The art of manliness and beard grooming

[Kit Sullivan]

I'm with ya, Hyena...I had long hair ( from below the shoulders to the middle of my back) for almost my entire life up to the age of about forty, as well as a nice beard or goatee neatly trimmed. I was never shy about going to a salon to get my hair done either; waves,perms, color...whatever looked good at the time. I fully embraced the "roadhouse/ lethal weapon/ toby keith/ kip winger" look for many years...with great results from the girls. It was also kind of appropriate since I was a bouncer in several clubs also at the time.

Alas, 2 hip replacements and a fused back later ( compliments of being run over by a mean old Buick), a 100+ pound weight gain and just getting old...the long hair is out of place now.

Long gray hair on a gimpy old fat guy looks ridiculous...so I now look like "Mr Conservative". I really always have been very conservative, I just didn't look that way until the last 10 years or so.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I had the '80s version of the mullet going on [in the '80s it was called a bi-level] and got it buzzed on Day 3 of Basic Training. For 10 years of active-duty, I kept professing, "when I get out I'm gonna grow my hair so long I have to part it just to use the bathroom."

When I got out, I immediate grew the goatee and got started on the process of growing out the 'do. 10 years of getting older and military haircuts tends to do funny things to hair. I'm one of those that the more you cut the hair, the more it goes gray - so I [would] have a gray beard and less gray on top than the sides where the buzzing happened more frequently. My aspirations of growing it back out just basically irritated me as time went on. I had to spend more time getting it just right and spent too much time trying to get it trained back the way I wanted (my Mom was a barber/beautician, so I picked up all the tricks growing up). But when it got long enough to pull around both sides and touch in front of my nose, I decided I'd had enough and buzzed it all back off.

I'm not a beard guy, only because I know that when it gets long enough and hot enough, even the goatee gets uncomfortable - I'm not going to put my whole face through that - plus, it just gets itchy after a few weeks.

Whoever can rock a beard, do it well, and without hassle, has my respect. I just don't want to be bothered the extra hassle it takes for proper upkeep. I usually don't even get a haircut but once every 3-4 months (I usually just trim whatever needs it myself).

 

[Kit Sullivan]

You trim your own hair only once every 3-4 months? That is a serious low-maintenance style!

 

[luxstang]

No hair trimming here. I've had long hair ever since I started growing it at age 16. It's now down to the belt on my jeans.

I did change my goatee a few months ago. I shaved the outer parts off so it leaves a mustache and a chin beard, kinda d'Artagnan like.

The wife likes it a lot.

 

[Mister 4x4]

You trim your own hair only once every 3-4 months? That is a serious low-maintenance style!

No... I get a "real" haircut about once every 3-4 months, and trim up the unruly parts as needed (that's how I'd get by without needing a haircut every 2 weeks in the Air Force - usually stretched it out to a month or so). Trimming around the ears and neck can delay the need for a haircut, as long as the rest is still not too bulky or out of hand.

It's all relative, anyway. I'm just now starting to thin out a bit on top, and when it gets to the point of being visibly noticeable, out comes the clippers with a #4 guard - I will not be "slickback, "the comb-over guy," or "the man with a skullet (like David Crosby)." It's just not that important to me anymore. I don't think I could pull off "Mr. Clean," either - some nuggets just don't look right completely smooth - that would take some getting used to.

 

[rpmcarter]

No hair trimming here. I've had long hair ever since I started growing it at age 16. It's now down to the belt on my jeans.

I did change my goatee a few months ago. I shaved the outer parts off so it leaves a mustache and a chin beard, kinda d'Artagnan like.

The wife likes it a lot.

Ha.... my hair was down to my waist in the 70's but then again I ran with a rough crowd. I tell that to people on occasion and nobody believes me. My wife would prefer I grow my hair out. But I reminder her its not a good idea....

 

[luxstang]

Here it's eleven o'clock at night and I'm getting ready to go to bed...... I shouldn't have looked at that last pic of yours. Really shouldn't have :s

 

[rpmcarter]

lollerz