Bill again. “Growing” a beard sounds like it takes real effort. Actually, the opposite is true. The real challenge is to keep hair off your face.
I’m limited by the fact that I don’t grow a very attractive beard. It’s bristly and coarse, kind of a cross between a hedgehog and a brillo pad. When it gets longer, it curls out in wings on either side like the sideburns of a deranged munchkin. So most of my life, I’ve kept it pretty clean.
But like most guys, I’ve experimented. When I was in college, I fooled around with different styles of facial hair. My girlfriend (now my wife) documented it all. I seem to recall she did it with great hilarity:
Changing the Locks 