For some, it's about the look. For others, it's simply about laziness. And for a select few, it's all about looking as gross as humanly possible. One thing is certain, however: beards are back.
A beard isn't always just hair on a man's face. There is usually a motive behind the growing of a beard.
There's the Castaway beard, where a person is shipwrecked on an island and cannot shave. These are usually very unkempt, and depending on how long it takes to be rescued, could be very long in length.
There is the Viking Beard. Usually associated with barbarians, these beards were grown to make men look fierce and scary, much like the guy from the Oxy Clean commercials.
The Lazy Man beard is just that: lazy. Journalism instructor Justin Doom says laziness is a factor for his facial hair habits.
"I hate shaving, I'm a little lazy and my girlfriend thinks it's cute," Doom says. " Also, the less hair I can grow on top of my head, the more I want it on my face."
There is also the Solidarity Beard, which is grown as a show of support. Some men will grow beards to support their favorite team in the playoffs. Some men, like late night talk show hosts David Letterman and Conan O'Brien, have grown beards in support of the writers who are on strike. They will not shave until the writers get a fair contract.
Finally, there is the Lady Beard. Not many women can actually grown one, and those who can are already in the circus.
