Men, you might want to consider growing some facial hair. It is fun to experiment, to try out some style out for a few months. And the great thing about doing this is that it�s not as permanent as changing your hairstyle; if you don�t like it, just shave it off! You should try it at least once! You�ll probably discover something interesting about yourself. Me, I found out that even though I have brown hair on top, my beard comes in red and blond.
Some types of facial hair include:
Beard: hair all over on the face, usually edged at some neckline
Mustache: hair just under the nose and above the upper lip
Goatee: a mustache and the hair on the chin
Sideburns: rectangular cut extending down parallel to the ears
Pointy Sideburns: like Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock
Mutton Chops: a full beard, but without the mustache / goatee
Van Dyke: full beard but with the goatee much longer than the rest
Handlebars: the ends of the mustache are longer and are waxed or twirled
Hulihee: no hair on chin, cheek-hair is very bushy like a goatee
Chin Curtain: line of hair from sideburns down and under chin
Franz-Josef: the line of hair instead extends into the mustache
One good time to start growing facial hair is during some kind of vacation from school and / or work. That way you don�t have to be self-conscious about your peers judging it while it�s still just 5 o�clock shadow. Regardless, though, don�t worry about what your friends think. Do this for yourself and remember that it�s not permanent. Besides, you�ll be surprised at how many compliments you do receive. Starting while on vacation also gives you some time since it is usually best to allow a full beard to come in for several weeks before sculpting it into something different.
The new growth may itch a little bit, but that�s just because your skin is not used to having hair on it. Bear it for a few days and it should be fine. It also helps to keep your facial hair clean by using the same shampoo and conditioner that you use in the rest of your hair. After your shower, just pat your hair dry; don�t use a blow-dryer. At some point you might want to buy one of those beard-trimmers in case you don�t want to look like Rip van Winkle or Frank Herbert.
Pictures: Abraham Lincoln, Jonathan Frakes (William T. Riker, Star Trek: TNG), Kenny Rogers, Arsenio Hall, Unabomber, Tom Skerritt (Captain Dallas, Alien), Rick Redfern (Doonesbury comics), Henry VIII, Pan, Sean Connery (Henry Jones, Indy 3).
Sources:
"It�s All About Beards", http://members.aol.com/beardguy/beards.htm
"Beards, Beards, & More Beards", http://www.best.com/~bigerbtr/beards/index.html
