I remember back when I was around 21 and decided to shave my beard but leave the mustache.
I then learned how non observant most people are. Most people said I looked different but didn’t know why and some asked if I grew a mustache - like I could grow one overnight or something. A lot of people didn’t notice anything but in fairness; they might have simply chosen to not say anything.
A handful noticed right off the bat I had simply shaved off the shortish 1” to 1.5” beard.
Not everyone looks good in a beard; take my sister for example. Seriously though; if it isn’t kept trimmed right it can look terrible. It’s also a good way to make a round pudgy face look thinner if the beard is trimmed right.
My mother hated a beard.
Years ago, my older brother had grown one. Mama nagged him to shave it off.
His wife had a baby and we went to visit. We were there several hours. On the drive home, all of a sudden Mama exclaimed: “He shaved his beard!” It had taken her that long to notice.
One of my sons has a beard, off and on. Any given day I can’t tell you if he has one or not.