We're excited to announce a new project here at thebeardedsavant.com called, Why'd I grow it? Make no mistake, the number of bearded men has exploded in recent years after several decades of too many naked faces (props to my dad for staying strong). So we'd like you to tell us why you grew the hair on your face.

I've been asking men this for some time, the first run of responses can be found on a brand-spanking new feature on our site, Why'd I Grow It? The responses so far have been amazing. We expected mostly the standard responses:

"I was tired of shaving"

"I like the way I look with a beard"

But the responses have shed much more light on, well, the human-ness of us all. From guys that started growing it in the '70's and have become so use to it they're scared to be without (#MyIdentity), to someone who grew a beard when each new kid was born and then shaved it on their first birthday to see how their child would respond (#ThePerpetualJoker). Jump on over to Why'd I Grow It? and see for yourself. Have a beard, mustache, or goatee? Tell us why at the top of the page or just leave a comment below!