Coronavirus: 'I had to shave off my beard so I could wear a face mask'

John Adamson has had a beard since he was first able to grow one as a teenager.

A member of Edinburgh Beard and Moustache Club, it had always been a strong part of his identity.

So the 29-year-old was "devastated" when the need to wear a face mask for his job as a care assistant meant it was curtains for his facial hair.

John explained: "The mask was pressing on my face so tightly that it pushed the hair up my nose and into my mouth.

"The hair was sticking outside the mask, but it was also going inside.

"I was struggling to breathe... it was a real hazard."

He tried buying several different types of face masks to see if any others would provide a solution.

"I tried everything to keep the beard as it is very important to me. Many folk have tried and failed to get me to shave it off," said John.

But eventually he ran out of options and was forced to shave off his beard.

He said: "I go into the homes of vulnerable people, so I need to wear a mask for my job.

"I had to make the decision to swallow my pride and shave it off.

"At first I got my clippers and started shaving the sides as I was trying to see if I could keep some of it.

"But in the end I had to take the whole thing off. It was devastating because it's like an arm or a leg to me."

John said his wife of 10 years had never seen his chin before he shaved.

"I just can't get used to it and I don't like how I look now," he added.

"In fact, I would be more comfortable having no clothes on than having a naked chin.

"I did it for a really good reason, but I don't like it at all."

John, from Gifford in East Lothian, estimated that his beard would take at least three months to grow back.

He said: "I'm now having to shave twice a day because the hair grows so quickly.

"Once this is all over I'm growing it back."