Protect your beards, lads!

**UmAnOnion** · 26th April 06, 09:59 AM

kinda overdue in throwing in my 2 cents here:
have had moustache since the first day hair started to grow there - have never chaved it & never will
was forced to stay clean chined by various work environments (nothing to do with safety - just general office rules)
a few years back started with the goatee thing - with the occasional foray into full beard
stuck with that until late last year when i was fed up with trying to get the sides to line up and let everything grow in.
now that summer is coming & the grey hairs that used to be few & far between are more & more prominent its time to go back to the goatee.

have always kept it on the shorter side - just a touch longer than stubble just out of personal comfort - if i let it get too long it looks like i have a brillo pad on my face (and no comments on how that might be an improvement thank you very much!!!)

**bubba** · 26th April 06, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by davedove

There was a period of about two weeks while it was growing out that I thought it would drive me crazy from the itching.

More often than not the itching is caused by the way you wash it. Don't use regular soap, use shampoo. The soap film is often the cause of the problem so wash it like you do the rest of your hair.

**Nick** · 26th April 06, 10:37 AM

I'd miss the itch. My beard doesn't itch like crazy, but there's a definite feel to it.

**davedove** · 26th April 06, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by bubba

More often than not the itching is caused by the way you wash it. Don't use regular soap, use shampoo. The soap film is often the cause of the problem so wash it like you do the rest of your hair.

It's only for that short span of time that it really itches. Now it hardly itches at all, or at least no more than anywhere else.

I do use the shampoo on the beard every time I wash my hair (on what hair I have left:rolleyes: ). It helps to keep it soft as well. I've had several ladies tell me my beard is softer than most beards they have felt.

**bubba** · 26th April 06, 11:14 AM

I can't comment on soft beards. A Brillo pad is softer than mine.

**Deolain** · 26th April 06, 12:08 PM

Although I would prefer to wear a goatee (and my lady would prefer the same), my work prohbits beards. I am left with the choice between clean shaven or moustache and frankly, the moustache is also severely limited. Therefore I am limited to the infrequent goatee when I manage to take a week off of work.

Mores the pitty.

**Angus** · 26th April 06, 12:56 PM

I'm a little late here, but here goes anyway. I'm only 26 but have had a beard of some sort (goateee, fumanchu,etc...) since before high school. Started shaving at 12 or 13 and have detested it ever since. It tears my face up for bout three days so two years ago I went with the full beard and havent looked back.

I got one of those "technicolor" beards. Inside its a dark brown with a slight reddish tint, but I walk outside and its a flame red color, go figure<shrug>. I did and do trim it to three inches long during the summer and let it go wild during the winter. Its a great feeling when the wind blows the beard around. I especially enjoy it when out waiting for a deer in the cold, windy PA woods.

BTW, I also find that a shampoo with conditioner works really well to keep the beard nice n shiny/soft. Works alot better than soap which will make your face dry out and itch somthin fierce.

**ozmeath** · 26th April 06, 01:02 PM

Nick, tell us how you go with the razor and strop. I've got a beautiful antique razor that i've tried to get sharp but it's always sharp enough to leave a few bloody lines on me but leave the hair! I've stropped thatthing til I'm stroppy (oz slang for somewhat short tempered).
Good advice bubba.
Funny how so many of us have beards. Well I always say if it thins out some of the female crowd, all the better, because you're left with a better class of woman!

**Nick** · 26th April 06, 02:12 PM

Ozmeath, unfortunately it takes more than a strop. To actually sharpen you need a very very fine sharpening stone. The strop only hones the blade and cleans it.

The other thing is angle and pressure. You have to find the proper angle, and don't press! That's important, and something that's hard to get used to. I expect it's similar to the switch from steel dip pens to ballpoint. It's hard to use a dip pen now because we're used to pushing hard; the same applies to straight razors and modern razors. If it's sharp, and you've got the right angle, it should just float on top of your skin as you shave.

**Kilted KT** · 26th April 06, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by Nick

Ozmeath, unfortunately it takes more than a strop. To actually sharpen you need a very very fine sharpening stone. The strop only hones the blade and cleans it.

The other thing is angle and pressure. You have to find the proper angle, and don't press! That's important, and something that's hard to get used to. I expect it's similar to the switch from steel dip pens to ballpoint. It's hard to use a dip pen now because we're used to pushing hard; the same applies to straight razors and modern razors. If it's sharp, and you've got the right angle, it should just float on top of your skin as you shave.

with my luck, I'd sharpen the blade so it would cut concrete like warm butter, and float it right through my jaw bone! I stick with the training wheels on my razors, when I use them...