Fuzzy Was He

In November, I thought it would be fun to try the no-shave November. When the month ended, I decided to give a beard a try for a while, that time has ended.

For four months, I grew out my beard, but trimmed a few times to keep it under control. I liked it, but it also got annoying. I have dry, and oily, skin that likes to flake a lot. Even with washing my face frequently, my fury chin kept the flakes captured. The controls on my chair looked like someone had splattered white paint on them when I was up for a while and dark shirts resembled a snowy field.

With my mouth currently feeling okay and warm weather approaching, it was time to free my chin again. Now, it feels nice and smooth on my lip again and I no longer feel like I'm eating hair. It's also much more comfortable on my pillow at night and I can once again grab things between my lip and chin, like the bed sheet, and move it.

Looking in the mirror, bearded Joel reminded me of Abraham Lincoln with a shorter face. I did somewhat get used to the furry look, but I think I prefer the clean cut much better. It was a fun experiment, but I don't believe I'll be repeating it soon. However, if (or when) I have a painful mouth again, it may get a few day's growth.

Also with the quad life, I was starting to get concerned about hair around my trach button. We generally clean around it multiple times a day, but some strands were starting to gather in the area. I can't say I have tried it, but breathing hair into my lungs doesn't sound like a good idea.

This week ahead looks to be starting the busyness of spring already. I will be sure to take enough time to fully shave though before heading out.