I have a friend from college who, after several years of working for the Navy, has returned to grad school. He doesn't grow a very thick beard, but his hair is longer every time I see him. He tells me having long hair frees him from having to worry about haircuts, hence, more productive research.

As for myself, I've had a beard for several years. I keep it short and shave my neck line every day, which is less maintenance than a full shave. I too have had the inevitable trimming accident, so I traded in my beard trimmer for set of professional hair clippers. With the length guard in place, I haven't had any more accidents. When I started a job with a new firm, I debated going clean-shaven like the rest of the office, but the idea was short-lived. The only comments I've had have been positive, at least to my face!