I have a full beard myself. Better than liquid sunblock so a full beard has a very practical purpose (at least that's what I told my mother a few weeks ago when she tried to talk me into shaving it off for the umpteenth time).
I'm 47 and this is my first beard. Not sure about keeping it yet. I'll give it a few more months before I decide. The first time Tiggles (tgslTakoma) saw me with the beard she directed me to the nearest dumpster.
Wife isn't too pleased.