Update

The instructions say to use 1 mL, but I'm using slightly more to compensate for the absorption of the cotton round and because my face is a much larger surface area than a bald spot would be.  I would say that my skin gets a light coat of Min. Here are pictures of first shave.

Note

I tried applying the 1mL using a cotton ball, but it seemed to absorb more of the liquid than the cotton round.  I even attempted to tear the cotton ball into a smaller piece as to prevent to much of the Min from being absorb, but the difference seemed insignificant.  I will continue to use the cotton round.

I'm keeping up with applications.  One in the morning and one at night.  Pictures to come soon.

I'm also taking a picture each day, which I will combine, say three months from now or so, into a gif and show a time lapse in attempts to see if there is any significant growth.

Day 1

Today I started my first application of 5% Minoxidil.  Per the instructions, I will apply 1mL twice a day, which I will do in the morning when I wake up, following a shower, and at night.  I will completely shave my face regularly (approx. once every 4-6 days) and take pictures before I shave.  The instructions call for 1mL, which I placed on a CVS cotton round and applied to my face evenly.

In retrospect, I believe I will add 0.5 mL to the cotton round first, apply to half my face and repeat, as to attempt to more evenly distribute the Min.

Pre-Experimental Photos 2

Here is another batch of photos before I started applying Minoxidil.  This time I did not trim the neck.  As you can see, the growth is sparse.

Pre-Experimental Photos

Here is a set of pre-experimental photos.  I had trimmed the hair on my neck.

And so it begins...

So let me tell you a little about myself.
I'm 25 years old, and have had trouble growing a beard all my life.  My ability to grow a beard has never really had too much of an impact on me, and I've lived with it fine, but now and again I do wish I had the ability to grow one.  Recently, I had those feelings again, and decided to investigate if there was anything I could do about it.  I came across several blogs that claimed this and that to work, but a general consensus seemed to revolve around the use of Minoxidil.  Now I'll just go ahead and say that I have no affiliation with Minoxidil, it's parent company or any associated companies - I am merely a consumer wishing to grow a beard.  One thing that troubled me while investigating people's experiences, though, was that there was no documentation of their results (I come from a science background and am very analytical, so documentation, pre-lab and post-lab, as well as thorough note taking has been engraved within my brain).  This troubled me, so I set out to not only try Minoxidil, but to post my findings and let you all see my progress, if you wish.  So here it goes.

Background:
I am an active, athletic individual that works out at least 4 days a week for 2+ hours at a time.  I have somewhere around a 3300 daily caloric intake.  A majority of my diet is healthy, consisting of lean protein, milk, eggs, water, vegetables, fruit, etc.  None of this may be relevant, but I thought I'd share, nonetheless.
My father has been able to grow a beard and wore a mustache/goatee for several years.  The coverage seemed plentiful to look normal.  Both my grandfathers were clean shaven, though I believe my mother's father has had the ability to grow a full beard; my father's father I can make no conclusion.