This may not be an answer from a juriprendce point of view, but it can be useful to show a questioner how the point of view they have grown up with isnt the only one that makes sense,
It may be difficult to understand it having grown up in the west where the majority grown men bare their cheeks,
But in most Muslim lands there is seniority due to age (younger people respect older people and consult with them on matters of importance, and growing a beard also shows manhood. so when one came of age, he'd be playing his natural part in maturing and differentiating himself from children and women,
People who haven't reached puberty aren't even considered responsible for their actions, similar to age of consent in the uk, and in that category go morons and crazy people too,
but wisdom and age are valued in these lands unlike in the west where men feel insulted when you say they're older than they are.
In Arabia where the Prophet was sent, and in many other lands, age indicates experience and wisdom, and the beard was and is a sign differentiating the men from the boys and faggits

mg:
Also when Muslims see each other they're meant to greet them with peace, and being unique and having self esteem rather than an inferiority complex and imitating others is a way to recognise each other,
Read the full Hadith:
1) Ibn 'Umar (ra) related that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"Be different to the polytheists: Let the beards grow and trim the moustaches short" as recorded by Al-Bukhaari and in a version from Muslim: "Be different to the Mushrikeen: Trim the moustaches short and let the beards grow."
As Muslims we are meant to have and keep a unique identity and follow the advice of the Prophet pbuh in context, he was guided by the lawgiver - law creator - of the universe and did his job very well.
However unfortunately, the majority of the people of the west get the bulk of their information about life and surroundings, even what's in "fashion" and what fad to follow from the tv and magazines - from before the age they are even allowed to cross the road and see what's on the other side, let alone travel through the earth and see what else might make sense, and even more unfortunately, the western corporations utilise media so much that they have a monopoly on it - and the point of view or fad they decide on is adorned and promoted all over the globe - to the extent that many Muslims seem to have developed an inferiority complex and want to imitate the tv which is already being imitated by the people in the west from a few decades ago, to the extent that people have forgotten that wearing clothes was a sign of status and decency over the age of loincloths.
The Prophet pbuh told us that it is a part of inherent nature to have a beard.
And it makes sense to me.
A small piece of advice, always try to bear in mind that there are people all over the world who haven't fallen prey to conditioning and moulding though they may be character assassinated and desperately called names like "fundamentalist",
They may be servants of God, but they will not be servants of men like - or worse than - themselves.
And they will usually look a bit different from the "heroes" and "cool guys" you see on tv........and all around you....
Peace.