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I've had relatively the same look for going on 8(?) years now, and it's time for a change. I'm cutting my hair! (just kidding) ...snicker...
Seriously...upon the suggestion of my beloved wife, I'm going to experiment with a change of appearance and grow a goatee. She thinks I'd look pretty sexy with one. (Hey, if it turns her on... ];) )
Interesting thing.... I've already got stubble, and while it's barely noticeable to the casual observer, it already feels pretty good. I feel 10 years older, less innocent looking, less boyish. :) This could be a good thing. ;)
Be careful. That goatee/crewcut look is so sexy that it turns a lot of people on!! This could be a slippery slope!
Be careful. That goatee/crewcut look is so sexy that it turns a lot of people on!! This could be a slipery slope!
I'm finding that to be true, too. I've started turning more heads than I usually do. hehehe
I do have a couple of questions for anyone who already has one. About when does it get softer while it's growing? My wife is really getting attached to it, but she's finding it somewhat uncomfortable to kiss me.
Also, when does it stop itching? (Keep in mind I only want about a half inch or two of growth. I'm not going for length here, just a full grown goat)
...this thing is REALLY lookin' NICE...
I can see you're going to have to start frequenting the Beard and Moustache message board. These sorts of questions are answered there frequently. See my links page for the URL.
My beard is now about 9 inches long, and I've been growing it since it was shaved, so I think I qualify to comment :)
The length you need to grow it will depend upon the quality of your whiskers. I suspect that the amount of softness is related to how much the whiskers can bend. Obviously, if it is really short, it won't bend much. When longer, it will bend out of the way very nicely. The specific length will depend upon how stiff your whiskers are.
Itching is a different matter. My beard itches if I go too long without washing it. I haven't really figured this one out yet. OTOH, it also itched when I was shaved. It's not itching right now, but if I continue this paragraph, I bet it would.
For me it took about a month until the whiskers were long enough to feel soft. The first week or so was when it felt scratchy because the whiskers were too short to bend easily.
My beard was most itchy from the second week to about the eighth week. I think the itchiness was caused by the whisker's follicle getting used to the weight of the whicker. My beard is about 4 inches and it doesn't itch as often as it used to.
Nyghtfall asked about his new beard:
With regards to softness versus itchiness, there are two issues - when will it bother you and when will it bother your spouse. For you, it will not itch for the first week or so, until the stubble is long enough to move when you touch it. It will cease to itch when the hairs are long enough to bend and not tweak the root. This "itch window" depends upon the stiffness of your hair. For me, any length between a few millimeters and three quarters of an inch itches. I have stiffer hair in my beard than average, so your numbers might be less.
For your spouse, it will itch most the first few days and slowly decline in itchiness with each passing day. Some spouses will complain about itchiness, though, no matter how long and soft it gets, so be prepared. They may also object to it in more sensitive spots such as the back of the neck, but not in less sensitive spots such as the face.
Another issue concerning itchiness for you is whether your face needs washing. I quit washing my hair (on my scalp) so often when it grew out because my longer hair was drawing oil away from the scalp and it no longer built up daily like it did when I had short hair. And my longer hair needed that oil. My beard, though, remained relatively short, and underneath it oil did build up, and start to itch. So you may need to shampoo your face much more frequently than your long hair.
Bill