I saw Billy and the boys at the Town House in Groves, TX in the beginning, before the beards, when he had Micky Mouse Ears and played till he broke a string, then another, and another, till he had only one string left. He was pretty good even with one string.
Beards with magnitude may indeed cause problems. The upkeep is difficult and involves time and a certain skill set. But the joy and happiness a well done beard can provide is second to none. Billy Gibbons is a classy real living blues man. I don't know about Velcro Fly though.
Not these days. Too many people have beards for it to be unusual.