beards for summer

As the northern hemisphere heads into the summer season, some thoughts about beards and summer may be in order. Did you grow one of those “winter beards” and are now thinking of shaving it? Think again. Why not keep the beard?

You’ve made the effort to grow the beard and keep it until now. Why should the change of seasons call for eliminating the beard? Many suspect that it is too uncomfortably hot to keep a beard in summer. Most guys who regularly keep beards for the summer do not find that to be true. The beard typically acts as insulation, helping to keep the face a bit cooler. Similarly, the insulating effect of the beard helps to keep the face warmer in winter.

So, for those of you in the northern hemisphere heading into the warmer temperatures of summer, keep that beard! And for those of you in the southern hemisphere heading into cooler temperatures, now is a perfect time to start growing a new beard. Later on, when your summer comes around, remember to keep the beard!

19 thoughts on “beards for summer”

  1. I am 51 years old and have had a bead on and off most of my adult life. There were a few years that I did not grow one due to the change in the color of facial hair from black to gray. Now that the color has evened out more I am enjoying the beard again. Do I plan on shaving it off this summer? Not this morning but sometimes I do want to shave it off! In the past however every time I did save it off it seemed as if I went through some type personal change. Then later wished I had not shaved.
    Has anyone else experianced a personal change from with in, when they shaved thier beard?

  2. Hi John,

    I just recently shaved off my beard. I feel naked and seld concience without it. I will never shave it off again. It’s amazing how a beard will shape a man’s personality. I don’t feel like myself. It’s very depressing.

    1. For many years my beard as my little brother called it, calico. They found I had a pituitary tumor and after removing it my Doctor told me the tumor had caused a large reduction in my testerone. Recently I started getting testerone shots which has leads to my growing a full beard for the first time in 68 years. To tell the truth, I like it and am encouraged after reading the comments on summer beards to keep it.

  3. Ron,

    Grow it back, at least the goatee. That is what I did last summer. In leaving the goatee I did not go through all of the resentment of shaving the beard off. I shave the beard in April (kept the goatee) and grew the beard back in August. This year I plan on keeping the beard, but will keep it trimmed close. Every time I think of shaving it off, I think of having to shave every day. No Thanks. I can go up to three days without having to shave the neck and high cheek area and still look presentable for work.

  4. I’ve often been asked whether or not I’ll shave off the beard during the summer, because it is assumed more hair equal more heat. While I’ve always nubbed the hair during the Texas heat, I’ve almost always kept the beard. Why, you ask? Quite simply because I despise shaving!

    Even after my brother gave me my military fade (see current pictures) and trimmed the old forest beard into a massive goatee do I continue to keep up the appearance? Of course not! The beard’s coming back and quickly.

  5. Well back to the goatee. Trimmed way too much off when attempting to style the beard. I sure hated to shave it, but there was no recovery from the bad trimming. I did send in two pictures, one with the beard and one with the goatee. I’ll probably start growing the beard back in late August or Sept.

  6. I have recently shaved off my winter beard at the beginning of may. I had grown in out for 7 months without a trim. I *do* miss it, but I don’t really have any regrets about shaving it off. I think I like the growing process a bit more than actually having a longer beard. That being said,
    I can now tell you that I’ll NEVER scrape my face with a razor again. I suddenly remember why I don’t like to shave. Yesterday my face was a buring scratchy MESS. Current plans are to grow a short beard for the summer and then let it start growing out again the 1st day of fall.

    Beard ON guys!

    1. I, as stated earlier like my beard and am going to keep this summer, unless it gets too hot. It is early June here in E.Central Illinois and haven’t noticed it heating up yet!

  7. well, I shaved off the goatee yesterday. How different I look! Thinking of posting before/after pics in the beard galleries.

  8. Last spring in 2009 I applied for the RCMP here in canada, the Canadian police for for those that do not live in canada and wanted to keep my appearance clean and shaved all the time. I went through the stages and one part I failed in march of 2010 which I have to do over again and wait a year. In march when I failed it, I was so dissapointed that I grew a beard, but after trimmed it to a goatee which I still have not trimmed. A few weeks ago I started growing a beard but decided to shave it for the summer to get my face nice and tanned, but after reading these posts and hearing the guys saying what a mistake it was, i will not shave it, nor do I plan on trimming it either.
    Thanks guys for those comments, my beard is here to stay!!

  9. Kenneth,
    So sorry to hear about what happened in March. Meanwhile, that’s great news about the beard! Excellent! Keep growing.

  10. I shaved my beard at the beginning of the year, and sported a cop ‘stache for most of spring. In about March I got to the point where having to shave to keep the mustache discernible was just too much. So back to the beard! Thankfully, in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have cool enough summers to make a beard seem sensible.

  11. Wes,
    Glad to hear that the beard is back. Even in places with hot summers beards are usually comfortable. I think that some are quick to conclude that a beard in summer must be intolerably hot, without really trying it out.

  12. trim it thin for the summer just so you don’t overheat. that way, your beard will be easier to maintain when it grows in thicker.

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