In the British Royal Navy you had to get permission to grow a beard; it was always known as a "full set", that is to say no goatee beards or twirling moustachios , just an honest-to-goodness whopper (although it had to be trimmed neatly ).One submitted a "request form" to "discontinue shaving" in Naval parlance; if granted, you endured everyone's jibes for two weeks,after which the Master- At -Arms (the final arbiter)inspected your attempt and either approved it (hurrah !) or ordered you to "shave off !".Just to complicate things ; each ship or shore-base could have ONE person with a "fancy" ( goatee, twirly Sir Francis Drake type) beard,but depending on seniority, so if a Chief Petty Officer had a magnificent, waxed, dashing,piratical effort and then a Lieutenant similarly hirsutely-appendaged joined the Ship's Company , then the CPO either shaved of or got the scissors out!