Why Do Men Shave?
If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
Showering is easy to understand. If you don’t shower, you start to stink. Combing the hair is easy to understand too, because it would be a mess if you didn’t comb it. If you don’t brush your teeth, they rot and fall out. And dressing, obviously, is a necessity.
Shaving is the removal of body hair, using a sharp blade known as a razor or with any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin. Shaving is most commonly used by men to remove their facial hair, and a man is called clean shaven if he has had his removed totally.
Men have been shaving forever. Cavemen probably shaved with stone knives, and there’s some suggestion that they may even have trimmed their hair with fire. Beards can be uncomfortable, and they easily get nasty because they trap food.
But why is it that, for a majority of men, all facial hair must be removed? There certainly isn’t any health reason to shave it off. Why would we spend the time and money to go through this hair loss ritual each and every day?
Among the many reasons I found while doing some research men began shaving in Stone Age times were:
- To reduce the breeding grounds for lice, fleas and small rodents.
- To eliminate the beard as a place for an enemy to hang on during combat.
- To make it easier to eat.
- Superstition associated a heavily bearded man with old age and death, in addition to the superstitious belief of spirits which entered the body through hairs on the head.
“The word “barber” comes from the Latin word “barba,” meaning beard. It may surprise you to know that the earliest records of barbers show that they were the foremost men of their tribe. Medicine men and the priests. But primitive man was very superstitious and the early tribes believed that both good and bad spirits, which entered the body through the hairs on the head, inhabited every individual.
Alexander the Great never lost a battle, not to the Persians or to anyone else. But he did order his men shaved so that their beards could not be grabbed in battle. Same for the Romans.
Yet you find many men who support a beard and I am sure there are a variety of reasons for that too, but I am not getting into that right now. I must admit though that a beard or a moustache alone on some men look very graceful.
Now its your turn to talk, why do you shave guys?
I shave because I’m oriental and I don’t grow enough at this age(21) for it to even look remotely good/even/full/whatever…. maybe some fu man chu when im 40.. hehe
I shave for two reasons.
1. Facial hair irritates my wife’s face when we kiss.
2. I work in an office and try to look reasonably smart.
Experience has shown that I look scruffy with a beard and before I was married I was too lazy to spend the time and effort to trim it. If I ever end up on my own and retired, I will probably stop shaving.
I’ve just recently stopped shaving, and am actually quite enjoying my beard. It’s fascinating to see blonde streaks coming out in it, as I’ve always been very dark.
Because ‘the wife’ will complain (when kissed) if I don’t. I consider that a good reason. Next to that, if it get’s too long, it starts to itch a lot.
I can’t imagine why men shave. Beards just grow back. And why do we wash the damn dishes, they just get dirty again.
I shave because my beard grows… sparsely. If I try to grow a beard, I have a few bare spots on my face, and the rest of the beard is thin. In short, it just looks terrible. But I really dislike shaving and wish I could grow a decent beard.
Hi Thel
Your post really made me think. Why do I keep doing something I hate doing every morning?
I’d guess it’s because every other man is doing it? Would I want to do something just because everyone else is doing it? Isn’t that America???
No definite answer there, but sure I know why I don’t wanna a mustache — all the dust that settles there gets inhaled into my lungs. That’s why I shave my mouch at least.
I shave because it gets itchy.
Personally, I can’t stand having a beard. I grew it out once. The food kept getting stuck, the initial stages of growth where the hair could poke me was damn near unbearable, and to be honest I looked 10 years older (wiser maybe but definitely old).
I cannot stand shaving every day so I don’t. I have a beard trimmer and I keep the bulk of the hair knocked down. I’ll shave every other day on average.
I rarely do.
Because it itches.
I try to grow a beard now and again, it comes in nice and thick but after about 4 days it feels so greasy and itchy I cave in and shave it off. I’ve never cracked the 1 week plateau, but not from lack of trying.
I shave because its much easier to get a date when you look clean and shaven, its a social thing
I dont shave
im 18 and have been able to grow a full beard since age 15
and im a ginger
and i have a fabulous beard
and i will never go completely clean shaved again for a lady
I dont shave because i can move my hair. My dad gets freaked the fek out when i start doing my taxes with my beard ends.
“What he said.” I have about three so-called bald spots on my face, so growing a quote-proper-unquote beard is right out.
Because I like how I look without facial hair. I feel and seem a bit younger (I’m 20).
Plus bodily hair is disgusting. I try not to have any (except for my hear, eyebrows and eyelashes).
If I stop shaving my face my wife swears she’ll stop shaving her legs… seems like a fair trade to me.
I don’t necessarily subscribe to this, but there is a belief that a beard implies that one has something to hide.
I don’t. I like my harry face and I’m keeping it.
I also would grow a beard with some random bad patches. I have a few that grow too thin, and the part connecting my sideburns to the hair on my head has a spot where no hair grows. Also, beards get itchy after just a few weeks, but maybe there’s some magical remedy for this that I’m not aware of. I wish I could grow one, they really outline my face well. For now, I’m stuck with shaving (and hating it).
I don’t shave because I hate it. The worst thing ever and the in-grown hairs I get from time to time are painful.
I really only shave 2 times a week in the summer, from October to March it’s beard country.
This is the most ridiculous article written. You have nothing better to write about??
“- To reduce the breeding grounds for lice, fleas and small rodents.”
small rodents?
what are your sources?
I shave because I believe that it increases my chances to reproduce. Less hair shows women that we men are free of lice. Hence we will make better mates.
I don’t shave, until it grows too long to look decent. At that time, I trim it down again. Mostly because I am too lazy to spend every day shaving, and my girlfriend actually likes my beard. I see no reason to shave, if I can keep my beard looking nice, just as the hair on the top of my head.
I shave because it feels better. Having done the beard for a while, I found that it tends to be a minor irritant. Facial hair prickles and annoys women, occasionally feels prickly to the wearer, and never feels quite as clean or fresh.
I shave because my gay lover hates it because my beard irritates his scrotum.
I don’t shave, I just keep a neatly trimmed beard, and edge it in with a razor. It’s less irritating on my face, and I only have to think about it once a week, or so.
I shave because (like the other guys said) my girlfriend MUCH prefers a smooth cheek next to hers when we kiss or cuddle.
I also shave for the same reason I wear collared shirts. I don’t wear ties with them, I don’t need to keep my neck warm, so there really isn’t any purpose to the collar, but I like how I look. I think men the world over shave (or don’t) because they want to look that way.
i shave to feel more like a woman.
I keep a well groomed beard, and it’s great. It protects my face from the elements, and I get less blemishes. And it looks good.
I only shave to trim my goatee. I’m 22, and of european, specifically germanic descent. I’ve been shaving since I was in 6th grade when I was asked by a teacher to start. I despise having to shave at all and when possible avoid it. I may actually shave once a month, but beyond that I run a beard trimmer over my face in areas I don’t want a full beard every few days. Makes me look a little scruffy, but my job isn’t one that I need to be clean shaven for so I don’t bother.
I’m only 25 but I shave because my facial hair grows fast and if I don’t I’ll look like some sort of Yetti or Chewbacka or something within a couple of weeks.
Facial hair is uncomfortable - it’s itchy.
Also, my facial hair is sparse. If I didn’t shave, I’d have pork chop side burns, a half goatee and a trash stash - not cool! Also, I work in business, so its pretty much expected that you shave… otherwise you look like a scruffy bum.
I really dislike shaving…. but my girlfriend hates my beard… so.. i have to..
How about cuz it’s itchy.
You hate the options they present to you
And everything is owned by someone lame.
Here’s a lesson how to deal with corporatization:
Stick it to the man because the man don’t own your face.
Take back the beard! Take back the world!
MY BEARD OF DEFIANCE!
The major reason is actually health a benefit.
First off, men who have a thick and course beard tend to get a lot of in-grown hairs which can cause major problems.
I actually have a beard, so I know, If I’m not careful, you can get an in-grown hair that will flame up on you and get infected. This can be averted by combing and keeping the beard trimmed and clean.
Another reason is that beards attract more bacteria and germs. Lets face it, when you eat, all sort of crap can get in there and unless you constantly clean and groom.
Overall, even though i have a beard (which is more for looks than anything else), its actually harder to maintain then it is to simply shave it off.
Personal choice of how one presents oneself?
I shave because I don’t want hair on my face. It is pretty much that simple. I get itchy. I don’t like it.
Throughout history, gentlemen wore neatly trimmed beards at all levels of society. It was a sign of virility and manliness as well as wisdom and maturity. In any event, shaving on a daily basis was too difficult, considering the tools required.
When WWI broke out, a terrible new weapon was introduced………poison gas. Soldiers were required to wear gas masks in order to protect themselves during a gas attack. To make an effective seal against their faces, the military required soldiers to shave their beards as closely and carefully as possible.
This is about the time the safety razor and shaving daily was popularized. The alternative was breathing the deadly poison and dying.
Simple. Because I look 10 years younger without it.
I SHAVE BECUAUSE HAIR GROWS IN MY FACE.
Its as annoying, or even more annoying to trim a beard than it is to just shave it all off. Unless you want to be a caveman, its best to just shave it off because it takes less time.
In Soviet Russia, beard shaves you!
I only shave my lower neck, around my shirt. I have found that as long as I keep my beard trimmed with an electric shaver with an attachment, it looks great. It only itches if you do not comb it, as the hairs begin to point “in” toward the face. My wife loves the beard, and it makes me look much wiser than without. I only shave the area around the lower neck to keep it from getting irritated, as well as look more “kept”.
“Why? I don’t know, Youthfulness, shaving presents a clean face to the onlooker, conversant.”
I’ll say this, the man above I quoted is right about looking clean and that “clean look” being more sought than “rugged” but men don’t like shaving it’s an annoying thing we just have to do. Sometimes I let mine grow a bit inorder not to do it, but in the end it all comes off someday.
And also, I actually feel better after I shave (razor burn aside).
I started to shave when I was 15. At first it was cool I was a man but now of is just annoying. I shave now because I look better clean shaven and the girls like it better clean.
Is this post a joke? How bored do you have to be? Could you please explain how the shaving ritual is done again, that was fascinating.
We shave because we don’t need the hair there anymore. We aren’t cavemen so why put up with it. Why do women shave their legs and armpits?
I shave because the Marine Corps requires it…
I only shave my balls.
Having facial hair seems to make my skin a tad oily.
I’ve had a beard since I was 15. I have also had no problems getting girls or anything like that. Keep it short (my trimmer is kept on the 2nd shortest setting), shampoo and condition it and it’ll stay soft enough to not irritate.
Granted I have almost shoulder length hair too, so I’m kinda pirate looking.
I shave because my girlfriends like my face smooth when I go down on them…
Reasons to grow a beard:
1. Beards are beautiful.
2. They don’t itch if you let them grow over an inch or two.
3. You have to be a heathen to get food stuck in it, especially if you trim it right.
4. I don’t get in many combat situations these days. I don’t really worry about anyone grabbing on to it in order to smite me.
Besides the obvious reason (employment restrictions), I shave primarily because of the itchiness factor. Granted, that does not offset the razor burn itchiness the next day, but at least razor burn is not permanent, whereas a beard is always itchy.
I’m 1/4 Chinese genetically and have asymmetrical facial hair. I have to shave or I look like I lost a fight with a razor.
i am from the middle east i live and go to school in the US i already have a thick suspicious accent and not shaving my beard i would certainly be associated with a group of people that terrify some people here in the US lol
I personally don’t understand why most men shave. We’ve grown out of superstitions, and lice is avoidable. I haven’t shaved in six years, granted I’m only twenty four and in those five years I’ve only been able to grow a small goatee, but I look forward to growing a full beard. It’s only natural. And in response to the comment about the beard scratching your wife’s face. Try growing it out. Your wifey may enjoy her man to be a little more natural. Let’s face the music eh guys? Shaving will not erase the years we’ve attained.
As one who has worn a beard for most of my adult life, I can tell you that I believe that most men shave because of peer pressure. The majority shave and to do otherwise is to invite the suggestion that you don’t conform in other ways. Being a professional without anyone to report to I don’t worry that my boss might disapprove and that that disapproval affect my status in an office setting.
I am not too worried that I will have small rodents taking up residence, and the fact that I wash regularly seems to prevent a lot of retained food. As for being grabbed in battle, that is not much of a concern. So, while in ancient cultures there may have been good reasons to shave, these traditions persist only out of cultural inertia.
And, by the way, my wife is sitting here looking over my shoulder as I write and she has not said that it bothers her. And it is not hot, in fact, if you think about it, facial hair wicks away perspiration and cools your skin, not the opposite. In addition, it really is not a lot less trouble as you still have to shave your neck daily and trim your beard at intervals, unless of course you want to look like the cavemen you refer to.
And now if we could only have another president with a beard…maybe Hilary will stop shaving.
I shave because it seperates us from the beasts and babarians. See that “barba”rians, Romans shaved as soldiers for a battlefield advantage, and in regular life to seperate themselves from the “bearded ones”, less technically advanced European tribes that they battled throughout the ages. beards are for hippies and lumberjacks, seeing that I am niether, merely a well dressed engineer, I shave, and plan to continue.
First off it itches, or at least it itches me when the hair is long. It get hot in summer months. I look better (in my opinion) with no facial hair.
why do women shave their legs?
I actually find it harder to keep up a beard than to shave. even while keeping a beard you still have to trim it, and once in a while pull out the razor to keep the hair line shapely. When the hair gets really long it starts to dry out which makes it even more prone to carrying food, dirt, and oil. Sometimes you have to lather your beard with lotion just to keep it from bothering you.
I have had different reactions with women. Some liked it, most hated it. The reasons received for their disliking it were “very convincing”
A visit to my grandparent’s house wouldn’t go without a nasty comment about my facial hair.
Oh, and most important of all:
Successful job interviews with a beard: none
I’m not sure if it is true but i read that men who shave their face actually have less wrinkly skin than a woman because shaving kind of exercises the facial muscles some how. I shave because i have only one bald spot where no hair grows but i’ve decided to try growing it out anyways.
I can grow a full beard, but when it’s hot out or I’m playing sports, the beard gets very sweaty and irritating. Just another reason for you :-).
I have recently gone 10 days without shaving.
I am enjoying my beard (longest in 7 years) and am debating whether to shave it prior to a return to the office.
I shave because my hair is extremely sparse. I’m 24, but I have patches where it does grow, not the other way around. My mom’s dad has the same amount, and I hear that is the relative that matters.
I haven’t shaved in 22 years. I last shaved when I cut myself shaving and said, “Nuts to this!” I enjoy my beard and mustache and most everyone in my life has never seen me without facial hair. It is easy to keep trimmed and most importantly, I have one less thing to do every day.
Because it’s fucking itchy!
Men in the military are required to shave because Gas Masks will not seal properly against a beard, I believe this goes back to the first world war.
I typically keep a short beard/goatee, but when I do go clean-shaven it’s mostly to make my wife happy - she does like the baby face. I do have to shave every day, but so long as I keep my neck clean I can get away with one or two days of shaving so long as I have a full beard - it does at least come in full. Small mercies and such.
The same reason women shave legs & armpits.
It keeps the misses from getting a urinary tract infection…..
; )
I don’t shave. If I do it’s cause I’ll just not feel like having a beard anymore and wonder what my face used to feel like without one. Most guys I know that do shave do so because of their jobs or women (getting women or trying to keep them).
I believe Desmond Morris suggests the reason it is done is because facial hair is a secondary sexual stimulus that lets women know men are mature and ready for sex. Since we live in extra large groups this adds too much stimulation to the group so we supress this stimulus by shaving.
I shave because society says that a clean shaven man is a professional man. I kept my beard trimmed very nicely and was still forced to shave it for different job(s). I’m not in battle nor do I need to worry about lice, so why isn’t it acceptable? Why do we shave? Good Question!
why do women shave their legs?
I gave up shaving about two years ago. At that point I had two reasons to do so. The first was to save time in the mornings. It takes about 30 seconds to shampoo a beard, but at least 5 minutes to get a good shave in. My second reason was to save money. My facial skin was fairly sensitive, so I had to buy special shaving cream and a nice razor. It’s not unheard of to spend at least $10 on a razor, then you have to eventually replace the blades. Not shaving saves a considerable amount of money over time.
I find having a beard has added a little bit more to my life. If you keep it fairly tidy by shampooing and trimming once in awhile, a beard can look very distinguished.
If there are any men that are reading this and have not growing a beard, I urge you to do so. Facial hair growth is natural and a benefit of being a member of the male gender. Try it out, you may find that you enjoy it!
I shave because the United States Marine Corps says I will.
i’d grow a beard if i could, but like that guy up there ^
i can’t grow a full and nice beard.
why do women shave their legs? hmm? answer that, women. then again, i do like a nicely shaved legs on women….
I don’t shave. I am 24 and balding. Having hair on my face makes me look healthier, and more attractive. When I shave my face, I have very little up top (I keep it trimmed close because it’s the only cut that looks good on me), and I look washed out. I have pale skin, but dark facial hair. The contrast compliments me. My girlfriend likes my goatee, although it sometimes irritates her when I kiss her. But I use conditioner to soften my beard, and keep it long enough that it is soft (but short enough that my enemies can not grab it in battle!) I do shave from time to time when my beard annoys me… and to be honest just reading this article may cause me to go shave.
Answer this: Why do women she their legs?
And that will be the answer to both questions
I shave because I have psoriasis. The daily massage of shaving coupled witht eh clean skin keep my face clear. If I don’t shave I end up with itchy, oozing, caked dead skin hidden in the beard. Shaving is no hardship.
I shave because facial hair gets in the way of the makeup I wear every day. Don’t tell anyone though.
http://www.whiskerino.org/2007/
Here are some who Don’t
There is a cultural bias against facial hair in the west, like it or not. I found myself unable to find work a few years ago when I wore a beard. I kept it trimmed, not shaggy. When I gave up on that and shaved, I had a job within the week.
real men don’t shave
i just trim my shit down. shaving is complete faggotry
I have a gotee. The only reason I don’t have a full beard is that (for me at least) If I don’t shave my acne gets worse. In a few years this shouldn’t be much of a problem and I may grow a full beard.
Great article. Of course, this all begs the more important question: why do women shave their legs, armpits and who-knows-what-else?
I think the utilitarian argument tends to fall short. In the end shaving is a cultural, stylistic, vanity issue.
Let me ask you, do you shave your legs? What health benefit does that bring to you?
I don’t shave usually because I’m lazy and I think facial hair looks better on me. Most people in the modern world shave because most women think it’s sexy to have a smooth face, and most people instinctively don’t trust people with facial hair–as if they are trying to hide something.
i recently stopped shaving after a breakup.
i’m pouring all the poison in my head into my beard. i plan to grow it out until i stop thinking about it, then shave it clean off. whoosh. gone forever.
I shave because I can’t yet grow a full beard, age 22. Also a half a*s beard is irritating, and itchy.
1 word.. vagina.
Most women don’t like kissing bearded men. (Perhaps unless the beard is grizzly adams length..)
So I shave because of the power of punani. Fair trade off I guess, as long as I get it as many times as I shave a week..
We shave because women want us to. Period. End of story.
i think most guys shave because if you don’t you get harassed either by your co workers or the girl friend / wife.
Written by a high school student?
Half the year, I shave because the beard is too hot and makes me look older. Folks are amazed at the age change when it comes off.
The other half I grow a full beard because I can, it makes me look professorial and adult, serious.
This year, I have polled everyone I know on it, and with one exception (a man), they all said to keep it. Women seem to like it more, and I think it is because it has the subtext of obvious masculinity, adulthood, and in my case, (unwarranted!) intellect.
Most women I have polled during the growing stage prefer it scruffy, but neatly trimmed as it presents evidence again of masculinity, and that ‘look dirty but be clean’ je ne sais pas that speaks to their eros.
Just my thoughts…
I believe the main reason men shave is because of societal convention. The tradition actually goes back to Alexander the Great, who had his men shave their beards because in battle a beard was a liability since it served no purpose, but yet could be something an opponent could grab on to and force them into submission. Since the Greeks were thought of as the birthplace of European civilization, being shaved became synonymous with being civilized and the convention continues to this day. Personally, my reason is that I couldn’t grow a decent beard if my life depended on it. : )
Some of us shave for reasons relating to work, ie to get a good seal on a face mask needed to block out smoke/gases.
Pride? Doesn’t grow long enough when I haven’t. Women approach me when I am clean shaven, and female friends have encouraged me in the pass. I’m bi-polar and realise that when I’m down (now), I don’t shave or do much of anything. Your articles actually quite stupid come to think of it.
je ne sais QUOI….
Same Here.
Wife complains when kissed and………kissed. If you know what I mean.
If your beard is not thick and even, it makes you look sloppy at the work place. Careless.
I used to shave everyday for a while. Lately I have been sporting a beard for a variety of reasons. It keeps my face warmer on cold days. I like the way I look with it. In the Old Testament God commands men to refrain from the cutting the hair on the sides of their face. I also do it out of a sense of rebellion against the establishment so to speak. It so much easier to just trim a beard once a week than to shave everyday. Saves money too.
I would have to say that it probably stems from a point you made in the post about during times of combat, not having that hair for the enemy to grab. Soldiers during WWI had to shave their beards so that they could fit gas masks on their faces to guard against chemical warfare. I think that this has carried over into todays North American lifestyle because a shaved military man is symbolic for strong, dignified and more civilized (because we can afford the products). Beards are also itchy.
Or maybe we all secretly fear that one day we will need to fit gas masks on our faces!
Mostly ’cause I can’t grow a decent beard. Perhaps a corresponding question is why women feel the need to shave their legs.
I think this explain everything…
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/29441/why_men_must_shave/
My beard grows full and thick. I stopped shaving my mustache and chin about 10 years ago. I found that hair grew too densly there and shaving it was painful. I still shave the rest. I find that my partial beard often requires more maintenance in the end than just shaving it all. My wife likes the “soul”.
BECAUSE THE LADIES DON’T GO FOR DA BEARD! For the most part anyway. Its all about the ladies, a mans life for the most part revolves around the opposite sex. And current social conventions dictate that women don’t go for too much facial (or even body) hair.
I don’t. The morning routine is so easy. The face is so warm. Others should join.
Men shave to look younger. it’s a simple as that. Culturally, we have learned that younger men have fewer whiskers and men have artificially recreated that look by shaving for centuries. It becomes even more of an imperative when the whiskers become grey!
This is one of the web’s most interesting stories on Tue 5th Feb 2008…
These are the web’s most talked about URLs on Tue 5th Feb 2008. The current winner is …..
There’s a book on the subject, 1000 Beards.
For those of you who would grow a beard, but it gets itchy, try moisterizing it to get you over that hump, plus it will soften the hair so your lady friend won’t complain (as much).
Lastly, as to why we shave, I think it’s social. Take a look at people who don’t shave. What do they do? What is their social status? How are they perceived by others? I recently took a job that changed my career from IT to sales. In my new office, folks with beards are often compared to filthy hippies, which seems to be the most recent group that embraced the beard… An anecdotal example, but an example none the less.
It takes a while for a guy to be able to grow a full enough beard to keep. I’m almost 24, and am just starting with keeping a beard. Not shaving at all looks lazy, but keeping a beard trimmed can look pretty good. Depends on the person, and the “look” they’re trying for. Some people look tougher with one, others, like me, look more friendly.
So, basically, guys shave because of how it makes you look, and the image you’re trying to project. Or because you’re (like me) lazy and don’t like shaving.
Oddly, you’ve neglected the most important reason of any and all behavior modifications that we share with just about every reasonably intelligent animal on earth: Sexual selection. Whatever the ancient reasons might have been, fashion, including hairstyles and facial hair, are now extensions of the mating rituals that have created birds of fantastic plumage. Factor in cultural / heritage standards - psychological factors which are related in the animal kingdom to any “taught” behavior, such as predatory hunting techniques or survival methods - and it’s not much of a mystery where these habits come from.
I work in the legal field, and the short and skinny of it is relatively simple.
I have spoken to several potential employers who have told me the same thing - men with beards, much the same as men with long hair, are seen by the general public as less trustworthy. I don’t claim to verify this information, just based on what I have been told numerous times.
I personally would prefer to rock a beard, especially in the winter, but the partners aren’t going to have that one.
> ” Combing the hair is easy to understand too, because it would be a mess if you didn’t comb it.”
Same deal .. I shave cause if I didn’t it would get ‘messy’ over time. Clean look > scruffy look I think.
Another though, I know there are women out there who may like beards but from prehostoric times shaved guys may seem more fertile and thus more appealing to women versus older men who have grown beards.
I shave because I once was a long-haired ZZ-top-bearded motorcycle riding so-and-so. I got completely fed up with all the hassles of *having* lots of hair that it is such a clean pleasure to be clean shaven.
1.Because women prefer it.
2.Because daily application of a moisturizer (shaving cream) keeps face looking younger.
3.Because of tradition (Since WWI men were told to shave so that gas masks would fit)
4.Because a shaved face just feels better than any length of beard.
5.I prefer food particles to fall to my lap, rather than remain visible in a beard.
you have to let your beard grow longer if you have spots so that there is enough hair to cover those spots. usually the more you shave, the more those spots fill in.
I don’t like shaving. If I need a shave, I use an electric 3 head rotary shaver, gets about as close as a razor with out all of the irritation or cuts from a razor. that is the main reason why I don’t shave, because no matter how gentle I shave, I always end up with a red neck from shaving and razor burn. I definitely cant shave everyday or my face would be raw, and shaving next day stubbles can prove to be quite difficult in getting a clean shave. I’ve tried even the best razors/shaving cream and still have this problem. I even steam my face to make sure my pores are wide open, which causes the hair to rise just enough to give you a really smooth shave. I’ll probably have to go to a professional to get a really good shave. that way if I still have the problem I can complain to them instead
I don’t shave. Beards are warmer in winter. Food in a beard? You’re obviously doing it wrong ……
1. I shave because women tend not to like facial hair, especially when it’s rubbing on them.
2. I shave because of work. I’m a firefighter and a beard would interfere with the seal of my mask causing me to breath superheated gas and smoke, so shaving helps with that
i think that almost every man, given the choice, would discontinue shaving
however, there are external pressures that nearly force us in western culture to conform to clean-shavenness: jobs, women, and like some have mentioned, irregular growth patterns
there are still a lot of cultures that value a good thick beard or moustache with utmost respect (typically very patriarchal, symbol of virility / dominance, etc)
i’m lucky for two reasons: i work in forestry so a good beard is a good beard and my girlfriend is rare in that she loves the beard/moustache (for the filthiest of reasons)
every so often i have to shave my face for the sake of looking formal, but i loathe it
I shave because the army makes me.
Women, women, women. Or woman. I’m 24, single, and I would say the majority of women I meet prefer the smoother face of a man to the rough face scratching them in places.
Occasionally I’ll meet a woman who likes the beard look and feel. For them, I’ll grow it out. If I’m not seeing anyone, I’ll grow it out in the winter months. Summer causes weird tan lines.
There it is.
I like to shave while I am pooping
We shave because in most circumstances it is proper.
If you’re a college student, you can shave or not. If you’re a professional athlete, you can shave or not.
If you’re a dermatologist, then not shaving is not a good option.
Why not ask why women shave their legs, armpits, and (in some wonderful situations) their situation?
As with most of our own ideas, this one was manipulated by a corporation. Horray! Gillette realized they were only utilizing half of the potential market with their razor blades and started to link the concept of beauty and attractiveness with shaven legs and armpits.
Now, women would be ridiculed (in some cases, quite severely) for having black spots in their underarm and most men find it incredibly unappealing.
And you thought we decided to do this all on our own. We decided nothing. Corporations decide everything.
I started my beard about 2 years ago and I’m now loathe to give it up. Cultivating a beard is irritating and itchy at first (2 months) then its smooth sailing. Makes my morning routine a hell of a lot easier and faster. I recommend it for anyone with sufficient testosterone.
A clean shaven face feels great, much like I would assume clean shaven legs feel to a woman. Do you not feel “dirty” after a few days of leg stubble? This begs the much bigger question, why do woman shave their legs, or rather, how did this start? Clearly for aesthetic reasons only, and I would assume a fairly recent tradition considering the dress of the 19th century.
I don’t shave because I’m lazy, I shave because it gets uncomfortable… with that said, I haven’t shaved in a month or something =/
I shave because it becomes part of a routine. It’s ten minutes where I don’t have to talk to anyone, and it’s the same every time. Whether I do it every day, or I take a couple days off, it’s the exact same. I find it calming, and soothing. A girlfriend of mine asked me once if she could watch me shave. After about a week, I relented, but requested that she remain silent. Shaving is a little piece of my day when everything stops.
My beard itches like crazy. Like… insanely itchy. Like… once it hits a quarter inch without me shaving, it becomes unbearable. I’m still young so I can go a week without looking too scruffy, but by the weekend I without fail ponder permenant hair removal solutions.
I don’t shave. I spend a lot of time outdoors, so I usually grow a full beard between October and March. In the warmer seasons, I trim it down to about 1/2″. I wear a beard for two reasons. I have a weak jawline and a beard helps me look more masculine (the wife agrees). It’s also quite convenient; instead of daily maintenance, a weekly trim does the job.
It’s also interesting that I have light brown hair, but my beard is distinctly reddish.
I shave like once every month or two. It gets to the point where it gets really itchy and annoying and you have to start from scratch, or maybe its just so irritating that you just have to get rid of all of it.
I like my facial hair and usually keep just a little of it and trim it every week or so.
I don’t shave regularly because it irritates the skin on my neck, otherwise I would shave daily. My facial hair grows in quite evenly, but I try to look professional at my office by shaving twice a week.
I’m 23, and I don’t shave. It adds another 20 minutes to my morning ritual of showering, combing my hair, and dressing. Plus, I find it very uncomfortable putting a razor to my delicate facial skin. I keep my facial hair very trim with clippers, I usualy use a #1 clip for my face, and a #2 for my mustache and goatee area. Kinda of like a Sawyer from Lost look.
I think you hit the nail on the head with the reference to the greek and roman military. Shaving once served a purpose, along with short hair for the sake of making you a more effective soldier. Soldiers were glorified in the times of the romans, and still are today to a degree. To be a soldier, one must be fit and strong, qualities that are attractive to the opposite sex. Shaving is almost purely for attractiveness. It exhibits youthfulness and vigor. This is much the same reason that women shave their legs and armpits in many cultures. In the Amish culture, men shave until they marry. Once married, they no longer shave. This reflects the idea of courtship and presenting a clean-shaven look for attracting would-be wives.
I hate shaving and it’s something I only do once in awhile. When I do shave, it’s usually just to get rid of excess and bring it into some sort of recognizable shape (ie, the shape of my own chin…very creative of me). Though i must admit I am not in a customer facing job. I shaved and got a hair cut for the interview and that’s last time the majority of my head touched the light of day. I was blessed (cursed?) with insta-beard hair. I have 5 o’clock shadow in less than 24hrs…so being clean shaven for me is truly a frustrating endeavor, so I stopped trying years ago. Long live the scruffy. Note to the girls who whine about “scratchy kisses”, facial hair with any length to it is actually soft. Significant other not listening to you?…grab him by the chin hair, that usually does it.
I shave for a number of reasons.
First of all because my skin is very oily and a beard seems to cause it to break out like I was a teenager again.
Second, It doesn’t grow in very well causing it to look unattractive.
It’s bothersome to eat certain foods because of the mess it leaves on the mustache.
It makes me look older.
I grew it out as part of a community play and found that my girlfriend didn’t like to kiss.
Even worse she didn’t like my oral attentions down south with the beard.
It also itches when growing out and causes a rash at times.
I shave now because my last girlfriend preferred a smooth face. Before that, my ex-wife had no preference so I wore a short beard and mustache. My current lady, after seeing photos with the beard, has asked me to grow it back, so I will.
I’m 20 and I’ve been shaving since I was 12 or 13 I can’t remember. The first time I grew a beard was in 9th grade and it suited me so well. Now I have a full beard, but it’s the same length as my hair (a “two” level on barbershop clippers). I think if you have a beard and you keep it trimmed and in tune then you’re all set. Shaving can take too long and sometimes it’s nicer to be a little lazy. I do shave my mustache area though. To me having a beard makes me more manly so more power to me.
I shave for firefighting - a beard and an air tight mask to not mix well. As well as for one of my other jobs where I need to look professional and clean.
A good soldier shaves in the morning… I good over shaves at night!
I rarely shave, but I trim often. I trim because in time the legendary beard becomes an annoyance.
But with great beards comes great power. Remember that, you hairless chumps
Like some other posted here, my beard looks very thick with a day or three unshaven, after that… it never fills in more and looks very sparse.
The other reason, is Business. It seems to be the preferred style… in corporate North America… “Clean Shaven”
If I could grow a decent beard and didn’t have to worry about work… I’d grow it!
I shave for two reasons.
1) i work around food and helth risk if I let grow
2) my gilr freind likes it clean cut.
Comfort… I can’t stand the itch of all that hair on my face. But a question for YOU.
Do you shave your legs? Why? Doesn’t it make just as little sense as a man shaving his face?
I only shave and trim a few areas on my face, because my beard looks pretty damn good when it’s neatly cut and trimmed. My girlfriend prefers that I keep it.
Umm.. men shave their face (and chin, etc.), and women try to avoid using their teeth (during oral activities, duh…)
For the same reasons women shave their legs and armpits?
The same reason they wear a certain type of clothes — for purposes of style.
Because you are more likely to be judged as a pervert if you have facial hair. In this day and age.
But i still sport a mo and gotee, it looks good on me. I think.
I’m 20,
ever since mid 15 y.o I have to shave.
the reasons why I do it?
I look too old when I leave a beard on, so chances of getting girls of my age are greatly reduced.
on the other hand, ever since I was 16, I never have been asked for an ID to drink
Why is wearing clothes obvious? Only when it’s cold out is that true…
Many jobs force men to shave. A mustache is ok but a beard or goatee is not. Especially in sales positions. The reason I was told was that it gives the impression of a swindler or that the person has something to hide so they grow facial hair to “hide behind”. I asked several people who are from an earlier generation than mine and they said that they agreed with that. If they see a man with facial hair they take it as him being lazy or trying to hide his face from giving away his lies.
I am 21 and just got married in November. My wife is actually the one that suggested I grow my beard. She loves it! She like that it is soft when she rubs it lol. I do keep my beard groomed neatly though so it doesn’t look all “scraggily” or anything like that.
I shave because it takes me about three weeks before it begins looking good; not a fan of looking like shit until the beard looks good. (plus my wife’s complaining about it is annoying as well)
I risk going deaf if I don’t shave and kiss my wife in that “special place”
I shave because it makes me feel clean. I would get greasy or get pimples. And because I like how I look without facial hair.
same reason why you shave your legs
I go between a groomed beard and clean-shaven every few months. I prefer the sophisticated look of a well-maintained beard, as well as the romanticized bohemianism of it. But for the sake of change, I cut her off from time to time.
I have Brown hair , green eyes and a red beard , I only shave under the chin to my neck to keep my beard looking nice , I have a Nordic face and trim & shave my beard often to keep it looking clean.
If your an atheist or realist all great thinkers had beards of some kind , on the other hand if your a religious man . Jesus rocked the beard of doom as well as other prominent men in the bible.
Let it grow guy’s , it’s natural and looks bad ass.
Having a beard often means one of many things to people that pass you by.
Your homeless.
Your a devout musilm.
Your a terrorist.
Your a hasidic jew.
I like having a handlebar mustache but I must admit, in more conservative areas it limits your dating prospects.
Although I do find if I have a beard I get better service at vietnamese restaurants. I guess its the Guru effect.
I shave because it looks civilized.
I grow my hair long, because I’m not Roman.
I’ve been told that shaving (or exfoliating of any kind) removes certain kinds of skin cells that are destined to one day be malignant.
So…Shaving can prevent skin cancer (only in the regions you shave - of course).
I don’t shave because I’m in lawschool. Everybody understands.
Having a beard is actually more work than being clean shaven. I can shave in the shower in 2 minutes. Having a beard or goatee, you have to spend a lot of time making it look just right.
Btw. Why do women shave. There’s no point to it. European women don’t shave their arm pits or legs. Why do American women think they need to? It’s natural just like a beard on a man…so why bother with it?
I shave to look presentable for work, and that it can irritate my woman when I kiss.
Beards can look good, but the trick is to have them trimmed, and trimmed in the right places. A neat beard can be just as acceptable as a clean-shaven face. An un-kept beard usually just looks horrible.
At 23, I grow a reasonably good amount of facial hair. I could grow a full beard if I never shaved. But usually I shave only once a week. I always leave a goatee though, and shave around it. I prefer the facial hair because it keeps me warmer during winter and because I don’t have a job which requires me to look super professional. Once that changes I’ll begin shaving daily. I wish I didn’t have to though. I prefer to have facial hair, and I wish more guys would decide to do the same, that way it was more common and accepted. Once I graduate, the next time I’ll be able to have a lot of facial hair will probably be when I retire.
I find it spiritually centering to have a nice, smooth shave. I also find a spiritual kind of freedom in a 6-day beard. If it weren’t for dollar-store disposable razors, I wouldn’t shave nearly as often.
Never have shaved with a sharp stone.
I shave in the summer and grow a beard in the winter. I live in Minnesota and like to run and snowshoe. The beard keeps my face warm. Not to mention it’s a handy place to “keep small rodents”
I wear a beard for the simply reason that I hate to shave, I also don’t like haircuts- the beard is close, but the hair is long.
it causes too much oil to build up on my face
I DON’T shave because my girlfriend likes how i look with a beard. I was resistant to it at first but now love it, it is so nice not having to shave all the time. I also look too young without it.
i support the fully bearded portion of the population.
a beard may at times seem ‘rebellious’ since the social norm is to remain clean shaven. i can see this as being true, if the beard is haggard, or uneven, or overgrown.
i however, feel that a well groomed beard can show a man to be self reliant, and unwilling to buckle under peer pressure / social norm.
..just a thought.
grow on beardies, im with you!
This has to be the dumbest article i’ve ever read. I can’t believe someone actually spent time writing it. The only scenario i can invision in which this article wouldn’t be a complete waste of time to all of those involved would be if it were written to inform those under the age of 10.
I don’t.not regularly atleast because it’s just one more thing to do in the morning and I am too lazy.I just let it grow out until someone tell me I need a shave which is usually after 10 days or so and then go ahead n shave.washing my face and brushing my teeth is work enough for me everyday
I don’t shave too often. When i do it is usually cause my girlfriend wants me to or cause I feel like a change and that’s a pretty easy one that will be back in 2 weeks if you want it to.
I shave because I need the splash of cold water so I can wake up while I am standing up. You see, I suffer from proxymyoglobia - a disease that induces sleep when I am roused from my sleep on a winter morning and have to leave the warmth of my bed and get ready to work. A splash of cold water is the worst that can happen to you so early in the morning - and the rest of the day at work is a breeze. Water is scarce and is not to be wasted for such frivolous things as an excuse to keep the day at work smooth - so, I end up shaving as well. This makes my day even better, because colleagues at work, who belong to the opposite sex, express their sincere appreciation to the effort I have taken in getting rid of all those ungainly grizzly prickly hair on my visage .. by implanting a seal of approval, that needs to be washed with another cold splash of water - which, in turn further heightens my sense of being awake, so I can answer my boss in an intelligible way when she asks those stu&*& questions. Well, these latter water splashes still waste water, but I end up smelling like a rose. See?
Why does the sun rise every morning. Why do we need air to stay alive.. This is just a silly question from someone that probably need to GET A JOB instead of LEECHING OF TAX PAYERS!
I’m a 16 year old mail who shaves simple because it itches =X I dont see how some of my fellow classmates can grow it otu without them irrating them. Mine just plain out freakin itches!
because most people look like a bum
I shave because I do not have full facial follicle coverage, plus my facial hair also grows very slowly. It took me over three weeks during the summer of 06 to grow about an eighth of an inch of facial hair. It itches and gets ingrown and grows in odd patterns. So I shave.
This is a no-brainer, as is apparent by the comments so far.
I shave because if I don’t, I’ll look even more homeless than I already do and I’ll get an itchy face which develops into ingrown hairs. Those are not good.
Men shave because ouyr beard will itch after a while. anyone who says it doesn’t lies. Also i get irritated skin from not shaving for longer than a week.
I don’t shave anymore, and I would have to say that I’m loving it. My wife doesn’t complain about it at all and as long as it’s kept free of food/other nasty stuff like that work’s OK too. It only itches out to about a quarter of an inch, and after that it doesn’t itch at all. Another thing, when I first started growing it out it was very sparse, but after it started growing in a little bit the contours of the hair became something that was uniquely mine… which is never bad
I have a Goatee. I before I started growing it 3 years ago - it was a combination of things - my school had a no beard rule (that rule is gone now - a left over from the “hippy” days) - and the much mentioned “sparesity” of the beard.
I like the goat because it just looks “Cleaner” than a full beard. That, and the itchiness.
Same question applies for women: Why does your gender shave legs, armpits, etc., if there is no medical or biological reason to do so,
I shave (normally) to make myself more presentable. However, this being February, I am abstaining with around 30 other young lads (all of us 19 - 23) to celebrate the time-honored tradition of “Furry February.” During this month, a man looks more presentable sans a clean shave. In fact, men who are cleanly shoven are considered lazy, unorganized, and poor lovers in bed. It’s a scientific fact.
I grow a beard and keep it neatly trimmed. I have not shaved for 28 years or more. I must admit that when one considers it shaving is rather odd as there is no need to. A clean well groomed beard looks fine and should be soft and comfortable. Certainly when I look at the blotchy irritated skin that many men exhibit after shaving I am glad that I don’t ..
Better question, Why do woman shave their legs?
People do things like shaving to make themselves to look nicer for the opposite (or same) sex. As martin and ‘Papa.Coen’ said, they do it because their wives want them too.
My face gets really itchy if I let it grow more than a couple of days.
It’s hot in the summer.
It’s much easier to keep your face clean.
The military tell me I have to. Also because I don’t see the damn point in wearing more hair than I have to. It’s hot and uncomfortable and itchy, and it drives me bloody wild. Shaving makes me face itch for a little while, (I take a bit of skin off because I do it too closely), but less so than a beard.
I shave because a beard is painful to my skin, at least for the first month or so, and because it makes me look scruffy. I haven’t figured out how to make a beard look “smart.”
I actually just recently stopped shaving. Well, to a certain extent. I had the “stuble” look for about 2.5 years but just started to actually grow a full beard. Sure, there’s a spot that refuses to grow, but I’m hoping that going 4-6 weeks without trimming will fill that in. After a certain point I will start trimming again just to keep things looking groomed. This being my first time growing a beard (I’m 25) it’s a lot of fun to see the progression aswell as the change in my appearance, and I think all men should try it at least once.
I have a beard. I used to shave back in high school because it was part of the dress code. Lost my razor soon after graduation.
Ask literally ANY girl under the age of 25 if they like a guy with facial hair. The answer is invariably ‘no.’
Must be why I keep striking out…
Uhhh… do you shave your legs Ethel? I imagine it is for a similar reason.
Since high school I’ve had a full (but shortly trimmed) beard or various other facial hair styles. As of recently, I haven’t shaved in 18 months. Its the single best thing I’ve ever done. I probably save over $200 a year on those expensive razors, blades, shaving gel, and aftershave.
As men we were given the gift of facial hair. Might as well let it do its thing.
The answer is obvious, though arbitrary and unsatisfying. Men shave for the same reasons women do all manner of grooming rituals—because social norms dictate it. Why do women shave their armpits? They don’t in some cultures but then men don’t shave in some cultures either.
My girlfriend wants my face to be smooth when I go down on her. She likes it when I motorboat that pussy!
early man shaved their beards to prevent frost bite. it seems counter intuitive because beards are warm, but they also hold in moisture, which would freeze and cause frost bite, so they shaved them off.
Not all men can grow good beards. Especially emasculated, low testosterone producing men. So they can either look like a douche with scraggly hair everywhere or shave it off.
I shave because my hair grows VERY thick and its very uncomfortable to sport a beard. Its very think, very course hair, and even pressing it against myself can be be irritating. Not to mention I’m 30 and I look about 40-45 with a beard.
I shave (at age 19) because while I can grow a decent goatee, it is reddish (my hair color is dark brown). Also, I haven’t had acne for 5 years, but facial hair for some reason causes me to break out on occasion.
When I was 19, I shaved once. My mother made me do it. It was unpleasant, I bled. I could see no logical reason to ever do it again. Twenty-nine years later, I have no regrets in having completely eluded the razor. My beard is quite long and I am proud of it.
Reason to shave
1. Get the ladies, they like it and it makes you look younger
2. Keep cooler in the summer
3. A clean cut look is considered more professional, lots of hair = dirty hippy
4. Being clean cut feels good
Reason not to Shave
1. You are in the Stanley cup playoffs
2. A beard keeps your face warm in the winter
3. A beard can make you look older. This can be a good thing if you are applying for a job that’s usually filled by someone with more experience.
4. You want to come off as more artistic
5. Free
For the same reason girls shave their legs, to look good.;)
I shave, beacuse I notice the differance that people respond to me. When I am “clean shaven” people seem to listen to what I say more as if not having facial hair makes me more charismatic or something.
It’s some society issue really, I dislike shaving, I’m also the person that does have the 5 o’clock shadow, my facial hair grows rather fast. I’ve actually been at jobs where they have asked me to shave.
The Buiness World at large I guess.
Why do you have haircuts?
Whoever wrote this article is an idiot. Fist of all, I highly doubt that ” Cavemen probably shaved with stone knives” is a factual statement. Second of all, your whole purpose of this article is asking why men shave, in which you ansewr your own question with “Beards can be uncomfortable, and they easily get nasty because they trap food”. I shave because If I don’t, my face gets irritated. Why do I shave it all off? Because I use a razor and not fire like the cavemen you speak of.
Oh.. and thank you for clarifying what shaving is.. “Shaving is the removal of body hair, using a sharp blade known as a razor or with any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down to the level of the skin” because I had forgotten what it was.
Tom
I shave two or three times a week — any more often, and I regret it.
I used to have a beard, but then I started riding my bike, and the beard just got hot and sweaty. So I now have a goatee.
Even when I had a beard, I shaved my neck, mostly because that was the itchiest part, and for vanity. A close-cropped beard doesn’t look so good when it extends halfway down your neck.
My wife has seen me once without at least a mustache (I made an error shaving, and figured it would be simpler to “shave it all off” rather than end up with a Charlie Chaplin mustache), and instantly declared that I was not allowed to go without a mustache.
So, really, the reasons are pretty simple: Vanity and comfort.
I shave for the same reason as the Romans. I’m in the military! It is intersting though because I always shave my head as well. This is a little different from most men. I really like the clean, cool feeling that I get from it, I like the fact that the women I know say that I look younger when I do it. :>) Interstingly enough though, my wife LOVES it when I grow out a goatee (spelling??) but I am not a huge fan of it.
I shave because I find facial hair annoying. Also face masks don’t seal well around beards.
I shave my beard because I shave my head. I try to use the illusion of option to fool everyone I’m not actually losing my hair.
I shave… most of my face. I don’t shave my mustache or my chin. Those are the most annoying parts of my face to shave so I stopped doing it!
I can’t connect the two, so I just go without. I keep the “half van-dyke” neatly trimmed, and it looks neat.
I don’t have a girlfriend at the moment, but no women has ever complained about kissing me with what facial hair I do have.
Is this article for real? Um, would you ask why WOMEN shave their legs everyday? No. Then why would you ask a guy why he shaves his face?
I know that in the military and police these days, a clean shave is required so that a gas mask can seal against one’s skin properly.
If you believe the evolutionary biology view, this type of behavior must provide some type of evolutionary advantage. I suppose that since the condition of the skin is well-know to be a visible and accurate indicator of physical health, men who shaved more often for whatever reason were able to advertise their physical health more successfully, find mates and … well, you know the rest of the story.
I shave my sides/chin & below because my beard doesn’t grow full enough to look good. Up Northwards, I let the moustache grow into handlebars which I then wax. I wish I did have more facial hair, especially on the sides, so I could have a set of friendly mutton chops.
I used to shave fairly frequently, but about fifteen years ago I stopped. When I was in college I dated a girl who HATED facial hair. She wouldn’t even kiss me if I hadn’t shaved that morning. The only break in my beard growing extravaganza came in 2001 when I took some cooking classes and the men were instructed to shave. It makes sense - who wants a beard hair in their food?
I like the way I look with a beard, but I do look a LOT younger without one - easily ten years younger. Problem is my face is very, very sensitive and I break out if I shave. So I don’t. It’s cheaper and easier and my wife actually prefers it.
I don’t shave because I don’t like my chin and my beard hides it very well. My girlfriend likes it cause it’s red.
Well, I trim my beard to the face level, for several reasons:
1. I think I look good in a beard.
2. I CAN grow a beard.
3. None of my friends can =P
4. My older brother (role model) has a beard.
5. He looks good in a beard, too, and he looks really erudite.
So, basically, I’m not really growing it out, but I definitely won’t shave it off! I once had to give an impromptu speech on the importance of growing a beard in modern America, lol.
[...] remove their facial hair, and a man is called clean shaven if he has had his removed totally.”read more | digg [...]
The most likely sounding explanation I’ve heard is that a beard prevents a lot of non-verbal information from being communicated. It’s easier to see and understand a shaved man’s emotions. Imagine you had two clean shaven men that were judged to be roughly at the same level of attractiveness. Now somehow freeze one mans lower face (botox?) and send them out to the singles bar. Which one is going to have more success getting to know new people?
Why do ladies shave their legs?
Actually I stopped shaving and I’m lucky enough to look good with a slight beard. My girl friend loves it. I keep it short and well trimmed. I save time in the mornings and I’m out the door faster!
Vanity.
Thats the only reason I can think of. I didn’t expect there to be a deeper meaning. I only shave when my face starts looking like an unmowed lawn.
… my boyfriend only shaves every few months or so, or when his boss [ used ] to tell him to. she gave up on that long ago. he has very soft hair so it’s not a problem. :]
i definitely feel for you guys though, all i have to do is wear pants and not have to worry about it.
You forget the most basic reason, to appear young. Boys of a certain age don’t have facial hair. Add to that the fact that gray hairs can sprout first inside of a beard and you have a wonderful reason why men shave. It’s to appear younger to the opposite sex.
A college friend of mine went back to shaving after a girl he was trying to date said of his beard, “Oh, you look just like my grandfather.”
I shave every day to keep me from being visually reminded that my beard is turning grey and I am getting older. My hair is easy enough to color, but my beard seems too much to worry about.
Plus, a beard seems to make me look 10 pounds heavier…who needs that?!?
I shave because I just prefer the clean shaven look over a bearded look. Everyone just has their own look that’s better for them than any other look. For some it might be a shaved head and a goatee. For others it might be long hair and a full beard. For some it’s short hair and a clean shaven face. My best look is actually hair that’s gone a month without being cut and a couple days growth on facial hair. I just don’t think I look good if I let my facial hair grow too much. That’s why I shave.
I only shave the upper cheek and have a distinguished and stylish trimmed beard which I keep for religious reasons.
I shave because I’m a firefighter. Facial hair interferes with getting a proper seal on our air-pack masks. In fact it’s mandatory with our State Fire Academy when taking classes where air-packs will be used.
Even better question - why do women shave? American women, at least, shave both their legs and armpits. This is a lot more work than shaving the face and provides much less benefits (body hair doesn’t interfere with eating, etc.) Shaving in the bikini area can even be quite irritating or even painful. Yet, most people would agree it is a lot more “gross” for a woman not to shave than for a man to grow a beard. So… why is that?
I actually don’t shave. I was rather hoping Conan and Lettermen would help bring the beard back with the WGA support, but alas they finally fell to the razor.
There are three reasons I might shave: 1) to appease social conceptions, 2) sometimes a beard can get hot (I’m looking at you, Summertime), and 3) because i like to mix it up every now and then.
I actually stopped shaving because my girlfriend prefers the rugged look so i dunno =P
I shave because my beard comes out in the shape of a swastika. As someone who works in a Holocaust museum, I find this pattern of facial hair to be very inconvenient.
“There certainly isn’t any health reason to shave it off.”
If I grow my stubble too long I get rash spots on my face, so for some of us it is a health reason.
I don’t shave, only trim the beard so i don’t look
like a member of Z.Z. Top
(1) Beards itch.
(2) Haven’t heard any girls say they like beards but have heard quite a few say they don’t like them.
In college, a cute girl once told me that mustaches had only one purpose: To annoy women when you tried to kiss them.
I’ve shaved everyday since then.
Why do women shave thier legs? Society demands it. Same reason I shave my face.
Bit like why do some women “shave” (brackets to imply the good kind of shaven ;)) they don’t have to, but I damn prefer it. Feels nicer to touch, kiss, doesnt get in they way. Same with face hair on blokes, smooth, nice to kiss/touch. Just preference I guess
My girlfriend actually likes a little facial hair, but it just itches too much for me to keep it around. Sorry… I guess.
I don’t shave. Because it’s fucking stupid. I worked at many places for years before I started college and now that I’m a junior at Binghamton University and 26 I always have a relatively well kept beard. People love it. My friends stroke it. It’s a symbol of power and manliness. It’s the best god damned thing since sliced bread and sex outside.
I’m never going to let anybody tell me ever again that I need to be clean shaved. I appreciate this little bit of work you did here, and I think you should work diligently to convince your boyfriend to stop shaving that bad bear. He’ll be a happy motherfucker if you do.
Jesus had a beard. ’s all I’m saying.
Shaving keeps me looking young. Any facial hair on me is deceiving, and adds a year or two to my age.
rockin the beard.
you shavers are weirdos.
guys shave their face the exactly the same reasons women shave their legs
as if women don’t shave more???
ponder this.
why do women shave their legs, armpits, and _________(insert sexy body part here)?
I don’t shave. I keep my beard trim and neat, but I have extremely sensitive skin and it’s easier for me to avoid the effects of razor burn by just letting it grow. One of the interesting side-effects of having a beard that I noticed right away is that people tend to treat me with more respect and defer to my opinion much more often than before I had one. I have no idea why, if it’s some kind of psychological thing where it’s linked with authority or whatever, but the difference before and after was remarkable.
I don’t shave every day. I shave about once every 6-8 days. Even when I worked at Merrill Lynch I didn’t shave but once a week.
I keep a goatee and soul patch. I shave the rest of my face because my wife doesn’t like facial hair on my upper lip and doesn’t like a “chin strap” beard.
Although this past fall I went 7 or 8 weeks without shaving at all. That was nice. But I did look like a wild man when I grew a beard like that.
I guess if it weren’t for being married, I’d shave even less than once a week.
But by my estimation, I’ve saved hundreds of dollars in blades and shaving cream by shaving so infrequently. That makes me happy.
I think vanity is a much more prominent reason for men shaving than any of those that you cited. It’s the same reason that women shave too!
I shave because If I don’t after a few days it irratates my neck & itches
I grow mine in the Winter to fend off the cold, even a little bit. I just shaved most of it off except for a goatee because I was tired of it. Beards definitely make you look older… and bigger (fatter?). Takes less time getting ready in the morning, up to a point. Once it gets long enough that it gets pressed in your sleep, it starts to be more of a liability.
I had a beard, I liked my beard, my friends like my beard, but women hated my beard so now I shave.
I shave for many reasons, the first one being that i am spanish and my facial hair is coarse and if i let it grow it itches alot. second because of my job a scruffy look shows that youre lazy and dont give a rats ass about how you present yourself nevertheless how you represent youre company. last but not least because ive had alot of feedback from women, they just dont like me with a beard ha ha ha, thats my input.
Mostly because it itches like hell, and I’ve never had the patience to let it grow long enough so that it doesn’t itch (so I’m told)
I’ve shaved because I could never get anything to grow in thick enough to be considered a beard… my sideburns would grow, sure enough- but just doesn’t look right.
As I’m older now, I started just trimming sideburns and letting my beard/mustache grow in- got it to a decent length and then trimmed it back. I kinda liked the look, it wasn’t uncomfortable, and was not messy. I actually thought it looked good, except for two small spots where a mustache and beard would “connect”– that never grew in (not even sparsely).
Then I made a mis-shave and hacked off just enough to make it look bad, couldn’t even it up and just shaved it all off… I look more professional without it, but I think I liked the look……
dunno what the ladies think.
Facial hair is annoying as heck to me. If shaving wasn’t around in present day times, I’d invent it.
I don’t shave, but because I am cool like a rock star and plan to stay that way until I have to go to a dead-end job every day that I hate.
Umm.. hello Why do women shave?! We have to shave are legs, under arms, and remove any other hair deemed “unsightly” by society. Keeping hair off our bodies is much more painful and time consuming than what you men have to deal with. Don’t complain. It’s much more exceptable for a man to have facial hair than for a women to have noticeable leg and under arm hair.
Interesting article. Now please do one on why women are obsessed with removing every hair on their body save for the top of their head.
One day I woke up in High School and noticed I had a pretty nice beard growing in. Since then I’ve been told to shave by everyone in authority; Coaches, Bosses, Women and so forth. Yet I am constantly fighting to keep a beard. I am 24 and Since I was 19 I have rocked a beard almost the whole time ( a few court appearances, job interviews, threats of being fired). I am currently in the business world and prefer a beard because it adds a few years to my appearance. As well I hate feeding the machine (all of the adds involved).
As well, my beard grows in really think and with a bit of a curl and with that being said I am susceptible to ingrown hairs. Which are agonizing when they are on your face. You can’t stop fucking with them as well it makes you self-conscious for ascetic reasons.
*shrug* I gave up on shaving in high school, trim the beard couple times a week and as a bonus the acne went away. >:) On the down side the dating is kinda sparse.
Well, several reasons…
In no particular order:
1. It really depends on what kind of hair a guy’s got, but some beards can itch. A LOT.
2. More importantly, a lot of girls don’t like being kissed by a dude with a beard/mustache. This is probably the most important.
3. Properly grooming a beard so that it looks good requires just as much if not more work than going clean shaven. An un-groomed beard makes most people look like hobos.
4. A lot of guys can’t grow decent, full beards. A beard that only grows half in and stops looks ridiculous.
5. Keeping a decent sized beard clean and food free is a not insignificant effort.
So, in summary, a beard can be itchy, for both the guy and his significant other, and assuming that he actually can grow a decent, full beard, he’ll have to expend more effort to keep it trimmed and cleaned than he would expend shaving it off, else he’ll look and smell like a hobo.
That said, a nicely trimmed beard can look rather nice.
I shave, but leave basically a goatee with moustache. I typically shave every 2-3 days. Some times for weekends I will go up to 4 or possibly 5 days.
The hair I leave permanently I keep at 1/4″, very trim.
The reason I keep it that short, and the reason I always shave after about 4 or 5 days tops, is comfort. My neck itches if the hair gets much longer than that, and my moustache will poke my lips after growing out farther than 1/4″.
So why do women save there legs etc.
Shave
I have shaved since 10 years old–just seen my father doing it -just a coppy cat–But if I wouldn’t shave-I would have the worlds- longest beard-hmm–gee maybe I would be famous–The man with the worlds longest beard==Giness world record!?I really shave because if i leave it grow–The hairs around my mouth irritate the skin in that area!!I’m naturally a hairsut person–Shaved my whole body once–Don’t let anyone kid you–Shaving DOES make it grow in thicker!!
I’d love to grow a beard but my sideburns won’t connect to my jaw chops and I’m 32. Hair is showing up everywhere else though.
I only shave because in the military you have to…
I only shave my neck, leaving a beard on my face that I keep trimmed to the point of looking more like 2 days growth than a full beard. I started doing this when I was rather ill, and found myself too weak to shave consistantly. And odd pattern emerged, however… I immediately drew more attention from women when out in public, and noticed that my sales figures increased (I’m in sales, of course.) Reall the only reason I shave my neck is so that my constant stuble at least looks like it is intentional.
Men shave because of one thing. This one thing can actually be seen as the basis of the entire economy…
women…
Gee, I dunno, the same reason women shave? Do you really want to hookup with a chick who has hairy legs, armpits, and “other” areas?
for the same reasons girls shave their pussy…
I don’t grow a traditionally full beard, but rather along the jawline/chin/upper lip. This becomes a problem if a woman has a shaved snatch(which almost everyone agrees - is a good thing), for it can be pretty rough when a guy’s going down on her. It’s not just about the lips on her head
Sorry if that’s too much info, but it’s honest.
Back in time, before men ever gave women head, beards were everywhere. But then again, very few women shaved the nether regions. So even if the guy did give her head there was two thick buffer bushes between them so no one was uncomfortable. Except for the guy who was choking on hair. It’s all very confusing.
Let’s just say there was WAY too much goddamn hair getting in everyone’s faces back then.
Man, I even shave my legs. If I could dip myself in hair remover up to my eyes, I’d do it. I don’t like body hair at all. Being half-Chinese, I’m fortunately not very hairy.
(I’m a cyclist, which is why I shave my legs. To be honest, though, I’m never going to stop shaving my legs, even if I stop being a cyclist.)
I don’t demand anything of my women that I’m not willing to do. No hair on their legs is sexy; every woman that sees my legs finds them similarly attractive.
I don’t shave and I highly enjoy it. I did have job a few years back that required me to shave every day. I didn’t enjoy that much.
So… why do women shave their legs?
iam 29 and i shave only once a week, some people shave just to show others how their ACTUAL face looks like, imagine a worl with all bearded fellas and you have no idea of whom you are speaking with, 10 six foot men with the same physic and a well grown beard !!!!
I only shave my sideburns and my neck, and i keep my goatee and stash trimmed. The reason I keep that amount of facial hair is because a couple months ago, I shaved it all off. All my friends told me I looked very young, and on top of that, the waitress at Buffalo Wild Wings didn’t tell me what kind of beer they have on tap. =P
I wish my guy would QUIT shaving. It’s nice when his face is smooth and all, but that’s gone by the end of the day. It’s not that a beard itself is so scratchy for kissing, and “kissing” it’s when it’s new growth that it causes discomfort. Let it grow for a couple days and that problem goes away. Just thought I would interject my “lady” opinion here.
Oh, and also, women shave their legs, pits, and hoohaws because it is more hygienic and looks/feels better. Boys stink more than girls because all their sweat and pheremones get trapped in their body hair.
Yummm?
lol! i look like an idiot when i dont shave my beard!
I generally kind of let it do its thing until it starts to get bothersome or its the summer time, too hot to have one, so off it goes. Then I might shave a few times keeping it kept and then I just let it be and grows again. The cycle repeats. Also, there’s the factor of how busy I am, my beard length is often a visual cue to how busy I’ve been. The winter though I try and keep some sort of coverage, its too cold out in the winter.
I used to shave, it looked more professional and beards are generally frowned upon at least in a buisness setting but then I got older and shaving is just a pain the butt, and it always grows back so fast .. neverending cycle… so I decided to let it grow out for a while, see peoples reaction and comments about it… THen I sort of grew attached to the look and my work after a few weeks didn’t even notice it anymore and I guess people got used to me looking this way with a beard and the policy was that as long as you trim it and keep it up and basically dont let it grow like a wild man then that was fine.
Having read nearly all of the comments I have compiled a list of the most commonly cited reasons for our shaving habits.
1.Chicks
2.Jobs
3.Beards are itchy
4.A beard makes me look younger
5.A beard makes me look older
6.Shaving causes in-grown hairs
7.Beards cause in-grown hairs
8.Shaving causes razor burn
9.It feels nice afterwards
10.Shaving takes too long
11.Trimming a beard takes too long
12.Beards make my face hot
13.Beards draw heat out of my face
14.Beards make you look like a bum
15.Beards make you look wise
16.I’m incapable of growing a full one
17.I’m too lazy to shave
18.I’m into other men
19.Because women shave their legs
20.I only shave my balls.
Pretty much sums up the whole situation I think.
2 Reasons:
1. The Navy says so…
2. Even at 33 there is a gap from where a mustash would stop and a beard would be. and If my younger brother is any indication the chops would not meet the chin having a natural redneck look. No thank you.
I’ve been “clean shaven” exactly twice since my 18th birthday. It grows is way too fast to shave. My “5 o’clock shadow” is a “5′ o’clock beard”.
I try to keep the neck clean and trim. But during the winter I’ll let it grow out a bit longer than usual as it keeps my face warm.
i shaved because the god damn patriots lost the bloody superbowl.
Other then that a goatee and clean up the rest.
I shave because with every new micron emerging from my face my savage nature grows and I begin to lust after the feel of fresh tendons flossing warm red human flesh from between my incisors.
And with two children in the house, that just won’t do.
So I shave.
I can’t believe how many of you shave every day. What a chore it is, and such a loss of time over one’s life when these are the years it’s still healthy and full.
For those of you who shave for your wife - WHA-TISHHHH OUCH! I take the clipper to my face about once a week. With the shortest guard, my beard stays soft enough for my lady, and keeps the entire situation under control.
I enjoy the face cover much more when it’s not extremely hot out. I enjoy my face from ’shaved well’ to ‘constant beard’. Even when I’m shaving well though, no thanks for the daily shaves - that’s rough on the skin.
P.S. The last three girlfriends I’ve had all loved my levels of beardness. And they were quality ladies that did not like to let their hair grow out.
i dont approve of the reverse ideal that happens in todays society, being able to grow hair especially proper growth and length was a huge milestone and its something to be proud of. hair returns and grows nightly and even over the period of a work or school day, with a beard (after the first few days where it looks like dirt) you have more time to focus on other things, you can also cut your beard or facial hair to suit you. its a sign of pride not of shame.
Have you ever tried to blow your nose with a bunch of hair growing from your upper lip?
its the media- hollywood promotes hairless guys. hairless chests and arms are sexy, yet god forbid a man have a little body hair on the torso. it seems the same is true for beards.
hairlessness seems to be the current symbol of boyish youth and sexiness.
So strange…
I was literally contemplating whether I should tell my boss that I’m growing a beard or just do it. Ironic since when I first me t him in my interview he was sporting a goatee. But a beard is different right?
beards are the way of the Prophets. Jesus had one, Moses had one, Muhammad had one..it looks more natural and manly..
Girlfriend….
I agree that when I don’t shave for a while, the wife tends to kiss me less because of the scratch factor. HOWEVER, after a nice full beard has grown in, I get MORE kisses. So, you gents out there that can (and should), grow a beard. For some, it adds a regality to your face. For some (like me), it adds a few years. This makes for a nice surprise for the wife when you shave, like seeing you when she first met you
I too find it fascinating that while I have inhearated my father’s dark, near-black hair (yay black Irish!), in my beard, I get my mother’s (and grand, and great grand), red hair! w00t! And, because I am at the ripe old age of just beyond 30 (and have a few kids), I have a wonderful wisp of gray that grows down from just under my bottom lip! Very cool IMHO.
If you can grow a beard… Heck, if you can grow just a small lockish bit on the sides of your face, or just a minor Fu-Man-Chu: Do so! It is your Gods given right as a man to have a beard (to whatever extent your face will allow.)
R
I want others to see how pretty I am!
It itches. It doesn’t grow thick enough to look anything but silly. Itches my wife’s face when we kiss. Shaving is fun! Guys, get a real razor if you hate shaving. It’s a calming ritual.
What I want to know is why I shave my balls…? A lot like shaving your face, the hair grows back, but in this case I don’t show off my shorn scrotum… … …so why do I continue to do it?
How about those Mach 4’s, ehh? Talk about good vibrations!
I’ve been keeping a really short beard for the past year, and it’s a lot easier to take care of than shaving every day. I thought it would be annoying, because I would have to trim it to keep it neat, but it’s pretty easy with a beard trimming attachment on my electric razor. It’s a really short beard; probably about a quarter of an inch long. it doesn’t look unprofessional unless I don’t trim it every week, but it only takes a few minutes. I shave my neck and tops of my cheeks to keep it neat. I used to shave my stache, too, and kinda had an “amish” short beard. My mustache didn’t fill in so nicely in the past.
Also…my girlfriend says she likes it, so no reason to stop doing something my girl likes!
[...] to shave it off. Why would we spend the time and money to go through this ritual each and every day?read more | digg [...]
(1) It makes me look younger, and such an appearance is required in my line of work.
(2) My skin is healthier when there is no facial hair. Natural oils cling to hair follicles and clog the pores.
(3) Women (on average) prefer men who are clean-shaven (or at least neatly trimmed). It implies that the man is neat and tidy and understands hygiene.
I’ve had my beard for almost a year. The last time I shaved it was at the request of my girlfriend at the time.
I’m 22 years old, but without it, I look 17. I think it’s also a requirement that all straight men in my profession (camera operator) have some sort of facial hair.
I shave because my wife makes me, I tried a beard briefly in December, She thought it looked cool, but wouldn’t let me kiss her.
Easy answer, men shave or they won’t get any nookie.
I just don’t care for the beard look on me. I look too young to pull it off. It’s also itchy and just another thing I have to worry about managing. I don’t shave daily though, usually about twice a week. My skin is way too sensitive to shave daily and, while I don’t like a beard, I think the five o’clock shadow look works ok for me.
I don’t shave. I’ve found women are actually more attracted to the beard than not. Some women don’t want a clean faced metrosexual guy that grooms and preens themselves more than they do. It also makes you look more manly to sport a full beard, which like natural body oder, can attract women on an unconscious, near instinctual level.
Again, I’m an attractive guy with or without my beard, I just find I get more women smiling at me from out of nowhere and more respect in general when I have a full beard.
Im in my 40’s now and I DONT shave only trim my beard..Why because not matter what aftershave i use i break out like a teenage boy. My other half hates it if i shave because i look like a kid when im clean cut
pros to clean shave
1.People see you as a younger person
2.Some tend to feel more buisness like (i think it matters more in how you present yourself)\
3.no messy clean-up in the bathroom with all the loose hair from triming
4.No itch from long beard hair
Cons/pro’s for Beards
1.if your like me you look to young for your age(which can be a bad thing in certain jobs)
2.with a mustache or more (well kept) people take you alot more serious because you look more buisness like & older(actually thats a pro for beard)
3.50% of women dont like a hairy face (atleast as i have found)but my other half loves it (guys with thick mustache’s know what im talking about)
4.Hot wing sauce will stain it, if its to greesy (pain to get it out)
5. Keeps the face warm in winter (i look more like grizzly adam’s in winter) than a nice trimed (short) for the summer
Answer should be obvious:
(1) Why do men have shorter hair then women or why do they cut their hair short?
(2) I shave because I like it that way. I can’t even think of a scenario where I’ll have to think of combing and cleaning my beard!
i shave because i’m a shallow prick with a penchant for masochism.
Scrolling up through the comments, looks like I’m not alone in that sentiment …
I clean shave about twice a year. Most of other time I just trim. I find a bit of beard cool.
When I have a bit longer beard, it is imperative to wash it throughly with shampoo every day, or every other day, because otherwise it starts to itch.
To deny my monkey heritage.
I shave because UPS forces its management to. Apparently facial hair is unprofessional.
I find shaving to be a chore, and I am not a fan of chores unless they get out of control in which at times my beard does. Not that i have a play off beard or anything radical. The longest ive grown my beard is about 2 months before it gets to be too messy and itchy. but I try not to shave completely clean, why? maybe because i have had a beard or some other type of facial hair so long that when I do shave completely I dont recognize myself and dont like the way I look without a beard or at least some facial hair, and plus alot of wemon seem to like that some what scruffy look.
Growing a beard since last November. I itches the first 2 weeks but then it passes. One tip: hydrating lotion, rub it in the beard and your skill will be happy.
I keep it nicely trimmed to a short length and shave around the edges for a clean look.
My girlfriend loves it as I have soft beard and the manly looks it gives me.
Try it out, endure a few weeks to see if it looks good on you, get a good beard trimmer, keep it clean and say “bye bye” to the impossibly hairless beard of the Gillette Man.
I would stop shaving if I serisously could. I am in the US Military, and there are certain requirements that are standard towards male grooming. I look much more attractive with a beard. (Many women love me in a beard) But do to the Military standards. I have to be clean shaven. They say it is due to the proper fitting and seal for a gas mask, but that is up for debate among many men in the military.
I shave somewhat my face, but not between my legs. I do have some rodent living in between my legs. That’s all I know.
I shave because I look crap with a beard. Not to mention after two weeks my face starts to itch like crazy.
I like my beard but i shaved yesturday
I shave because I am in the military… and we are required to shave daily. The day I leave the military is the day you see me with a “5 o’clock shadow”. After that, you’ll think I have Cousin It from the Addams family perched on my face!
Men without a moustache are like women with facial hair.
I shave to save the children
I shave because if I don’t shave ,some of the facial hair grow underskin and that feels nasty.
I shave to attract women–pure and simple.
I have had a beard and mustache since I was able to grow facial hair. I keep my mustache trimmed anf let my bread grow. Many people shave to fit into social norms mostly set my the media. Have you taken a look at the countless number of fashion magazines? Not just mens but womens too. Why do either men or women tend to exploit their bodies? Think about it. Its only here in America. The face is your personal property and you can do with it as you please- hair or no hair. Many of the posts here can give a hint on teh maturity level of the individual. What is the aim f this article? The demographics are limited and to get any real data the writer should get a real sampling and do some qualitative research.
I apologize if I have offended anyone in any manner. This was not my purpose.
Regards,
S
Rediculus!
A _woman_ asks why men shave?!?!
I suppose that you shave your armpits and legs, right? Well, why do you do it?
Most probably because men say that they are attracted to shaved legs etc.
I think that this is mainly because old erotic magazines showed shaved women. (If I am not wrong there was, and still is in Japan I think, a law against showing pubical hair on pictures…)
So when men were young boys they looked at such pictures and lately they would prefer shaved women because it was their first sexual arrousal which imprinted in their brains.
Btw, to all men reading this: more hair on a woman’s body usually means more testosteron which usually means better sex (at least from the man’s point of view)…
Beside all reasons stated, I suppose at least one of the reasons men shave their face is also of sexual nature.
I shave because I have a thin scraggly beard that looks disgusting. Also, my religion encourages me to shave if not requires
I do not shave, in fact I have a long pointy beard that sits flat on my face. I never get food stuck in it, because I keep my mustache pretty trim. Don’t shave if you like your beard; don’t let society dictate what you should do with your hair.
I had a beard, and now I don’t. There are simply more cons than pros.
Pros:
Look like a badass
25% of girls like it, but 10% of THEM are weird or old
it is fun to pet while thinking
it is fun to feel the wind on it
Picture opportunities double
can sell on ebay after you shave it to old timey wig-makers
can store things in your beard
instant conversation piece
Cons:
I had to use WAY too much conditioner
75% of girls don’t like it
It’s itchy in the first couple weeks
ingrown hairs
time spent grooming is twice as much as shaving
can be a disadvantage in a fight
it is possible to look TOO badass
can forget that you stored a metal item in your beard at airport.
food makes it gross
can get into mouth when eating/yawning/yelling like a badass
For those that have excessive oili and spoty faces still, ie late teens and even early 20s, shaving does become a health issue. a friend of mine how had a very bushy beard around our 18/19, when shaved it of like after some half year if not a full, had a rather spoty face undernieth. since then he has never let his grow out so long, and this is a few years on, still, i think he finds is as an health issue.
I shave as in the movies, the good guys are usually clean-shaven and the bad guys have facial hair. Incidentally, the first commenter said he is oriental and doesn’t grow much hair—I am Chinese and believe me, the stuff grows darned quickly. It may be down to age, as it doesn’t take me long to get to Hotel-era James Brolin-hairy.
Most men shave because either they can’t grow a beard or they have been conditioned by society to think they have to shave. Or they can’t get used to itching which can be solved with grooming. Comb it, brush it, clean it with shampoo/conditioner and you’ll be good.
I personally have a beard because shaving every day gets old, especially since in a few hours you can’t tell if I shaved or not. I just trim my neck and cheekline with a razor, and keep my beard trimmed on a 9 setting using the beard trimmer.
I guess I thought most guys shave so as to avoid looking Amish, Muslim, or like the co-star of Home Improvement.
Isn’t that what it all comes down to?
I’m 18 yrs .. I Don’t Shave , I’ve a little Clean Beard , & I Like It …. I’m a MAN , So I got To Have Beard
… & Because The Prophet Mohamed Had A Beard & Shave The Moustahce .. & it’s what i’m Doing
I shave twice a week whether I need to or not (read with sarcasm - always scruffy!) I hate shaving. My wife is fine with the fact that I am, and always will be, scruffy. She actually quite likes it. Says I look “rugged.” That being said though, the occasional shave is because when the facial hair starts resembling a full beard it starts irritating my face. The hairs on my upper lip tickle, leading me to perceive the sensation as dry lips. Actually will cause my upper lip to chap a bit. So every 3 to 4 days I shave. Makes no difference if I’m going to an event either. Unless it were a job interview I don’t really care.
Note that some jobs where tight fitting masks or respiratiors are required such as clean rooms and chemical handling, shaving is required as the hairs will prevent formation of a tight seal.
I shave b/c its cool. And besides if you are finger banging your neighbors wife its easier to keep the “box” spray off your face. I couldn’t imagine scrubbin my grill with all that hair just to get some snatch juice off my mug. later homo’s! decepticons are kewl
Because only real men have beards, and there are not many real men left in the world.
Because it itches.
I shave only once in a while. I don’t enjoy the feeling of being completely shaved.
If I’m talking to a man witha bear, I’m thinking “what’s he trying to hide?”
often it’s just a weak chin, but sometimes it’s a dark and sinister past
I don’t use a razor to shave but get a hair trimmer and buzz it down because my face gets itchy and it irritates me. That’s the only reason.
i shave all facial hairs but my eyebrow, eyelashes, mustache.. though i trim my mustache..
why do i shave my beard.. well i guess i never had it long enough for it to look cool.. so it grows all over the place varying in length and intensity.. so it looks like a badly mowed lawn.. hence they look stupid for me to sport it..
as for the mustache trimming, well if they get to long, i have a habbit of just chewing on them with my teeth.. its an annoying habbit so i keep my mustache short enough so i cant drag it down to my inscissors..
if i do somehow manage to lengthen my beared to a respectable length.. id prolly keep it for jokes till i get bored and shave it off again..
though.. i think if one is visually challenge, facially, then it would be wise to sport some facial pubes to conceal the handicap.. else, just hack them fur off.. less things to worry about… heck, have u tried going bald? the ease of waking up and not to worry about shampooing, combing, gelling, and to fear some breeze.. the same hassle would be avoided by hacking off the beard…
hats off to zz-top btw. cant e-magine the amount of maintenance they had to go through :\
I have Native American blood in me, so my facial hair only really grows on my chin, and I have a wispy mustache, like that of Orlando Bloom in Pirates of the Carribean.
I shave my cheeks and trim my side burns(what little they grow) about once a month. For some odd reason… the right side of my face grows more hair than the left side, most noticeable the sideburns. But my cheeks/jawline grow SIGNIFICANTLY less hair than say even my arms.
My chest is also smooth. Just a little hair around my nipples, and a trail leading ‘downstairs’ from below my belly button.
Currently working on growing my hair long.
I’ve only shaved when I thought I should for my job.
I think that Barber comes from the word barbarus, which means barbarian or foreigner. The Romans believed that only barbarians wore beards and they thought that wearing a beard was barbaric.
I shaved because I worked in a professional environment and most men in suits are clean shaven. Many people find that a man in a suit that’s clean shaven shows confidence and power. Since I have moved out of the suit job into a more business casual environment, I grew a goatee. I am 25 and still have a round “baby face” and being the only person in my department under 30, I wanted to appear older so that I’m not looked at as “the kid”. Recently, I shaved my goatee for a wedding and I had to grow it back as soon as possible. I feel that with my goatee my face doesn’t look as chubby and it adds definition. I could grow a full beard except there are two small spots that just does not grow hair, one along my jaw line and another in mid-cheek. I think many men have these hairless spots and can be a reason why many men feel like they have to shave.
I shave because it makes me feel clean and ready to go out every morning. Even if I am tired as a dog, I still feel great after a good shave and shower and get an much needed spring in my step.
[...] to shave it off. Why would we spend the time and money to go through this ritual each and every day?read more | digg story 用 鲜果 [...]
yep - itches
I’m clean shaven because bond is clean shaven. Who could be cooler?
Men have *not* been shaving forever. Before World War 1 men usually did not shave. (Just look at vintage pictures of “Great” Men.) Shaving started with the Chemical Warfare, because to wear a gasmask you have to shave, otherwise it wouldnt be airtight.
Afterwards shaving stayed for various (above mentioned) reasons.
I shave because I like the clean feeling of it.
II don’t shave anymore, yet I’ve been shaving for the last 8 years because of the Army.
In that situation, I can say it’s because of hygien, but mostly for discipline.
Right now I stop shaving mostly because I prefer the “relax” look of a trimmed beard. It’s a fact that when dealing with professionals, being unshaved look kind of “sloppy”, giving a bad feeling about the work done by the person.
I think that’s one of the main reason people shave: you are shaved and look “straight”, or you have a beard and look older and wiser. But the step between the two mostly look “rebel” or “sloppy”, preventing lots of people to try out the beard.
More, it actually itch when it grows even if that feeling disapear when it’s long enough.
i shave so no one can hang on my beard during battle
Because I’m in the military, and it is mandatory. I could have a mustache, but only to the corners of my mouth, which is lame. The guys who do that look pretty much like a bunch of douchebags. When I leave the military, I may never shave again. I’ll keep it trimmed, and I may even go with a goatee.
This is the most stupid text I’ve seen in a few days.
Why do men shave? Why do women ask us to shave in the first place? So that we don’t irritate her cheeks and crotch. This is one of the reasons.
Another is because it gets uncomfortable. Maybe it itches to some. Maybe some find it ugly. Also for higienical purposes.
Why do women shave their crotches? To tease their boyfriends, to make it more beautiful, cleaner, etc.
Sorry. Ridiculous post.
The real reason is Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. during world war II the leaders of the Axis forces all had facial hair and the leaders of the allies didn’t. (I know Stalin was in the Allies, but he was equally bad as the Axis leaders.) It was quite common before the war for men in Europe and the States to have bears and was considered quite distinguished. But for some reason after the war, beards were associated with the leaders of oppressive governments instead of gentlemen.
As for the other reasons given. Beards get softer when you let them grow a while, so wifes really don’t mind. My wife likes mine, but she hated it for the firts month. Also the itchiness goes away, I do trim my beard to a shorter less itchy length. (But I only need to trim it once a week.)
If i dont shave for a week.. I look like an ape with almost my entire face covered with hair.
I hold a beard, but I will shave on occasion… usually only because I trimmed my beard lopsided one day… and I needed to let it start over… But so many say they shave for their spouse or kids… Me as a kid didnt mind my fathers beard… it was spiky as hell… but I wasnt going to die… and many females and males I know love a beard on their lover, but I dont grow or shave my beard for another person, I like my beard.
Men shave for the same reason you’ve got for combing hair - otherwise it’s messy. And, yeah, some people have a tidy beard, but other people’s idea of tidy is no beard. That’s why its called ’scruff’.
I’ve been able to grow facial hair since I was 18-19, though it was not very full at that point. Being 28 now I have had a beard for the vast majority of the time since then. About the only time that I shave is once in a great while, on a whim. I do it just to try something different for a bit and it only lasts about a week or so before I let the beard grow back in.
I’ve never had a problem having facial hair. It doesn’t bother me, it doesn’t itch, it doesn’t dry out and I don’t get food stuck in it. I’ve never had girlfriends who hated it. (Though even if they had, I wouldn’t have change it, if they want a guy without a beard they can go find one somewhere else) I do tend to keep it fairly short and nicely trimmed. I work in IT and have never had a problem getting work or have had any negative impact because of having it. I haven’t been working for some little mom and pop shops either… I’ve worked for international companies in Manufacturing, Bio-Tech and the IT industries as well as government. In fact, over the years I have actually gotten occasional compliments on it from coworkers. (And it’s not like I’m model material or anything… I just am a decent looking guy who dresses fairly well)
Now, if I don’t shave, I look WAY younger than I am. Too young… While I have been told that I look good when I’m clean shaven and pull it off well, I simply prefer the way I look with a beard. And when I do shave it irritates my skin which annoys me.
I have also noticed that beards seem more or less common depending upon where you go in the United States and world. Up here in Wisconsin a fair share of guys have beards but I have traveled to places even within the US where beards seem much less prevalent.
For me it’s simple… I will most likely have a beard a majority of the time for the rest of my life because it works well for me so far and I don’t see that changing.
Oh, and on a side note…. The article itself kind of sucked… The comments are more interesting than the article.
And females do not shave?
Legs?
Why do you do that?
Why would all shaved men want to look like a woman?
I once read an article that said shaving(modern) beard, chest, “manscaping” etc was an attempt by women at lesbianizing men. When you remove external typically manly characteristics such as body hair, you are attempting to feminize them.
Just a thought =]
I shave for the following:
1) My wife doesn’t like to be irritated when we kiss or when I perform oral sex on her.
2) It looks ratty and unprofessional.
However, I do wear a goatee that is very short, sometimes a full one and sometimes without a mustache (which my wife prefers from a sexual standpoint but it is kind of dated looking). Also, I have a very heavy beard that tends to grow in multiple directions/angles and not in a single ‘grain’… as such I can only shave twice or three times a week, at most.
As for body hair… I am relatively hairy. I shave my back in summer, shave my testicals, and use a beard trimmer to keep my chest/belly/groin and armpit hair very short. I also shave my shoulders/neck areas, parts of my underarm, base of my penis, between asscheeks, and underside of forearms on a very regular basis.
I recently grew a goatee, after being clean shaven at work for over a year. I noticed that the older make workers seemed to give me more respect when I was sporting facial hair. People who would previously ignore me in the halls or on the elevator, would strike up conversation.
Also, alot of the women I work with said they thought it made me look older and more mature.
I am back to being clean shaven now after 3 weeks with the goatee, and things seem to have changed back to the way they were before, I did however get alot more female attention once I shaved it off, in and out of the office.
I shave because with stubble I look dirty and messed up, plus it starts to itch like crazy. Also, my wife doesn’t like it… I’ve never grown an actual beard because of these reasons, but one day I’d like to try it.
Girls want us to do it.
I have a goatee but shave the rest of my face. I keep the goatee trimmed. I have it because without it I look like I am 16.
I calculated when I was 17 that if I spent 5 min/day shaving then in one year I would spend over 30 hours just scraping off something that would reappear in 24 hours. I haven’t shaved since then. I still have to spend a minimal amount of time every 3-4 months trimming the beard but I can think of more interesting things to do with 30 hours a years than shave.
Anyway it’s guy/vanity/macho thing - electrolysis would save days in a lifetime!
[...] Why do men shave? [...]
Its a physiological thing, hair is seen as dirty through the subconscious. Therefore we aim to reduce as much of it on our bodies as socially acceptable.
Ever gone south with a 12 or 24 hr growth? Sometimes you need to stay in the saddle for more than 5 minutes gents. A well maintained beard stays soft even when wet and well used.
As for the girls who don’t like beards, let them have the boyz. Beards protect your face from the elements (a real issue if you spend time outdoors), doesn’t takes as much time to groom (if you shave, you should be doing it 2x a day - after rising and before dinner/bed), and makes you look like you do something for a living other than kiss someone elses ass (your sargent’s, your wifes, your boss, or your colleagues). If you are any good at what you do, what’s on your face shouldn’t matter.
I sport a beard. I have since I was 16. While I was in the Navy I had to shave every day, obviously. But either way grooming facial hair has always been necessary. Shaving is a daily ritual but so is trimming and carving your beard. Unless of course you live in the woods and look like grizzly adams. The principle here is the same as the original justification for why we groom our hair. It’s for appearances sake. You might as well ask why we bother to ever get our hair cut
I have a full beard that has been going for several years now (I am 25 at the moment).
I think that shaving is something people do largely because of societal pressures. I only consider having to shave or drastically trim up when I am looking for employment. There is much discrimination against being a bearded man across many fields of work.
The itchiness will go away once the hairs are of normal length, they just hurt when they are unnaturally short, and will become soft as they grow out.
As mentioned above, the beard is not hot in summer and actually serves to cool the face, while still acting as protection during harsh cold.
Women are also pressured to shave. I personally have no problem with a woman not shaving. But societal pressure, in tandem with advertising campaigns designed to make women feel unclean, unattractive, and unsexy works well to ensure that razors are a stable product. Magazines such as Playboy indoctrinate men to viewing that a hairless woman is more attractive, and so men discriminate toward that ideology. Women want to attract men, and they follow suite.
Warren Buffet (owns Gillette) knows this. The disposable razor market is big business. The stability of the razor market depends on generated dissatisfaction with body hair by making it seem unclean, unappealing, or unkempt. Advertising will thus perpetuate these myths to perpetuate sales.
Looks like Sigmund Freud never investigated this ‘phenomenon’?
There’s probably a deep, subconscious link between why men shave and they still have to touch each lamp post on their way back home?
Is that OCD or just a case of John-Wayne-Look-Alike?
AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!
THERES A RAT IN MY BEARD!!!!!!!
I think it’s a social thing, I hate shaving. It takes too long because I have cow licks on my neck and the hair grows every which way. It irritates my sensitive skin, new razors leave me bloody, so do dull ones. I am also concerned about the chemicals in shaving lotion that seep into my bloody pours.
I didn’t shave for 1.5 weeks and everyone at work commented how it was “different” people didn’t take me seriously I felt. I cut it off and looked much younger I must say, and people commented how they like a shaved face more, it’s cuter and makes me look young. I HATE shaving!
I have had a beard forever now. I typically shave the neck because it doesn’t look all that good. But I have a beard on my face to the start of my neck and have had that for a long time now. I keep it trimmed nice (about once a week or two) so I look good. The way I see it, if a girl doesn’t like me with the beard, she isn’t a true woman. A true woman would like the beard or else it would have been eliminated through evolution and natural selection.
I have a mustache. I’ve had it since 85. Maybe they will come back in fashion.
If I had a choice, I wouldn’t shave my beard. In fact during the weekends, I’ll let my face and skin relax and wont shave during the weekends. (unless I have to look more presentable.) I grew a beard for a while, but my wife said it made me look too old. So in my case, it’s society and loved ones who “pressure” me into shaving. If it was solely my choice, I wouldn’t do it.
My girlfriend likes it smooth.
I have not shaved in years…I trim it every 2-3 days to keep it neat. Contrary to what some had said, women love a beard when it tickles her taint while you are pleasuring her.
I do sometimes trim it down to a goatee…but it rarely stays long.
I shave because my facial hair develops into the shape of a very highly detailed penis entering my mouth : ( So, when that’s not the look I want to achieve, I go ahead and shave.
Why don’t you reverse the question? Why to women shave their pits, or their cooch?
Jon
My woman complains when I shave, she says its like real tough sandpaper, and I must agree.
Nomatter how clean you get, an hour or two later, try lettting the inside of your forearm brush against your shaven chin. auch!
I don’t shave because I look strikingly handsome with a beard.
Women just cannot seem to resist me. which, of course, leads to an interesting and fulfilling sex life.
Me personally? Because it doesn’t grow in full enough and looks stupid. Why do women grow out their nails?
It exfoliates and in my opinion, simply looks better.
I shave because:
1) My girlfriend likes my smooth face
2) If I let my beard grow for more than 7 days, it starts to itch and I actually get a rash on my face.
I am going to express an opinion that Ive expressed before in public and its not been received very well.
Why do men shave?
Well, first we need to put the whole beard thing into context. Being clean shaven has NOT always been the norm. If you look at the past you can see that at times beards and the style in which the are worn has dramatically changed. As recently as the 60’s it was considered ‘cool’ to have a beard (The Beatles circa Let It Be). So being clean shaven is really only a style that is in right now. Most guys shave because girls these days seem to think that beards are gross. Is this because they can’t grow them (mostly)? Is it because it is irritating to kiss (im not sexist, some of my best friends are women (lol), but if you think its irritating to kiss a beard you should try SHAVING EVERY DAY). It’s probably a mixture of those and other reasons.
I grow a beard like a mofo and have done since I was 17. It takes about a week and I have a healthy fuzz going on. Its been a curse and I have been waiting for ages for the beard to come back in so I can be king of the hill instead of the guy who just has lots of hair. I have never understood why girls want there guys to be clean shaven. It seems to me that when a boy becomes a man one of the major changes is that he can start growing a beard (even if it is patchy) but the female of the species seems to want there guys in a perpetual state of immaturity. Maybe its just the scratchyness issue, maybe its the Cult of Youthfullness that our culture seems to revere. I don’t know, but I think beards can look very cool, and I will be rocking that look till the day I die.
[...] 链接 | 来源 [...]
hehehehehehehehe, i dont shave my face sis,, only in that private part hehehe
hi te,
I shave coz it;s not comfortable when mybeard grows… it itches, feeling so untidy that it feels there;s so many bacteria in your face…heheheh
Wow! te social ha! naa nka website postr ko dri ha! heheh thx..,
take care always and God Bless you!!
regards to fafa Robin….
Beards makes me feel like a real celebrities!
I don’t mind shaving at all, but i like the way i look..
No comment!
I can’t really grow a good beard (even though I am 25) but I look like a baby after I shave so I keep a good 0.5 cm stubble all over that makes me look like a badass, but an approachable badass.
I don’t shave much, I actually really enjoy my beard - its bright red and my hair is almost jet black. For me, shaving is a chore, I think my beard looks nice (I trim it/shave my neck every other day) plus it makes me look older by a few years, I’m only 20.
I don’t shave so that a lady can’t tell the difference between my face and her bush. Thus, it looks like her bush has enveloped my entire head. Always classy.
I shave because most white men think I am a hood ot trouble maker is I don’t look like them
People who think beard is harsh for kissing should note that when the beard grows longer, it becomes soft and more appealing in kissing
Uh.. looks like crap if you don’t?
well, why do females shave their legs? And clothing isn’t as necessary as we believe it is. Fact of the matter is, we do a lot of extra things for no real reason. Such as painting our nails, etc. it’s just a culture thing/style thing to attract a mate.
[...] lot. In fact, we have had 3 children just since he grew the beard. Here are some facts about why men shave. I have one thing to say…don’t do [...]
Because of social and cultural pressures.
Plus it gets itchy.
Because my face gets itchy. Also if I let it grow it grows in ugly ‘patches’.
its a must! why? first, i use to work in a restaurant, then makes me feel young after shaving. Lastly, my wife hates it.
yeas,i like to have a little beard .it makes me very charmful.
Some men must shave in order to meet safety requirements on the job site. For example, working in an environment that requires wearing a respirator, as in a chemical plant or dusty work place. A clean shaved face allows the rubber on the respirator to seal properly. Facial hair won’t allow a proper seal, rendering the respirator useless. Besides most women prefer a nice smooth face to kiss.
My boyfriend do not like shaving,and rarely do it.
Your words put me into consideration…..
People mostly put it as a daily essential, I guess.
But an advantage that beard would bring, is it changes your look when itself changes, whether to be wild or mild, lol…
Part of the reason I shave is for relaxation… the warm water, the thick lather created by a badger hair brush, the pleasant aroma the products I use, and the clean sensation I get afterward.
A nice calming shaving routine is a great way to get the day started.
I shave because James Bond shaves. Enough said.
shaved today after nearly 2 months without shaving…
actually when i keep my beard for a full week before shaving, i notice that i do get a lot more attention and innuendo from women, than without or with a full beard…
having said that my girlfriend doesnt like me to shave, and apparently im a very handsome bearded mediterranean
Ever seen one of those long goatees which looks like a scrotum hanging off of the face?
Testicle chin = d*ck face.
Good reason to shave.
Plus, I hate seeing people with nasty goatees. They strut around jutting it out, with their noses in the air.
Quite contemptuous, really, but undesrvedly so. They are usually inferior socially, economically, physically, intelligence -wise…
For 22 years of my life, as a soldier and a police officer, I had to shave practically daily.
Since I retired from law enforcement last year, I’ve learned that being a little scruffy is okay.
So, to answer your question, most men shave because they HAVE TO. Outside of being forced to, we enjoy looking like cavemen. Women like that, right? Right?
to not to shave the beard is more manly; to shave it makes a man more femenine.
A stubble, or a few days grwoth may look a bit scruffy, but once a beard is grown long, and groomed, then it looks beutifull.
A number four or up beard looks more beutifull then no beard, so think about growing a besrd peeps; and I think it increases mans virility more too…
I shave because I am 26 yet I have very thin facial hair and I don’t want to look like a slobby nerdy kid who doesn’t shave his peach fuzz like my brothers. If I had thickerfacial hair, I probably would grow verious facial hair styles but shave some of it.
I have high cheek bones for a male, and it makes me look very boyish if i dont shave. Granted, i very neaty trim my facial hair, like a pencil look. It instantly makes me look more manly, even though it also instantly adds about 6 years to my face. But im 23 and I like older women. So this works in my favor
I don’t shave my beard because I don’t have to submit to another man’s will to survive. My beard represents freedom, self-determination and control over my own destiny. With a beard, I look fierce and aggressive. Beards represent wisdom, maturity, masculinity, and the intellectual capacity that comes with those traits, as well as independence, closeness to nature, and political revolution. Above all, being beardless represents fear, submission, and symbolic emasculation.