^ Yes, I think you're right. I think Frakes was normally beardy but shaved it off for season one Riker and then just reverted back to his usual style between seasons.
The reason I have a beard is because of Frakes. Or Riker. Whatever. I keep my beard closely cropped like him. I use the number two clipper attachment twice a month to keep it from getting shaggy.
Well it turned out that Riker's beard was actually like KITT from Knight Rider - it's an artifical intelligence spawned by a secret government agency. It can talk and Riker often asks it's advice on away missions - usually asking for some gadget built into the beard to help out - again lot like KITT, however the conversation usually went something like: Riker: Damn, the Ferengi have outbid us on the new superweapon offered by superbeing X. Beard use your computer hacking abilities to alter the superbeing's computer so that the Ferengi bid becomes a bid from the Federation. Beard: I'm sorry Will, I'm just a beard. Riker: Bugger.
I also grew my first beard inspired by Riker's. I've worn one most of my life since then, though in recent times I've adapted it into a goatee to better go with my Picard-like scalp. Much easier to shave around, too.
A pet tribble (presumably desexed) was once known to have existed in the kindergarten of the USS Enterprise-D, it was disposed of by Lieutenant Worf’s son, Alexander, during a rather bloody show-and-tell session involving his father’s bat’leth. Worf is believed to have skinned the creature and presented the fur as a toupee in a sign of respect to his captain. Captain Picard politely declined the gift, but his debonair first officer Commander Riker cheerfully agreed to wear it on the end of his chin. This tradition among Starfleet officers of wearing a tribble has apparently carried through to the present day. A holoimage of Captain Kathryn Janeway, taken on the eve of Voyager’s ill-fated maiden journey, shows her with what appears to be an enormous red tribble on top of her head.