There have been a lot of articles about men’s beards since hipsters started rocking full beards in the last couple of decades, and they’re often loaded with opinions against it. It’s usually not more scientifically interesting than asking “why animals grow hair”. They do, and nobody really cares enough to ask “why”.
I’d rather like to know “the real reason men shave”. That’s somewhat more interesting, because it’s something humans have created and there ought to be a reason why.
I don’t care what I look like and shaving takes up time so I have a beard. I’m married with a job, who do I have to impress? My entire chin is gray and I look kinda crazy with it so it helps with avoiding talking to people too.
It made me look 10 years younger and I’d prefer to look my age
Shaving is annoying. Occasional razor burn and cuts aside, it’s an “all or nothing” style. If you miss a spot, it sticks out against the smooth skin
Having to do it daily sucks especially for people like me who get 10am shadows. Post-shave stubble looks bad. Post-#1 trimmer stubble looks the same
It’s relaxing to scratch a beard and it doesn’t feel good to scratch a freshly-shaven face.
I trim my beard once a week and I can do it half asleep. it stays relatively nice and if I miss a spot, it mostly blends in. Sometimes during the week I will trim the couple of hairs that grow a little higher on my cheeks but even if I don’t, it doesn’t look too bad.
There can be other, individual reasons especially for “like”, but that and “beauty” have a strong link to evolution. For example, a wolf wouldn’t find a bowl of fruits beautiful.
Don’t do the same area repeatedly. Get a safety razor so that it’s cheap to install a new blade (.05¢), and change blades every 3rd shave. Soften your facial hair with hot water. Use a high quality shaving cream and brush. Pass over each part of your face only once. Shave in the direction of your hair growth, not against it. Use a good facial moisturizer when you’re finished.
Expensive? My friend, buy a safety razor and you’ll spend $6 on 25 blades that’ll last you 7 months, if you’re shaving every day and changing the blade once a week.
This is the razor I’ve used. I’m sure there are better ones out there, but this one has adjustable blade support for different skin types. I bought a pack of 100 German blades.
And you got the fancy expensive blades. Feather blades are fantastic and you can buy a box of 100 for like fifteen bucks. They’re a bit too aggressive for me, I like Derby blades, but I wouldn’t really recommend them (also I’m not super impressed with their quality control, I keep finding dud blades).
It’s not about hiding a weak jaw line? Jokes aside, it is interesting that a lot of the masculine activities we may have naively agreed were intended to attract women, are to repel other men and avoid competition.
Well what does my mustache say? That I’m sad the craft beer bubble burst?
I’ve never been a fan of IPAs and don’t think I’ve ever bought one on its own, but I’ve enjoyed a lot of other local craft brews. I think we’ve had a few local breweries close, but others still open.
My kid didn’t think I look enough like a real dad so he harangued me until I grew a beard. And hey it grew on me and eventually even on my wife. Well you know what I mean.
Then it grew on the dog. It grew on the couch. It grew on the house and the neighborhoid block. It grew on the town, the county, the state. It grew on the Earth, the sun, all the way to Oort cloud. When it grew on Sagittarius A* we stopped keeping track.
My wife originally hated my beard, and now she doesn’t like me clean shaven. I guess she got so used to it that any time I shave she says she prefers me with facial hair.
Exactly. My lazy ass shaves every 2 to 3 weeks when it starts itching. In the summertime more often since a beard sucks when you try to wipe your sweat off…
It still ends up being more work than I’d hoped for (which was 0), but certainly less than staying clean shaven. That and my wife really likes it are my two biggest reasons.
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