a day. That's it. I know people with short hair who spends way longer fixing their hair every day than I spend in the shower.