The big reveal

[LightDrizzle]

AIBUto wonder about what will happen when the beard fashion finally bites the dust. There must be thousands of people who have never seen their partner's chin and jawline except in childhood photos, and a lot of sculpting can be achieved with facial hair.

Are there any Mumsnetters who lived through this in the 80s? I remember when a 50 year old colleague finally shaved his Uncle Knobhead beard off in the early 90s, he'd had it since the 60s because he was self-conscious about his slightly crooked jaw, he looked great and so much better without the (crap) beard and I think the feedback made him sad that he had stuck with it all those years. It made me realise that unsurprisingly some men do use beards to flatter or disguise their features. Is it hard to adjust to such a radical change? I know colouring and cutting hair is radical, but I think we are much more attuned to and focussed on faces.

[c3pu]

I started wearing a beard at the start of the year.

I'm still in two minds about it TBH, it's a bit thin so I can't quite grow a really luxuriant one that I can be proud of, but it doesn't look too bad with a grade 4 on it.

I mainly grow it cos I fucking hate shaving LOL.

[Foxyloxy1plus1]

DH has had one for about a year. I loathe it, I think there are very few men who look really good with a beard and he certainly isn't one of them.

[scarednoob]

DP looked really sexy with stubble/a tiny beard.

now he looks like a sodding lumberjack and he insists on combing it out like a southern gent in the American civil war. he might never get laid again if he keeps that up!

oh and to add to the OP, there will be tonnes of beard oil manufacturers who go bump. they're making a killing at the moment. £15 for a bottle of dapper duke's mandarin oil!

[SaucyJack]

Hmm. DP and I were friends for years before we ever did the squelchy, and although him growing and keeping a holiday beard wasn't the turning point- I must say I didn't fancy him anywhere near as much when he used to be clean shaven.

He looked about 12.

Interesting question.

[greedygorb]

I know a couple who basically split up because of this. He had a beard. They were together for about 6 years. He shaved it off and she hated it. Found him horribly unattractive without it. He grew it back but basically she couldn't unsee it and they split up within a year. He did look much better with the beard.
I fancied someone rotten until I saw pictures of them beardless. He had no chin and no jawline really. Put me off him completely.

[phillipp]

My fil has a had a beard since dh was a small child. Dh then grew a beard and looked just like his dad. It was terribly off putting.

Luckily dh spotted that he looked like his dad within a few weeks and shaved it all off, rather than me telling him to.

[NatashaRomanov]

My husband started growing a beard when he left the RAF 4 years ago.
He looks better with a short, tidy beard. Currently, he sort of looks like a wild man from the woods. Clippers must come out at the weekend!
But I don't think the beard will ever go. If we win the lottery, he says he is going to let it grow really long!

[GeorgeTheThird]

I hate the current fad for beards - the sooner it's over the better for me.

[mailfuckoff]

Ive been with my husband 14 years. Never seen him without a beard. I dont actually like beards on men but it was there first. Not sure what I would do if he shaved it off!

[PhotosGinAndALongLieIn]

My DP has a beard, it suits him. He was clean-shaven when we met but I think he looks great. I suppose it just depends on the style of beard and colouring of the person. And obviously the upkeep.

Before I met DP I went on a date with a bloke who had a "I haven't been fucked to shave this year" beard. It was straggly and horrible and had leftover breakfast in it. Vom.

[FrogFairy]

Stupid question of the day. If a bearded man has tanned skin, wouldn't shaving off the whiskers leave a big white patch on his lower face?

[amusedbush]

I love beards and think most men look infinitely better with at least a bit of neat stubble. Sadly my DH is very fair and can't grow a proper beard - nothing at all grows on his cheeks. All he can do is a goatee, like his face has had a brazilian wax.

[CJCreggsGoldfish]

DH is currently sporting a beard a lumberjack would be proud of. I'm not a fan...he does suit stubble rather than being clean shaven though. He claims to like it, but I just think he can't be arsed to shave. Even his mates taking the piss hasn't encouraged him to remove it.

[ijustwannadance]

I don't mind a bit of neat facial hair but the full on pilgrim look is awful.
Luckily for me my DP couldn't grow one if he tried. Unfortunately for me having pocs, I probably could!

[NoCapes]

I hate beards, they just look dirty to me and I always imagine there will be old cornflakes or something stuck in them
Would never ever kiss anyone with a beard

Although DP always has stubble
He's shaved it off once or twice and I've refused to look at him until it grows back, looks about 15 without it
I love a bit of stubble

[Bexta147]

I hate beards! I think they are vile. OH went through a phase of not shaving for a few weeks and it drove me mad. I like OH after about 2-3 days of not shaving and he looks better than clean shaven but any more than that and I hate it and he doesn't even get a kiss!
My brother has a proper beard and it actually makes me feel physically sick if I have to be anywhere near him!

[Laiste]

When we got together DH was always clean shaven and had his hair cut and highlighted regularly. Pretty boy. Kind of carrying on from his late 20s. I'm not a big fan of blokes looking too 'preened', but I fell for him all the same.

Once we started living together he dropped the highlights almost straight away, and gradually left it longer between between hair cuts. (He also put on 2 stone - mostly muscle). He began to shave less often and the stubble/short beard suited him a lot. Works outside - nice tan, hairy chest.

So 10 years on he pays hardly any much less time and energy on his appearance and IMO he's 10 times more attractive! He's my bloody gorgeous, sexy, hairy, muscly man I love the unshaved look.

[Bloopbleep]

My oh had a full beard when I met him many many years ago. He's had one since he was 16. I actually don't think he's as good looking with a lesser beard (cringe goatee) but I've never actually seen his chin. He always keeps a wanker soulpatch. I'm guessing he has a bum chin he feels he need to hide. He's very cute at the stubble stage

[Mirandawest]

My DSS has a beard - he's 21 and he's had a beard more than half the time I've known him. I think I'd find it weird if he didn't have one tbh

[Mirandawest]

DH on the other hand has attempted to grow a beard but the effort needed was too great (I quite liked it but it did take a long time to grow not much)

[allegretto]

My dad grew his beard in 1971 - two years before I was born and has never shaved since so I have never seen his whole face - not sure I want to now, might be a shock!

[SovietKitsch]

DH has had a nice short tidy beard for about 5 years now, and it really suits him, I really don't want him to get bored and shave it off! But I did love him before he grew it, so I think we'd be alright...

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

Heh heh - I used to work in a place where the boss and second in command both had facial hair - boss had a neatly trimmed beard, s-i-c had a tache.

One of those fundraising hair removal events took place and they both shaved for it - the tache bloke had had his for 36 years! It was a hell of a shock, but he looked better without it.
The beard bloke had had his since he was 20 (about 25 years) and his wife and children pretty much refused to speak to him until he grew it back!

[Endofthelinee]

Dh had a beard when we met. He shaved it off once and I actually cried from shock. I surprised myself that it affected me so much.
He looked so different I couldn't look at him. He looked much, much younger. It was very weird to kiss him too. He grew it back.

[KatieScarlett]

Haha yes, my SF and mum went on holiday to Gran Canaria in the early 90's for 3 weeks. SF is black haired, olive complexion, tans easily. He thought this was a great time to grow a beard and moustache. And it was. And it looked great in the photos.
The day after he got home he shaved it all off. And looked like a negative until his very very very dark suntan wore off...