Facial hair can be a real source of pride for many men. They take care of it, they nurture it, and they look at it in mirrors or any reflective surface as they pass by! But, what does your facial hair say about you? Does it make a statement that you can be proud of? Does it make people wonder if it looks that way on purpose? In any event, here’s your unofficial guide to what your facial hair is telling those around you!

Neat and Tidy
This condition is also known as “well groomed”. It just means that you’ve committed to the beard look, but still want to maintain that clean cut look as much as possible. There are any number of varieties of neat and tidy, but most have clean lines that are maintained weekly…sometimes by a professional barber.

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Long and Shaggy
While long doesn’t necessarily mean shaggy and shaggy doesn’t necessarily mean long, for our purposes here, they will go together. You’re standing up against societal norms. You’ve decided that letting it go is easier than keeping up with daily grooming. Most men have thought about going this route, but few can handle it! But, keep in mind that this should be a temporary situation. Long and shaggy shouldn’t be permanent. GQ Magazine says, “some men have facial hair that’s old enough to drink, but true connoisseurs understand that beards are gloriously impermanent.”

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Tactical
This look is usually accompanied by a ball cap, sunglasses, and khaki pants. It’s a variation of the long and shaggy, but with a definite purpose. That purpose is to look like you’re a special ops kind of guy! You’ve seen them before. If you’re going for the Tactical look, it helps if you’re fit and trim, as most special ops guys are. Don’t try to pull this off if you’re sporting a keg instead of a six pack!

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Perma-stubble
Can’t decide to go clean cut or if you’re going to commit? That’s where the perma-stubble comes in to play. You know the guy…the one that always seems like he shaved three days ago regardless of when you saw him last! This says that you struggle with commitment. Check out this article on “The Bolde”…I think it nails it down perfectly! It says…”there are a lot of things in life that take time — growing a proper beard is one of them. It takes a lot of effort, too because he has to trim it, condition it, and give it the attention it deserves regularly.” If you can’t stick with a beard, are you going to stick with a mate?

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Sans Facial Hair…
We’re now calling this one, “old school” because of its rarity among adult men. Guys nowadays just don’t appreciate this look. It takes time, it takes persistence. Not having facial hair is like not having tattoos in today’s society. It’s very unusual and should be cherished. These are the rebels of today’s generation. Find a man in his mid-20s that is clean shaven and doesn’t have any ink and you’ve found the modern day dodo bird! The one place that you can almost guarantee not to find facial hair is among our lawmakers. In fact, it’s been more than 100 years since the White House had a bearded resident!

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