I'm sorry, sweet and oft-groomed face-fuzz... it's time to die for SCIENCE.

My history with the facial awesome did not begin until medical school, when I discovered the glory of the goatee and it's mustachioed cousin, the Van Dyke. I entered residency in 2001 clean-shaven, and as I slowly realized that chin hair = medical excellence, I have not seen said jaw-point since.

Well, apart from that one time in 2006 when I was very tired, and accidentally set the hair-trimmer to "1". But the less said about that, the better.

I first brandished my follicular face-fist during the Great Beard Experiment of '02, which, after a successful run, was called off in early 2003 on the count of humidity. I resisted wielding such a mandibular weapon again until 2007, when I decided that finally completing medical training and taking on full physician duties mandated taking on full jaw insulation. This I have maintained at varying lengths and shapes...

...until now.

Today is Day -1, and tomorrow I welcome my chin back into the world. Then, I will show you in daily pictures, along with the other manly men on this site, exactly How Not To Grow A Beard.

I would have done this thing of glory out of it's own innate glory-ness, but the fact that our exercise in dubious testosterone secretion is raising money for an excellent cause makes it truly worthwhile. Check out Beards4Boobs in the sidebar, or go here to sponsor a beard of your choice by donating to the Ann Voegerl Memorial Breast Cancer Research Fund. You'd better - I say so, and I'm a doctor.