Winter beard

I am in the process of growing a winter beard and it is coming along nicely which is a far cry from the itchy deal I went through a couple of years ago for some reason I cannot figure out.

Last winter was so mild I didn't bother but I sense a pretty good winter coming on so I figured it was a good idea. Two years ago when I grew my last one I was itchy for just about the first two weeks which sucked. It was the first time I experienced the beard growing itches and I have grown umpteen beards over the years.

I guess like a lot of guys I prefer to be clean shaven but hate shaving so I only shave every two or three days, and start when I look like a bum I grab the old razoo and scrape the growth off.

I remember several years ago telling my mother I was going to grow another winter beard and she asked me if it made that much difference and I remember telling her that it certainly did. If you look at most animals, they all have coats of fur and it manages to keep them warm.

This year I have about 2 weeks growth on my face now and it is starting to look pretty good even though I have more salt than pepper in mine. The salt and pepper combination is generally why I shave as often as I do because if I go more than a day or two without shaving I start to look like a derelict.

The trick to keep from really looking like a derelict while growing a beard is to carefully shave the neck and leave a neat line and to shave a little on the upper edge to clearly define things. That way when someone sees you they realize that you are simply in the process of growing a beard instead of thinking you are just another wino.  After the main part grows in you can either keep the neck shaved or let it grow in to match.

Your choice.

Update.

I wrote this about seven weeks ago and my face is nicely covered with hair that will keep me warm for the rest of the winter. While I will keep my neck shaved a bit to keep it from itching, I'll likely let the upper part grow in for a little more coverage and warmth.

Incidentally, my facial hair is not some type of fashion statement. It is simply a way of keeping my face warm over the winter because I do in fact spend an awful lot of time out in the weather. I imagine that if I had a desk job I would stay clean shaven.

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