Q. I am 23 and am just starting to grow a goatee. My girlfriend says I would look better in a full beard. How do you suggest men decide what type of beard to wear?




A. In the female dominated world of personal style facial hair is one option that is exclusively masculine. While the classic clean shaven face will always be in style, it is very trendy right now to have facial hair of one type or another. A few considerations before you choose what to do with your whiskers. You are 23, how well does your facial hair grow? If it’s sparse or choppy you could end up looking like Shaggy from Scooby Do fame, not so attractive. Other considerations are your facial shape, and your skills with the razor or the trimmers. The five o’clock shadow, about a day’s growth of facial hair, is a fun popular look with the 20 and 30 something crowd. It’s great because you can wear it on a weekend or to a party, look hip and masculine, but shave it off easily for work on Monday. While this look is sexy and cool on younger men, it tends to look un-kept or sloppy on the older man, with the possible exception of George Clooney. The full beard and mustache is great for men with a slightly full face. You can be creative in how you trim the sides and this look is also good for the man with some acne scars or other facial imperfections to hide. Be sure to keep it trim and neat at the bottom edges if you want to stay stylish. Stats show that most women do not like the full beard if it’s bushy, sloppy or too long. Right now, the most popular facial hair trend for young men is the goatee. Brad Pitt may have helped make this look so popular but it is by far the most worn at the moment. As with the full beard, be sure you keep the bottom edges clean and neat. If your beard is full you may also need to keep the trimmer handy to assure your goatee is not too bushy. Here’s the fun part about being a man and growing your facial hair. You can try out lots of looks and be creative. Unlike growing out your hair for a new hair style, your beard grows quickly and you can change it up often. Have fun with it. Try a few styles and you can decide what looks great on you.