Why I hate shaving

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:22 pm

I've had a beard for about 15 years. I trim it every week or two, but I don't intend to ever shave it off again. Nature/God/Fate/Whatever has given me a grey beard and balding head, and I don't see any point in trying to change that. Of course, it doesn't hurt my case that my wife doesn't mind. (In fact, she didn't think Sean Connery was sexy until he was grey-bearded and bald-headed.

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:43 pm

Flyingcursor wrote:
Stubble is always tricky business.

Well I think it's great for keeping an extra Kleenex handy.

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 2:55 pm

One of my favourite songs by Clannad, Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair (The Autumn Stubble).

djm

chas · Post by **chas** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 4:05 pm

I hate shaving. I hate having a beard almost as much. So for several years I've grown a beard for about half the year, the cool months, and once I sweat so much that there are salt crystals on my beard I shave it off. Then I shave once or twice a week -- basically when it starts itching. I shave around the beard (the itching thing again), so between shaving and trimming it doesn't save much in the way of time caring for it. But it saves an awful lot of wear and tear on the skin. If I shave within a couple of days of the previous shave, I look like a walking ad for styptic sticks.

My wife claims she loves the beard and always misses it; she usually notices within a few days of when I've shaved it off.

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 7:08 pm

I shaved for my wedding day and a few other times when I accidently gouged an important portion of my beard/mustache. And then I immediately started growing the beard all over again. I keep a close cropped beard that is now mostly white and a head of long brown hair with no gray. I wish I had a matched set. I dyed the beard a few times but that burnt my face. That's why I grew the beard in the first place. My skin is sensitive. My brothers all have gray hair with dark brown beards.

rebl_rn · Post by **rebl_rn** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:32 pm

To give a straight female perspective here -
IMO, it TOTALLY depends on the guy. I know some guys who are totally hot with facial hair and not so much clean shaven. I know others who are the opposite. I know many women who despise any facial hair; others who are more attracted to it. There's no right or wrong way.

I will say the "soul patch" is, (again IMO) totally ridiculous. Grow a beard or don't but that is just silly.

My funny facial hair story. My brother had a mustache for years. He started debating about shaving it off, and asked his wife what she thought. She couldn't decide which she'd prefer, so she asked, "Well, can't you just shave half of it off and I can decide which I like better?"

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:59 pm

another female point of view-

Patchy stubble is a no-no-just looks grungy and dirty. Likewise the "soul patch"- stupid thing. Heavy stubble, looks good but painful.
Beards and/or mustaches

but only if they are decent examples.

In fact, she didn't think Sean Connery was sexy until he was grey-bearded and bald-headed. smile

yep!

My dh has had a mustache- big ole handle-bar thing- since I've known him. He only shaved it off once about 25 or so years ago. I hated it- our daughters cried and ran from him. He promptly grew it back and it has remained. He has a full beard in winter but shaves in summer. It usually takes me a few days to notice when it's gone. He hates to shave too and so only does it when he has to.

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:02 pm

djm wrote:One of my favourite songs by Clannad, Coinleach Glas An Fhomhair (The Autumn Stubble).

djm

I know that song!

(Hey...why are there no smileys with beards?)

MusicalADD · Post by **MusicalADD** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:56 pm

rebl_rn wrote: I will say the "soul patch" is, (again IMO) totally ridiculous. Grow a beard or don't but that is just silly.

If you think a soul patch is bad...

I recently saw an older gentleman with something like a soul patch, but under his chin. Now that looked silly, I thought. (Though I can probably guess his motivation-- that can be a tricky spot to shave.)

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:36 am

I have a goatee. Had it for over 10 years now, tried shaving it off for a few months but I just got freaked out because when I looked in the mirror I saw my twin brother. So I grew it back and I became me again.

Normally I shave every 2 or 3 days because I just can't be bothered doing it every day. If I leave it for more than 3 days it's a pain to shave and tends to get spots under it. The beard and moustache get a trim every week or so.

Innocent Bystander · Post by **Innocent Bystander** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:07 am

I hate shaving. That's why I haven't done it for thirty years or so.

That business with shaving the front and sides of your face and not under your chin (or behind your jawline) was dead popular in the eighteenth century. It was called a "Newgate Frill" because it prevented the hangman's rope from chafing (allegedly).

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:22 am

Innocent Bystander wrote:t was called a "Newgate Frill" because it prevented the hangman's rope from chafing (allegedly).

Surely chaffing is the least of a person's worries when on the end of a rope?

And how do they know it chaffs? Do they ask them while they're hanging?

"Sorry to bother you, just wondering if the noose is comfy enough for you?"
"Actually it does chaff a bit..."
"Oh, perhaps I could suggest a snazzy beard next time? Not that there'll be a next time I suppose. "

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:29 am

chrisoff wrote:
Innocent Bystander wrote:t was called a "Newgate Frill" because it prevented the hangman's rope from chafing (allegedly).
Surely chaffing is the least of a person's worries when on the end of a rope?

And how do they know it chaffs? Do they ask them while they're hanging?

"Sorry to bother you, just wondering if the noose is comfy enough for you?"
"Actually it does chaff a bit..."
"Oh, perhaps I could suggest a snazzy beard next time? Not that there'll be a next time I suppose. "

Not really, often during hanging the hangee strangles to death, there is not a clean break of the neck, so chaffing could be uncomfortable

And that's bad because you want to leave a good looking corpse for the wake.

djm · Post by **djm** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:56 am

Did anyone see that film The Last Hangman with Timothy Spall? Kinda slow, but interesting ... in a freaky sort of way.

djm

I.D.10-t · Post by **I.D.10-t** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 7:15 am

I use to like shaving when I could take my time and do a good job of it. Singing “Cockles and Mussels” while stropping the blade, lathering up the soap, foaming up the face. Now it is splash the face with water, rub it with some soap, and wonder the entire time if I need to replace the blade in my safety razor.

For Halloween one year I decided to dress as pan. A pair of horns, pan flute, and fuzzy shorts didn’t look complete, so I grew a goatee. For the most part though, clean shaven and long hair helps to take the edge off of my appearance, rather than looking like a leather clad thug with a handlebar mustache.