Men all around the world including you and I will at some point in life grow a beard. Of course we always want it to look great, but the reasons for growing that big and burly beard or even that stylish goatee can greatly vary. Sure sometimes it’s a simple as I want to grow a beard, but that isn’t always the case.
There are a good number of very real reasons as to why you or any other man might decide to grow a beard and whether it’s for the look, the feeling, or any other purpose, we’re going to go over them all.
1 – Warmth
One of the biggest reasons that men everywhere give for growing a big beard is because of the cold. Lots of people including myself live in places where it is cold or even freezing for many months of the year and that means that wearing thick clothing is essential for staying warm. To go along with that bulky winter parka you can grow a burly beard to keep your face warm.
You might not think that some facial hair will do all that much, but it’s just like an animal’s fur. It adds a layer of insulation to your face that will keep the cold and the wind at bay. Having a good beard means not having your face freeze every time you step outside into the cold, not to mention it greatly reduces the need for a scarf too!
2 – Shaving Is Expensive
Have you ever stopped to think how much money you could save if you simply quit shaving on a regular basis? Disposable razors only last so long, classic razors have very pricey cartridges to replace, and electric razors cost a fortune to begin with. For this reason I and many other men decide that it is much more cost effective to do away with shaving all together.
Why would you spend several hundred dollars per year on something like shaving, something that is not necessary in the least? I don’t know about you, but I would rather use that hard earned money for something better and more fun. You know, things like gambling and whiskey all make for better uses of money than some overpriced razor, or at least so I have been told.
3 – It Looks Awesome
One of the most widely given reasons for growing a beard is because it looks cool. Many men simply want to grow a beard as a fashion statement and because it looks cool. Whether your style is a big and unkempt beard just like a lumberjack or if it’s a nicely styled goatee, a beard can look fantastic on any man including you. Simply put many men love the look of a beard and after all you can style it just like your hair. It can be trimmed and even colored any way that you please, which is something that definitely appeals to me!
4 – It’s Hip Right Now
Another reason that I often hear when I ask a man what inspired him to grow a beard is because it’s the current style. In other words men everywhere want to fit in and just like with clothing that includes having a stylish beard too. We all want to be a part of the pack and that often means having the same fashion choices as the leaders of that pack.
Notice how when some people start growing goatees all of a sudden everyone is doing it, just like at this very moment and the big lumberjack beard that is all of the rage. One man started growing a huge beard, someone else saw it, and it became the new style to follow over night. If the only difference between me and the rest of the herd is that I don’t have a beard, a good way to fit in with them is to stop shaving.
5 – Beards Filter Air
Many men including myself have big problems with allergies, plus my immune system is not the best either, which means that I easily get sick, my nose runs a lot, and sneezing all of the time has become a daily routine. I’ve realized that a thick beard and moustache work wonders in keeping germs, allergens, pollens, and other particles out of my nose and mouth.
A beard filters out all of these things and goes a long way in keeping my allergies at pay, not to mention that it keeps nasty airborne particles out of my mouth too.
6 – It’s A Waste Of Time
I am going to be completely honest here. I am very lazy and I can find a million better things to do with my time than standing in front of a mirror for 15 minutes just to lop off some hair. First of all my beard looks cool and second of all even if it just takes a few minutes per day to shave I would rather be eating, playing video games, or even earning money at my job.
To put it in simplest terms, shaving is nothing more than an unnecessary ritual that eats away at my valuable time. I’m already lazy enough as it is and even the simplest tasks take my full motivation, motivation which definitely is not going to be used for smearing my face with shaving cream and then wiping it back off with some sharp blades.
7 – Mature And Intimidating
Something that people love for some reason is to look older as well as to look manlier and more intimidating too. Facial hair is a sign of being mature and having passed the threshold of boyhood because it’s something that only a mature man of age can do; it’s not a right, but a privilege that men who have passed that age milestone get to partake in.
Furthermore when you look at a picture of yourself with a burly beard when compared to a picture of your clean shaven face, you can see for yourself that you look much manlier and more intimidating. Men including myself want to look tough, like we could wrestle a bear and win without question.
A good start to that manly look is a big old lumberjack beard. Another big upside to looking more mature is that women seem to love older guys who are competent and responsible, a beard being a great way to accomplish the image of being a reliable adult.
8 – Beards Hide Imperfections
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons for growing a beard, even if most won’t admit it, is because of skin imperfections. Things like acne, bad skin, and scarring can really affect your self confidence and it surely does affect my own self esteem. A great way to hide those imperfections and to gain some confidence is to hide that bad skin.
There is no better and more natural way to cover up those blemishes and bumps than by covering it with hair. Women use makeup and concealing agents to cover up their skin imperfections while men need nothing more than our beards.
9 – It Stops Acne In Its Tracks
One of my own biggest reasons for not shaving and simply letting my beard grow long and wild is because it irritates my skin. No matter what I do and whatever method I use to shave, it always ends up hurting my skin.
Those razor blades always tear up my skin, cause nasty cuts, make my face red, and worst of all it they cause horrible acne. I don’t want nasty little bumps all over my face and a good way to avoid it is by letting my beard grow nice and long.
10 – The Napkin Effect
It may not be all that hygienic, but a reason that quite a few men give for growing a beard is because it keep their clothes clean, especially their shirts. When you eat chances are that you are going to drop some food and that spaghetti can make a pretty nasty stain on that nice white shirt.
Men everywhere say that their burly beard acts as a great napkin and food stop to keep their tops clean. Sure they say that their beards get a little dirty and sometimes they find food in it, but cleaning a beard of food particles is much easier than trying to remove a tomato sauce stain from a shirt.
11 – Sun Burns
Something that I have now heard more than once is that I don’t shave because my face burns in the sun. This is especially true if you have very white skin just like me. Just a few hours out in the sun can cause my face to burn to a complete crisp, not to mention that sunscreen smells bad, it’s sticky, and it doesn’t even really help.
A nice thick beard on your face will give you a nice protective layer that will keep out the sun’s harmful UV rays and will keep your face from burning.
12 – Better Hydrated Skin
If you have problems with redness, itchiness, and dry skin, not shaving can really make a difference. Many men say that shaving dries out their skin because it opens up the pores and lets out the natural moisture as well as essential oils too.
These same men say that not shaving makes their skin smoother and more hydrated thanks to the pores being more protected by beard hair. This also helps with itching and beard dandruff because dry skin can definitely cause those things. Having a big beard means that you will most likely have much healthier and well hydrated skin underneath it.
13 – Peer Pressure
Another big reason as to why men grow big beards is because of peer pressure or because someone else told us to do it. We like to think that we are very independent and single minded creatures, but deep down we know that isn’t the case.
I and many other men are quite susceptible to suggestions and when people tell us that we would look great with a beard we are often inclined to believe them.
14 – Sexual Attraction
Many women say that they love men with beards and for that reason men grow them. Nobody wants to be alone and finding a good woman is already hard enough as is. To make things easier and to make you seem more attractive to women a good beard will do a lot.
There have been several studies which show that women love a man with a good beard and for some reason they are attracted to it, probably because of the intimidating, burly, and mature manly look that it gives us. If you want to make finding a woman easier your best bet is to stop shaving.
15 – I Got Bored Of My Old Look
One of the simplest yet most reasonable things that men say when asked why they wanted to grow a beard is because they wanted to change things up a little bit. Fashion changes and so do our tastes.
One day we might like the look of a clean shaven face, but when we have that same look for a number of years it can get a little bit boring and even make us feel like we are in a rut. Growing a beard is a good way to change your style to match your likes and your ever changing personality.
Conclusion
There you have it. Those are the 15 reasons as to why men of all shapes, sizes, colors, and beliefs grow their beards. I know that at least a few of those reasons apply to me because I can definitely relate. Do any of the reasons for growing beards that we have listed sound like your own reason?
Maybe you have a reason for growing your beard that we haven’t touched on or even though about, in which case you should definitely leave it in the comments section below. We hope you enjoyed our top 15 list and if you have any questions as always feel free to ask us anything.
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