[Lex S.]

I'll start off by saying that my facial hair grows in like shit. It's patchy and not very full, so I just leave my face clean-shaven (Sometimes I'll allow a bit of stubble, but no more than 2-3 days' growth).

I live in NYC, home of shitty facial hair. A lot of people here grow beards, sideburns, mustaches, etc. and can't shut up about it. I have the feeling they're overcompensating for something else, as a lot of these "beard enthusiasts" are usually giant manginas who seem to be playing "dress up" as men with their facial hair. But still, it seems like facial hair is popular in these parts.

So guys who have facial hair, have you noticed a difference between how girls perceive you when you have facial hair and when you're clean-shaven? Does it really matter at all?

[WestIndianArchie]

I've never been clean shaven. But the Osama bin Laden look seems to be popular across the spectrum, right now.

WIA

[roberto]

You attract a different type of girl, that's about it. What's more important is that you grow a beard because you want to. If your appearance is congruent with who you are inside, then things will fall into place anyhow.

Myself, I can't remember the last time I shaved close.

[Sombro]

It depends on your body and face type.

Lotsa skinny beardo boys here with kazoo voices with ugly girls.
Then again with a particular face type, some clean shaven guys look too .

No worries like that for me, people say I look like this dude:
I prefer clean shaven but let it go for a couple days. A clean shave takes 5 years off my appearance.

Honestly, I get more attention from women if I'm suited up or have a fresh haircut. ymmv

Think more about the Big Picture: Haircut, wardrobe, stance/body language, command presence -- facial hair is pretty low on the list.

[Dkby]

Yay.

When I stopped clean shaving, I got girls approach me in clubs (which has never happened before). But you need to take care of your facial hair, develop a style that fits you the best and maintain it.

[AneroidOcean]

(01-30-2014 03:30 PM)Sombro Wrote:  

It depends on your body and face type.

A clean shave takes 5 years off my appearance.

What he said. It will depend on your face type. Myself, I think I look strange clean shaven, which is because I've recognized that not only do I look better with facial hair to myself, but to women too.

What I find is that there are a small subset of women that nearly require clean shaven all the time, but that MOST women even if they say that they prefer clean shaven will go for a guy with facial hair that is trimmed and looks good with the rest of the guy's style. Studies back up that women generally find the 5 o-clock shadow or even more facial hair the most attractive. EVEN the women I've dated who say they prefer clean shaven rarely complain when I kiss them or when I lick their pussies. I actually think very short stubble (right when it's growing back in) is actually worse than having it a little longer as the hair can't bend as much so it pokes/scratches the girl more.

I consider my facial hair fairly sparse (the mustache part doesn't connect with the chin part and there are a number of spots where it's kind of sparce or grows in weird directions), yet I've found that if I grow it just a little bit longer it "looks" more filled in. I just try to keep it trimmed up so the extra length doesn't look that bad. It's very rare nowadays that I will shave clean, I'll just continually clean it up at the neck and on my cheekbones every couple days, with a once a month or so trim down to a #1 or #2 guard on the clippers.

I wrote this post about hair (facial and otherwise) that you might want to check out.

[commiejoe]

My facial hair is like that too.
Moustache doesn't connect with chin, which doesn't connect to soul patch, and my sideburns don't connect to my moustache or chin, like accentuated frown lines.
Then it gets weird, my sideburns don't connect to my jaw, they grow in between.
Kind of like Joe Dirt

if his moustache grew down.

So, I just clean shave the sideburns, and since Xmas '13 been growing out the rest, and shave the spaces clean, to create nice sharp lines between each portion.

Also, invest in a straight razor, strop, strop dressing, and lather kit. Amazon has all this stuff cheap. The strop and strop dressing should be enough to keep the new razor from needing stone honing. Shaving with a straight makes you feel like a bad-ass (great pre-game ritual) and doesn't give you razor burn like those multi-blade pieces of shit they sell now. Invest in the basics, and never buy a blade again. Money in the bank. A fine blade can even be used to trim long facial hair, basically brush the hair at the desired length with it, and it just falls off.

[Feo]

Stubble..always

[Randy]

(01-30-2014 07:17 PM)Feo Wrote:  

Stubble..always

Supported by science.

[Remington]

I have yet to find clippers that maintain the stubble I want. Is there a particular brand you all use?

[mbare]

Second that. Stubble...I get a lot of positive attention with stubble. I also have a thick beard.

Since yours comes in patches, it's probably better to just stay clean shaven.

[AneroidOcean]

(01-30-2014 10:41 PM)Remington Wrote:  

I have yet to find clippers that maintain the stubble I want. Is there a particular brand you all use?

I'd also really like to hear some recommendations on beard-trimmers. I would love something that could keep my beard at the exact right length. Right now if I go down to a #2 it's kind of uneven because the clippers I'm using are just normal haircutting clippers, not specific for shorter lengths like beards. I find if I go no guard it's way too short, #1 is probably too short but even, whereas #2 tends to be uneven because of the way my hair grows. I usually enjoy a LONG period of time from when I cut it shorter to when it's pretty long/unruly and get away with it by both shaving the top/bottom side to make it look neater as well as something I forgot to mention earlier:

Trim your mustache so the hairs don't extend over your lip area. In fact they can be a millimeter or two off your upper lip and that's not too high. This looks much "cleaner" and will be less in the way if you're trying to kiss girls.

[lowside]

nay (why? patchy, too long)



nay (why? good full beard, BUT too long)



yay (why? nice 3-day-beard, full, consistent)

[AneroidOcean]

(01-31-2014 03:49 AM)lowside Wrote:  

nay (why? patchy, too long)

nay (why? good full beard, BUT too long)


yay (why? nice 3-day-beard, full, consistent)

Killed the pictures above, those are nice examples. Keanu Reeves has a really patchy beard, but it's not just that it's too long (it could definitely be a bit shorter), it's that it's unkempt, he completely didn't trim the mustache and he didn't trim the rest of it under his neck. Very few guys actually look good with a neckbeard.

Ben Afflect did a decent job trimming. I agree it's too long for most women to find as attractive as if he had more of a stubble look going. However, if he trimmed up the lip it would look significantly better. It does NOT look good when you have hair coming over your lip.

Third guy, can't remember his name, definitely a good look, some can get away with even more growth, myself that's about the shortest I can get away with. Note that it isn't even long enough to grow over his upper lip.

[Randy]

(01-30-2014 10:41 PM)Remington Wrote:  

I have yet to find clippers that maintain the stubble I want. Is there a particular brand you all use?

I personally use this every day. Randomly found one on Sears clearance about a year ago for $15, been going strong ever since.

You can adjust it really specifically by millimeter length - 0.4 mm, 1.2 mm, etc. My only complaint would be that the guard size makes trimming right under the nose a bit tedious.

[Raj]

I'm fucking 18 and still no facial hair except for on chin and a little circular child like beard on jaw muscles. Any ideas on how to make it arrive faster?

[Lex S.]

(01-30-2014 05:46 PM)commiejoe Wrote:  

My facial hair is like that too.
Moustache doesn't connect with chin, which doesn't connect to soul patch, and my sideburns don't connect to my moustache or chin, like accentuated frown lines.
Then it gets weird, my sideburns don't connect to my jaw, they grow in between.
Kind of like Joe Dirt

if his moustache grew down.

So, I just clean shave the sideburns, and since Xmas '13 been growing out the rest, and shave the spaces clean, to create nice sharp lines between each portion.

Also, invest in a straight razor, strop, strop dressing, and lather kit. Amazon has all this stuff cheap. The strop and strop dressing should be enough to keep the new razor from needing stone honing. Shaving with a straight makes you feel like a bad-ass (great pre-game ritual) and doesn't give you razor burn like those multi-blade pieces of shit they sell now. Invest in the basics, and never buy a blade again. Money in the bank. A fine blade can even be used to trim long facial hair, basically brush the hair at the desired length with it, and it just falls off.

Yeah, my facial hair grows in the same way. It sounds like having some facial hair definitely helps, though. I'm going out tomorrow night and I'll leave some stubble, maybe a day or two worth of growth. My stubble is fine, but once it starts growing in any longer than 3 or 4 days you really start to notice the patches.

[eastwest]

Stubble for sure. I just trim it with the 1mm every 3-4 days.

Interesting from that study linked that bearded men were ranked higher on parenting. Most guys I know with full beards are also locked down in families. The clean shaven look is the corporate drone look and is pretty much standard.

I think the thing about stubble is that it signals masculinity and testosterone - the ability to grow a beard - without the 'old established' man look that a full beard gives.

What is the best way to keep the stubble the right length though? How does the Braun tripple head trimmers work, is it close or can you set it to different lengths?

[Remington]

Just bought this thing for $20.00. Might as well try it out.

[Scuba_Instructor]

(01-31-2014 03:49 AM)lowside Wrote:  

nay (why? patchy, too long)



nay (why? good full beard, BUT too long)



yay (why? nice 3-day-beard, full, consistent)

Definitely agree on this breakdown.

It took me a while to realise but the key to have a good 3-day beard is letting the hair growth above and below your mouth be slightly longer than on the sides of your face.

This brings out the angles of your face and looks much better. I've tried it with my adjustable clippers and got a lot more attention since.

[Rotisserie]

Well, if you can grow it like this, sure:



Here's a handy guide from GQ.



Basically, it depends on how well you can grow it.

[funkyzeit]

I have a thick beard, and I noticed girls love it. Combine it with muscular physique and good style and your appearance will be top 1%

[not-a-pua]

...and now we have Peak Beard.

[20Nation]

there are benefits for all the styles. Beard = more manly. Scruff = more modelish. Clean shaven = you can look younger. But honestly it probably depends on how you look personally. A beard can hide a weak chin or double chins or a bad jaw line. However, if you have a great chin and jaw line, it will just hide it. Facial hair is also an indicator of health which is why it's not a bad idea. There are just a lot of factors, without knowing what u look like its hard to say.

[Jaysive]

(04-16-2014 02:25 PM)20Nation Wrote:  

there are benefits for all the styles. Beard = more manly. Scruff = more modelish. Clean shaven = you can look younger. But honestly it probably depends on how you look personally. A beard can hide a weak chin or double chins or a bad jaw line. However, if you have a great chin and jaw line, it will just hide it. Facial hair is also an indicator of health which is why it's not a bad idea. There are just a lot of factors, without knowing what u look like its hard to say.

This.
If you have a feminine jawline (weak), facial hair will make it appear more masculine and strong.

With a piercing jawline (strong), a short stubble or clean shave would be best to look like a man.