To beard or not to beard

[Byllie]

Yes, that is, for some of us, the question, whether to continue to wear either a beard or any facial hair, or to appear clean shaven.

For some of us, it's not a simple question, and it goes to the heart of why we CD. Do we wish to become a woman? Do we want to look like a woman? Do we wish to express or feminine aspect externally? Or, do we simply like wearing women's clothing.

So, please respond and if you post a reply, I ask that you take this seriously and not add a flip remark.

Toodles!
Byllie

[carolinewalker_2000]

I had a beard for many years and used to dress and enjoy it. However, since getting rid of my facial accretion I can now see the real "Caroline" smiling out at me when I look in a mirror - and don't we all take every opportunity to admire ourselves in mirrors!!!

If you have the choice, I'd recommend going clean shaven; I'm sure you won't regret it.

[Sarah...]

No facial hair would be best but I can't stop the stuff coming out of my chin! It's very dark too so my five o'clock shadow starts around 9.30am.

Sarah...

[Hilary]

Yes I have got a beard & its been there as long as I can remember. Sometimes I think I would like to shave it off just for a day but unfortunatley that just won't work.
It does not deter me from dressing but It is not easy to go out dressed unless I go out as the Bearded Lady.
I think that it is a case of, I just love to wear female clothes and wear them most of the time.

[Mary Morgan]

In an effort to convince myself that I was really a man, I grew a full beard in my 30s. It didn't work, and dressing was next to impossible for me to enjoy with it, so off it went but I tried to keep the moustache. Still no deal. Today I find the less hair I have from my eyebrows to my toes, the more comfortable I am.

[Deborah Jane]

I,ve often let my facial hair grow during periods when i wasn,t crossdressing regularly, but i,ve tended to try and stay clean shaven for the past year.

[Tina Dixon]

My younger day I messed with a short one and goatee but it's clean shaving for me only now.

[Angie G]

I have a mustache that my wife insists I keep and the Grandkids want me to keep it so it stays.:hugs:
Angie

[Kimberly Marie Kelly]

Had for 32+ years but for last 9 months have been clean shaven. Incidentally this is how long I've been shaving everywhere else, Arms, legs and torso. When I dressed enfemme for a company holloween party as 'IT Jane', I work in IT dept, I needed to shave all over to make the outfit. The receptionist a dear friend encouraged me to shave. Afterwards, people said I looked younger without the beard and moustache, so I kept shaving and have maintained clean look since.

In fact my boss said during my review that I look better since I shaved the beard and moustache. It makes dressing enfemme easier when at home or out. Kimberly says, try shaving the facial hair, you may shave years off your age. :battingeyelashes:

[morgan51]

. I wore a beard for most of my adult life no more though, clean from the eyebrows down too. Feel cooler in the summer and look younger also. started electrolisys last may.

[Gemma Rhodes]

I'm one of the lucky ones. I have very little facial hair and only have to shave a couple of times a week at most. I just get a bit of stubble every now and again and I couldn't grow a beard to save my life.

[Charleen]

Had a beard most of my life, but shaved 2 years ago when I gave into who I am and got rid of all my hair except on top of my head!

[Karren H]

I shaved off my mustache 5 years ago and don't miss it one it.... My wife wondered wy... I need a change... and BIG change!! lol

[Jocelyn Quivers]

I had a mustache for most of my life until I admitted to myself I was a CD. I actually felt I looked better in male mode with one, but my femme side won that battle. Now all my facial hair is getting lasered away.

[Maria2222]

I had a beard and dressed with it for 16 years. Now that I'm smooth faced I'll never go back. I probably would have shaved it earlier if I'd known what it would be like.

[jackie_p]

but decided to shave it one day to help with my self-image.
I think it make my femme image so much better I wouldn't
grow it back now, even though I am still in the closet.

You should have seen the faces on my wife and kids the day
I walked out of the shower without my facial hair. Wife
almost had a heart attack and the kids had NEVER seen me
without out. Priceless. Funny thing is that now they don't
want me to grow it back...lol.

Jackie

[Suzy Harrison]

Never had a beard and after I start my laser treatment tomorrow I'll never be able to grow one in the future either... and hopefully never have to shave again either !

[christid66]

Have alternated between full beard, goatee and long side burns. Grew a beard when the house was full a few weeks ago but I'm now clean shaven with short side burns

[Patty]

I had full facial hair until 15 yrs ago-then just upper lip hair. Three yrs ago that went away. So now3 the face and body are now clean.

[tricia_uktv]

I gid have a horrendous beard when I was trying to deny what I was. Now I am clean shaven, wish it could be cleaner still though!

[Byllie]

Well, quite a few of you have responded to the survey (thank you) and as you might expect, about 75% of you do not have and have not had any facial hair. But that also means that 25% of you are like me, currently or ocassionaly sporting a beard or such. That's actually a higher percentage than I had expected.

[Sarah Doepner]

I had a very poor beard for a few years a long time ago and realized that it was ugly for anyone and shaved it off. After that I wore a mustache for another 15 years while my crossdressing was somewhat dormant.
As I started dressing more and more and began to experiment with makeup I found the 'stach made my lipstick look bad. I tried trimming it back, but it was out of balance, first on one side then the other. I shaved it off 15 years ago and have been a much happier girl ever since.

[Emily Anderson]

I never had a beard, and only once grew a moustache when I was around 18 just to see what it would look like (awful, in fact!). On the other hand, I do sometimes go for three days without shaving, through pure laziness and the fact I don't need to be clean shaven for work.

So, I voted never had a beard or facial hair :)

[victoriamwilliams1]

I shave only on the days I dress, so I look funny after a few days.

[Shannen]

I've conditioned the family to see me with goatee one day... nothing the next! The first time I ever grew a mustache/goatee, it seemed like you either HAD to have it, or HAD to not have it... why not choose week by week?

Now people never say "Oh, you shaved your beard off!" or "Oh, you grew a mustache!"

Of course they don't know WHY I shave it off every week to 10 days!

:hugs:Shannen

[matrioshka]

I used to have a beard, and what a beard it was...

We're talking Old Testament prophet here. I used to be called "Eric the Viking" and "Fuzzy". I could wipe my hands in it like Rasputin. I think it was compensation. I have a face that can go either way. With long hair, I can almost pass. I grew the beard and got a #2 cut all the way round in order to look more "manly".

Well two things happened. I got into reenacting, and I had to lose the beard in order to better portray the era. I also got sick of seeing the beard en femme. You can guess which reason was more important.

M

[Deedee_tv]

I have never gone more than 5 days without shaving since I started over 20 years ago. I saw a gentleman on my flight last Friday in his 30's with a really ridiculous looking beard that must have been at least 12 months old. If I am being perfectly honest, unless you are a trapper in Alaska, there is absolutely no reason for any man to have a beard. I just think they are gross.

Deedee

[Caroline C]

I've had a mustache since I started growing one when I was 16. I always thought it hid my rather dorkey protruding upper lip. This was also a time when I let my hair grow down to my shoulders. Everybody said I looked like Jimmy Page. After that I grew a beard but it looked too 70's Bee Gee's so I trimmed down to a goatee. I had let the goatee and mustache grow down to my chest but then I realised it made me look like I didn't deserve to earn my wage. After trimming that down it's now a blondish grey that really doesn't stand out. Many people have commented how much better it looks. I've been considering shaving off the goatee but not so sure about the "stache"

[trannie T]

I had a moustache for twenty years and a beard for ten. I was hiding deep in the closet then so my facial hair was not an issue. New regulations at work forced me to shave the beard and I did the moustache with it. A few years after shaving the beard I started going out en femme. I was in the hospital a few years ago and grew some muttonchops which I shaved as soon as I got out. I've fond that makeup is much easier without the beard.

[Jilmac]

Billye, I have been dressing seriously since 1960 and in 1971 I grew a beard and kept it until February 2008. I had been in the closet all that time, also I worked as a carpenter in the building trades, and the beard had become my identity. I gradually started coming out after my wife passed away last August. Now that I'm clean shaven I can blend in with women in any setting, and I can be in public with confidence. Luv and :hugs: Jill

[uknowhoo]

I gotta say "I hate shaving!!!" Well... my face anyway.:D That, and I have rather sensitive skin which gets pretty raw if I shave too often. So, I often have a day or three of growth. Often after a couple of days I'll shave my neck and cheeks, leaving just the goatee. That rarely lasts more than a week or so, then I shave it all off and get all girlied up.:c9:

[LilSissyStevie]

I had a mustache for years but I couldn't grow a beard because the hair was too thin. Now that I'm old, the hair on top of my head has moved down to make my beard thicker and onto my back and chest. Yuk! I spend all my time in the shower shaving.

[Nicole1]

I shave off everything except my arm hair and pubic hair (I do trim it). I am working on getting the arm hair off; but don't want to rush that. For me; I don't want to be a girl; but when I dress, I do feel like a girl and want to look like a girl. If you want to go out in public, then you better do all you can to look like a girl! If you feel like being a man, just underdress and you still get a little of the feelings. I always underdress.:o

Hugs:hugs:

Nicole

[CD Susan]

I had a full beard for several years during my period of denial of being a cd. I thought that looking as manly as possible would somehow make me want to stop being a cd. During this time I did a complete purge to force myself to stop dressing. Of course this did not work so the beard was shaved off and the wardrobe was replaced. Like the saying goes, 'live and learn'.

[Sally24]

I had a full beard for about 30 years until I decided to dress alot. I haven't grown it back once in the last 3 years and don't really miss it!
67616

[LovelyRita]

My wife and I have made a compromise. I underdress 24/7, outerdress when the stepson is not home (which is alot) and I keep a goatee. Unfortunately I hate the goatee and dont like to see myself in a mirror dressed in pink lacies and a hairy face. But she has too have something her way and when I am in my male persona I have a weak chin and the hair does look better than not.

[Sally R.]

I've had a beard for many years. I've shaved it 3 different times when my wife and I went to Chicago to attend the CGS xmas parties. It's a catch 22 for me. I like my look as a man much better with the beard (as does my wife), but naturally when I dress i would prefer not to have it. My wife also insist that I keep it and I think the main reason is she is afraid I will be more caught up in dressing and wanting to go out locally if I shave (she's probably right).

[DonnaT]

I didn't shave my mustache off until I knew I was going to be able to dress and go out. To a TG holiday party My wife really really didn't want me to shave, and she was going out with me.

I told her about another couple that went out, and the husband didn't shave, at his wife's insistance. She had a miserable time at the party the year before, and spent a good bit of it in tears. She then asked him to shave.

So my wife relented.

Note that she knew that if I shaved, I would be more prone to go out more often, which is the real reason she didn't want me shaving.

[pamela_a]

I had a full beard and mustache for 28 years. 2 years ago I decided to get rid of both and don't ever plan on growing them back.

-Paula-

[Niya W]

I hate shaving, so I get electrocuted once a week.

[linnea]

I stay clean shaven most of the time; I also shave other parts of my body than my face: underarms, legs, chest. I'm actually not a person with a heavy beard, so when I shave, the clean-shaved look lasts at least a day. However, I would like to find a way (other than electrolysis) that would give me an unbearded look.

[Chiana]

I had a moustache for a while. I never dressed when I had it. That was an image that I just couldn't wrap my head around. Once I shaved it off, I realized that dressing was more important to me. I have never had one since.

[rachel_rachel]

I only shave once a week, Friday nights.. any more often than that it starts to burn. I've been threatening my wife that if my weight loss program doesn't work and i balloon out too much that i'll grow one, she's not keen on that idea, something about me, depression and anger in the same sentence worrys her.

I can dress during the week whenever i want, just no photos.

[Cheryl J]

I have a mustache that my wife insists I keep and the Grandkids want me to keep it so it stays.:hugs:
Angie

Yes but what do YOU want?

Yvonne

[KATIE TV]

I had a "full set" of wiskers untill 2&1/2 yrs ago, As a "hairy biker" it was what was expected, I dressed and unless I loked in a mirror it didn't matter, The excuse I used to myself and friends to shave it off was that it made me look older than I was (it was totaly grey) but the truth was I wanted to look more fem. when dressed, when I did shave I did look younger! I now wish I had done it years ago

[Bobsie]

I started growing a mustache when I was 18. I had a large mole on my upper lip, which I cut almost every time I shaved, and I used that as an excuse. In reality, I was trying to deny my inner self and be a "real guy". When that didn't work too well, I tried more of the same thing and added a beard -- how stupid is that! I was then stuck with the darn thing, as it became somehow a part of my self-image.
Earlier this year I had an irresistible urge to shave. Once I started, I could not stop. I started with my under-arms (what a stupid place to have hair if you don't want to stink!). Then my legs, my arms, my chest, my -- you know, down there -- then the beard, and the very last thing to go was that stupid mustache. I saw the mole again for the first time in ..... gasp! ... 44 years! Only now, it was a big evil-looking lump. A doctor took that off with a scalpel in 5 minutes with no pain.
All those wasted years ... sigh...

Now I shave and/or epilate everything. I can't stand having body hair. A few weeks ago I met a very attractive and obviously smart GG, whilst hiking in the woods on a warm spring day. She was wearing a sleeveless top, and had thick tufts of hair under her arms, and I could smell her BO from 6 feet away! Why would anyone want that?

[DeeDee3]

I in my 30's and 40's was clean shaven and went out, and as we say always passed. In 1990 a deer decided to jump in front of my motorcycle, and I wound up with a case of road rash, and a few scars. Not bad, but I no longer cared for my appearance, and makeup didn't help. That was the end of my outings. At the time of the accident I had on full underdressing. Was lucky to get back home and remove it before going to hospital. Wife had to cut off my bra and slip as my arm was also messed up. DeeDee3

[Anita1day]

I have had a full beard and moustache... my entire body was completely covered in black hair, which was tough as wire. I shaved my entire body, but it was terribly uncomfortable when it started to grow back in... it was impossible for me to keep up with the shaving and I required so much makeup to cover it, that I decided upon permanent hair removal... Last year I began laser treatments (nose to toes) and am now following up with electrolysis. The initial pain was intense, but the hair is really thinning out... I look forward to the day when I throw out the razor for good. I have started to treat my skin with much more respect... proper cleansing and tons of daily moisturisers... The results: SOFT, SMOOTH, TOUCHABLE SKIN FROM HEAD TO TOE! If I had known how enjoyable the results would be, I would have done this thirty years ago! However, we all have different needs and life situations, but if you feel you need it, DO IT NOW!

[StephanieT]

I have had a moustache since I was 18. It is just part of me. A couple of years ago, my wife talked me into shaving it off for a few days. I hated not having it and grew it back. I guess I am just a guy who likes to wear womens clothes and a little make up. If society would just accept cross gender dressing, I would be a happy guy.

[bgirl]

I guess I am just a guy who likes to wear womens clothes and a little make up. If society would just accept cross gender dressing, I would be a happy guy.

Pretty much sums it up. But I wish it was just as simple as being a man that likes to wear womans clothes. I thinks its a little more complicated. I have discovered I am not sure what gender really is!!

[Tomara]

I have been struggling with to shave or not to shave for some time now . I have a well trimmed beard and mustashe which is a part of my male persona that I enjoy. (since 1976 motorcycle accident) . My female persona would like to be totaly hairless but if I did shave I would still have a hard time looking very feminine so I guess I`ll have to enjoy my crossdressing by just being me ! :heehee: Tomara

[Kali]

I have a beard (and have had it for more than 30 years) and a lot of body hair. My SO loves my beard and chest hair, she also supports my CDing.

So the beard and chest hair stay.

[Emily Ann Brown]

I have in years past had a full beard, a moustache, and a Van Dyke.

At this moment I have some chin whiskers for my electrolysis...TEE HEE.



Emily Ann

[Lauren Gray]

I had a mustache from when I was about fourteen (it made me popular because I was always the one to get to buy the beer!) and had it thru my twenties. once I shaved it off on a dare and realized that I could actually wear makeup- well, that was the end of that. Now I just wish that I did not have to shave every day, and that damn 5 oclock shadow-don't get me started...

[nik12345]

the thought of having a beard repulses me... i checked out the laser thing. It's not the cost - it's the chance of some newly trained person goofing up on me. gives me the willies! i did have sideburns once for a little while. i remember it itching.

[CLARRISA]

I usually let my whiskers grow out in between crossdressing times,and that first shave is always the smoothest, but i too suffer that horrible shadow. Earlier this year the shadow problem gave me such a complex i epilated my entire face...Yep, very painfull, however, it did the job and i had no shadow for about 3 weeks.I did panic a bit when there were patches of smooth bits when the rest of the hair was coming through, i had a gap in my moustache, thankfully after about 2 months the hair came back....i don't think i'm completely ready to give up my maleness just yet,however, now i've discovered the joy of getting out i can feel my male resolve slipping a lot, and i'm considering laser treatment..

[TammiHeartilly]

I have had a beard a few times in the past, but most of the time I keep myself clean shaven to help look more feminine. The thought of Tammi having facial hair of any kind is absolutely gross!

[Mydia]

Never have and never will. Facial/body hair is disgusting... >_>

[Lana_CD]

Just my $.02 worth.
For you younger CD'ers, when you figure in the cost of shaving supplies and time spent shaving for 40, 50 or 60 years, laser or electrolosis is far cheaper and over the long run, better for you. Go for it.
If I could go back 40 years and know then what I know now, I surely would, even if I weren't a CD.

[Mydia]

Just my $.02 worth.
For you younger CD'ers, when you figure in the cost of shaving supplies and time spent shaving for 40, 50 or 60 years, laser or electrolosis is far cheaper and over the long run, better for you. Go for it.
If I could go back 40 years and know then what I know now, I surely would, even if I weren't a CD.

Actually I thought about that (I'm a person who's very good with money), and calculated it all out, also adding in the expenses for water (I shave in the shower and it takes FOREVER >_>), and you're right, it is FAR cheaper just to get the electrolosis/laser. Not to mention all the time you save, and no more itching (OMG that is SO uncomfortable ;_; )!

[Patti Girl]

I have a beard. My wife loves it and it's a concession I'm willing to make for her. She is very supportive of my dressing.

I would like to see what I look like without it and dressed. Maybe someday. I don't go out dressed, I doubt that I'd be passable anyway. As it is, I see myself as "somewhere inbetween" so the beard is not a contradiction.

But I keep myself shaved from the neck down.

I'm surprised to see the poll results, I was afraid I was the only one here like this.

Patti

[Ann D Bluebird]

I have never had a beard or moustache, nor felt inclined to try and grow one.
I dislike even more than 24 hours stubble.....too itchy!!

But its a free world. Enjoy your choice. :D


ps I saw a gg on a bbc programme not long ago (about our ideas of "normality")
who had grown quite a good beard. It seemed to suit her!