Nathan Forest
nforest@uwyo.edu
It should come as a surprise to no one that beards are making a comeback in a major way. In the U.S. beards are becoming especially prevalent with hipsters and with college age students. As a proud beard owner myself, I am here to let you guys know the ins and outs of growing and maintaining beards.
There are few more outward and obvious indications of manliness and virility than a full beard. However, beards serve several purposes outside of their obvious benefits of giving a rugged appearance to their wearer.
In a climate such as the one that we live in, everyone knows that beards are a natural block for the cold and wintry weather we commonly experience. But beards can also serve to protect the wearer against another weather force we experience constantly in Wyoming: the wind. Beards keep the wind off the face and prevent windburns and does so in a way that looks better than a scarf on nearly any man.
But beards serve purposes even on more temperate days and can serve as a sun blocker for the lower face. They also have their uses as disguises and are a great way to ensure that no one recognizes you when you return home for the holidays.
The fact of the matter is growing the perfect beard isn’t all fun and games and there is quite a bit more to growing a magnificent beard than just not shaving. It has been scientifically proven that bearded faces capture bacteria at a much higher rate than clean-shaven ones. Long story short, your beard absolutely must be well maintained. This means that there should be the occasional trimming, to keep hair off the neck as well as to keep appearances looking sharp on the cheekbones. There is also the daily shower cleanings, oiling, brushing and combing. Your beard can look scraggly, but it shouldn’t be neglected.
Another thing to be aware of- in my experience, a large number of women will absolutely hate that you have a beard and will consistently tell you to shave it. That being said, most males you will come to encounter will invariably compliment it and think that it’s a great idea. So take that as you will, you have to pick your battles out there. You should know what those battles will be.
Final thing to remember, even though a beard changes what you look like, it doesn’t change who you are. There is nothing more irritating than someone growing a beard and suddenly acting like they’re a tree-killing, bear-fighting, whiskey-drinking macho man. As someone who actually does kill trees professionally, we all know you’re being a poser. Just be yourself.
