Beards

I stopped shaving when I was 17. My beard has now gone white. I crossdress in private. Underdress in public at weekends. Shop for my own clothing.
If I wanted to "present" in public I think I would have to shave. But I am happy as I am for now.
Jasmine - be yourself; enjoy life; no regrets.
Luv J

Jasmine,
To me hair means being a man , being clean shaven both facially and the body means I'm stepping into the female World , there is no in between for me .

The only part where I would like the choice is on my head so it has to be wig . Makeup is also part of the equation , I may not have surgery so makeup correctly applied or hopefully so has to do the job, having facial hair is wasting money with makeup , when you can knock years off why out them back on with a beard .

I took my first step toward being clean shaven today. I shaved my cheeks, leaving a closely cropped goatee and mustache. It's the first time I have seen my clean cheeks in forty years. My wife's reaction? No comment at all.

I find myself in a similar situation. I actually grew my beard to partly suppress Christina and partly present a more rugged, masculine look for my then wife. Thinking it would help us. But I love the beard, and it goes with my male look (my SO calls me Thor). Even though she is somewhat bi and is into me dressing some, that means shaving! Because when I am Christina I want to be all in, and that means no beard, and no chest hair. What a dilemma.

In my humble opinion, when the urge to be “pretty” outweighs the need to be bearded, you’ll know and there won’t be a question in your mind.

The 'let's be inclusive to all forms of gender expression' side of me agrees with Pat; to thine ownself be true.

But the trans-person that I am, the one that leans heavily to the femme most times (even in my everyday presentation), and is a mixy-matchy, androgenous-blend, totally abhors hair.

In fact, I'm itching (hmmmm, a pun perhaps?) to expound more than is needed for this thread.
But I will say this:
A nicely groomed bit of facial hair on an otherwise well groomed male is rather normal and is, at least to me, simple masculinity.
But what I see is roughly 80% of men, who wear beards, exude an over-abundance of MACHO-ISM, and i'm talking anything from the knuckle-dragging, air-breathing variety to the sloppy, unkempt 'i'm a lazy slacker dude and don't give a rat's bum'.

But then again this is Idaho.

Yep, I think your example of a "nicely groomed bit of facial hair" sums up my male look. And right now, i want both, a nice masculine look at times and a pretty female appearance other times. Sigh...

Shaving off my beard was the real tipping point for me. I went from an at home CDer to an out & about CDer and never looked back.

My beard had turned about 50% gray so it was a good decision because shaving made me look younger in male mode.

But I did think long and hard about it, because it would remove the last major obstacle to being able to look more like a girl. When I got my first makeover after shaving my beard, I was amazed at the transformation. since then, I've gotten much more in touch with my girl side. Read my signature.

Also, I had had some sort of facial hair for over 30 years. My wife had never seen me without facial hair. It was quite a change.

I am very glad I shaved, but YMMV.

I've always hated my body and facial with a passion
But also had a beard for many years.

I think it was to cover up any feminine traits
That might show
I'm just coming to terms with being trans
I've read over and over again how you girls
Just all seem to say the same thing
Why did I wait so long to come out
I'm afraid to go out alone
Maybe a little more time

I know I'm in the right place
Just so much to work through

What a great thread!
Jasmine you will know when it is time to shave.

Took me until age 54, bearded mostly from my late teens. And balding from 23 on.
These days I dress pretty more than half the time so mostly remain clean shaven, including my chest.

But I can grow a manly stubble and short beard in a couple of weeks, and one or two times a year, I do. Confuses the muggles, I imagine, but who am I kidding?

I took pictures of shaving off my last full beard and moustache, August 2000.