I would often say in jest, when asked what my plans were for a given weekend, that I was going to do some bearding. Growing a beard feels like you’re actually doing something, when in fact, you’re doing less than if you weren’t growing a beard. It’s like getting tattooed. You feel a sense of accomplishment without actually doing anything (other than tolerating the pain of course). However, in my current bearded journey, I am very actively bearding.
Having jumped on the Minox Train, I now apply minoxidil twice a day, make my own beard oil with jojoba and peppermint which I apply between minoxidil sessions, and tonight I start dermarolling my skin. I’ve also purchased some additional supplements so that I’m taking a cornucopia of pills every morning with breakfast. It is quite the process!
Having purchased a six month supply of minoxidil, I feel pretty committed to seeing this through at least that long. Whether I can actually allow myself the luxury of 6 months without shaving or trimming the beard is unclear. I can’t imagine how unruly and unkempt I may look at that stage, but I’ll stay focused in the present moment, which is a lot easier when you have so much to do.
The mustache and goatee have always been there for me, and untrimmed for a few weeks now, they are putting on a fine display of manliness and panache. I will have to pick up some mustache wax soon to style the full and lengthy hair protruding from above my lip. I haven’t dyed the hair at all either, which is something I’ve been doing every week for years now. I don’t mind the gray hair so much as I do the variety of colors present in my facial hair. There’s some gray, some white, and some reddish hair mixed in with the brown, but the longer I hold out on dying it, the more accustomed I’m becoming to it.
I remain cautiously optimistic that the minox will cause my cheeks and sideburns to fill in, probably not to the extent of my stache & goat, but hopefully enough to allow me sport the full beard I’ve always wanted with confidence.
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