Why have a beard?

Well, if you’re asking this question you probably should just shave. If you have to have someone talk you into having a beard then it’s probably just not for you.

“The beard chooses the man,

the man doesn’t choose the beard.”

BUT…

Maybe you’ve decided you want to try growing a beard and are getting to a point where you’re having doubts about your beard’s appearance, feel, smell, or attractiveness…

First off, this happens to everyone.  Yes!  Even the manliest of men have had doubts when starting to grow their beard to certain lengths, shapes, and most of all when the people around them do not like it.

My reaction to someone telling me I should shave…

So here are 5 reasons you should let it grow!

1. Because you are a man!

A tree grows bark because it was created to – it’s a part of the tree’s very nature. “Growing a beard is an affirmation of manliness and masculinity,” says Steve Wilson of beards.org. “The beard itself is a physical characteristic that separates men from the boys, girls, and women. In our culture that has downplayed good old-fashioned masculinity, growing a beard shows that you are not afraid of being a manly man.” We live a culture that has tried to feminize men for decades. Growing a beard is showing the powers that be “Hey I’m a man and you cant stop me!”

“If I am shaven, Then my strength will leave me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.” – Judges 16:17

2. Beards are good for you & your health!

• Asthma and Allergies Reduced – Facial hair actually helps by working as a filter and preventing allergens from settling.

• Prevents Skin Cancer – Researches have shown that beards block 95% of UV rays from the sun. UV rays can cause cancer – beards help block those rays…sounds like a no brainer to me.  The thicker & fuller the beard…the manlier! *cough* I mean…the better!

• Insulation – Keep warm!  When it’s cold your beard will keep you warmer which in turn can help fight off colds. For staying even warmer simply grow a bigger beard.

• Reduce the Chance of Infections – Have you ever had an ingrown hair?!?!?  Ouch!  Or scars or spotting from cutting yourself? Who needs that?  Eliminate that worry and reduce your chance of infections!

• Skin Care – Who wants skin damage?  Your beard helps to shield your skin from the sun which helps to avoid years of harmful damage which keeps it looking younger and smoother.

3. Attractiveness 

In a study comprised of both men and women, faces with beards or stubble were consistently rated as more attractive than clean-shaven faces. Read more about this study. It’s no surprise that beards make you look better…it’s proven that woman are more attracted to beards. Science, YES SCIENCE, has proven that women find men with moderate stubble to full grown beards to be more attractive than your typical clean shaven man. Here is an actual study. It’s just a fact that men look better, stronger, tougher, and just down right more handsome with a beard.

4. You are WASTING 139 Days of your Life Shaving!

According to Dr. Herbert Mescon from Boston University, you’re throwing away (literally) a whopping 139 days of your life just because you shave! He figured out that if an average teenager begins shaving at the age of 15, then in his 55 years or so years of shaving, he will have spent an approximate 3,350 hours of his life shaving! This is a grand total of 139 full days!  Then there is the thousands of dollars spent throughout a  lifetime on shaving supplies such as razors, shaving creams, lotions etc. You have better ways to spend your time and money right?  We hope so.

5. A Beard Demands Respect

I think we can agree that men sporting full beards have a certain air about them; a respectable, authoritative air.  It’s not the look of a spring chick.  It’s cultured and refined.  It’s the look of a man who’s seen the world and has more than a few tales to tell about it.  It’s the look of the well-traveled professor, of the doctor who’s saved more people than you’ve even met.  And more importantly, it’s the look of The Most Interesting Man In The World… This style can be very intimidating in social situations, especially when paired with the right persona.

A man with a beard always seems to know where he’s going, always knows what he’s doing, and whenever questions arise he’s the one you turn to.  It commands respect from both men and women, of all ages.You will also experience more success, albeit sometimes harder won, in your many aspects of life.  You will learn to appreciate yourself more as a strong man, as a decision maker, as someone who makes their own way and their own destiny.  You will find your decisions and actions further emboldened by your mindset, which cyclically increases your self-determination and discipline.In other words, it creates a strong alpha mentality.

A man who owns his beard also appears to own the world around him.  He makes his decisions and sticks with them, he is not one to be second-guessed.  To all who see it, a beard is a sign of strength and masculinity.  It is a reminder of how nature intended man to be: powerful, confident, and self-assured.  Because a man with a beard is a man to be feared.

So don’t let others deter you from being who you were meant to be. Let it grow! A common misconception is that growing a beard is lazy or easy and maintenace free. Not true! It takes work and care to grow a full healthy beard. 

Good luck with your beardly endeavors and may the beard be ever in your favor.