Anyone sporting a beard?

[Ekklesia]

I start school this fall and have been told everything from, "beards look unprofessional" (even though I see many docs with beards) to "the more you cover that ugly face, the better."

What say you?

[norcalRNstudent]

IMHO, a short, close cropped beard can look nice, while a big bushy beard makes you look like you just crawled out of the woods.

REGARDLESS of that, I've been told that you cannot get a proper fit on a TB mask with a beard-it screws up the seal. That might help make my decision, if I was a guy.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

I entered nursing school with a beard, did all my clinicals and graduated with a beard, worked almost my entire 24 years with facial hair.

No one ever said squat.

A good beard is like a good haircut. The quality of either can enhance or subtract from your professional appearence.

[MrChicagoRN, RN]

ps.

I had to go through a mask fit test before starting a new job. Where they do like ~ 10 different tests while a machine measures the pressure/air loss.

Employee health suggested I might want to shave the non chin areas, but I passed it anyway with my neatly trimmed full beard.

[SteveNNP, MSN, NP]

I've worked with everything from a soul patch, goatee, 5 o'clock shadow, and never had anything but positive comments, along the lines of... "I think it's sooo sexy when a man has a little rough fuzz on his face....."

[WinstonWolf]

Actually, I've had more patients comment on my facial hair than coworkers. Obviously, some like it and some don't. But I agree that it's just another form of hairstyle and certainly not unprofessional as long as it doesn't get out of hand. They make me do fit testing yearly, and I fail every time. That's fine with me since I prefer to wear the hood rather than the mask anyway. They always says "maybe you'll shave soem day and it will seal for you." No, I don't think so. I can get away with shaving far less often by wearing a goatee, and when I do shave every few days it only takes a couple of minutes instead of doubling my time spent on daily grooming. I say, wear it proudly; It's nice to see all sorts of faces at work and remind patients that men do exist in the care setting. Does anyone work at a facility that prohibits facial hair at all? I've always wondered if my hospital is more or less liberal than average with its grooming policies.

[UMichSCN07]

I've been sporting a Vandyke since high school, no negative comments or N95 fit-test issues yet... in fact, it seems to be a predominant style amongst most of the male workers around the hospital.

Mike in Michigan

[styRN]

I grow a beard from Sept - March every year for the past, i dunno, 10 or 12 years now.

I'd keep it year 'round, but summers here are too hot and humid, and my wife honestly can't stand it, so I get the beard for 6 months, she gets me clean-shaven for 6 months. :)

I had to shave early this year specicially for respirator fit testing in February, because you cannot get an airtight seal no matter how short your facial hair is.

I agree that a well-maintained beard is certainly not unprofessional - I trim it weekly and keep it close-cropped.

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

I have bearded up in the past

I have bearded for Xmas with my gray white facial hair

now Im just lazy and shave every 3rd day or so, unless Im feeling romantic for my wife, then I shave and and good cologne.

[Ekklesia]

OK my bearded friends; what about long hair?

I had very long hair about 3 months ago but have since cut it short.

[Roy Fokker, BSN, RN]

I sport a biker handlebar mustache

[Reed04RN]

Most of the time I would just grow a beard for the playoffs, but since the Cards won last year I just kept it. No shaving or shaping just short from the trimmer. No one has said anything yet.