Well, I'm out. I could not take the itching any more and had to cut it loose, not that it has progressed much past a heavy shadow in only two weeks.
I don't know what happened to me, when I was younger I would grow it out every winter, now after many years of being clean shaven I swear i could feel every single hair working its way through my skin....torture......must be all the white ones I have now. LOL
I'm bummed I couldn't make it furthur but my face is happy once again.
Props to those with the will to persist. :-D