…so I’ve decided to grow a flute beard. Any advice on style or length to maximize my playing ability (ITM primarily), would be great appreciated. Right now, I’m on 3 days stubble and have only notice a slight improvement in my playing (not related, of course, to my recent increase in practice time).
Eric
I too have started a flute beard. Mine has been growing about a month, and I’ve noticed some profound changes. Firstly, it makes me look older which has definitely improved my machismo which of course makes me play better. My new found masculinity allowed me to me take up yoga, which has improved my breathing and playing.
So from one month in my advice is to hang in there and let the beard take you where it may!
MC
I have thought of growing a flute beard, but I hate facial hair, so it’s difficult. I guess I’ll never be a worthwhile flute player. 
As J.P Donleavy wrote somewhere, the correct response to questons about why you’re growing a beard is, “I’m not doing anything; you’re shaving every day.” And of course it’s those extra minutes saved for practicing that make the real difference, eh? (For the record, I prefer close cropped for music & general appearance, though I’ve gone in the other direction without notable change in either.)
I know a man with a beard that grows and grows and grows.
He never wears no clothes.
He just wraps his hair,
around his bare,
and down the road he goes!
Shel Silverstein
I too am growing a beard, but not for the specific purpose of a Flute beard. It should improve my playing anyway.
Of course, there are those of us for whom growing a beard is not an option. But then, our flute playing is already so sublime we don’t need such aids
A am going to let my ear hair grow, I think that will help… 
Jon, is that really a cat in a bodhran, or is it just a round cow?
Beards are good for flute playing. Dangerous with chromatic harmonicas and slide trombones, though. Go for it.
I could go along with that 
cheers,
Sara
From my POV, it doesn’t matter as long as you have the little thing below the middle of the lower lip (I’ve heard it called a “J”, although I think there is a technical term for it). If you sweat a lot, as I do, it provides a little extra friction, plus I’ve found it slows the development of “unsightly stains” around the embouchure hole of boxwood. I keep the J in the summer, full beard only in the winter. A hot vs. cold thing.
“Soul Patch”?
Also called a “Dweezil” by some, apparently, although I’ve never heard it, nor “J”. But I have it on best authority from Patrick Olwell (we were discussing quick-and-dirty solutions to my then-new blackwood allergy), and who am I to doubt him?
Dweezil works for me. Although didn’t Frank have one first? Maybe we could just call it a Zappa.
A Zappa:
(:^[I-)
A Dweezil (or Soul Patch or J):
(:^I-)
Technically a Dweezil or Soul Patch or J is a very small goatee.
A ‘kid’ being a young goat, wouldn’t it be correct to call it a ‘kidee’?
Luc (soul patched and proud of it)
I don’t trust Wikipedia any farther than I can throw them, so to add to the confusion, here’s what it has on the Soul Patch (warning - some adult content). No mention of “Dweezil” among its many names, here, but, hey. I sort of like one name: the “royale”.
Steve Vai’s soul patch is horizontallish. When I grew mine, it was more verticallish.