Man, this just feels WEIRD!

[BigBuddha74]

So, I've been at DE shaving for a little over a month, and I'm really enjoying the routine immensly. I have worn a moustache and goatee for pretty much the last 15 years, and only cutting it with clippers to leave it at the shortest maybe 1/2 inch long. Well, I decided to do something a little different, and since it was time for a trim, I fu-man-chu'd that bad boy! My chin has not felt real air in a looooong time! And amazingly, I didnt nick it either when I shaved it. It feels WEIRD! Im gonna give it a week or so, and probably grow back the goatee as SWMBO and the kids are not diggin it too much! So, any of you guys out there gone from goatee or full beard of many years to bare skin? How did it work for you?


-Sean

 

[Mick]

I had a "rip van winkle" beard for 12 years. Down to my belt line, along with hair of the same length.

One day out of the blue I stopped into my barber (who still knew my name) and I had it all cut off to the applause of those waiting for their turn.

Needless to say, 3 years later and I am still hearing "When are you going to grow your beard back"

 

[Graybeard57]

I've shaved beards in August and my skin has felt cold for a couple of days.

 

[Joey]

Goatees are nice and everything, but there is absolutely nothing like a clean shave all over. The family will probably grow to love your new look, you just look different right now without the goatee. I'd say try it out for at least a month and see how you like it. Good luck!

 

[Niles]

I love facial hair and go back and forth between different styles. It definitely feels weird at first when you can feel air on your face and you aren't used to it.

 

[Wetshavingswede]

For those of us that isn't 22 years old any more (points to self ) it might be good to know that a clean shaved face tends to subtract about 5 years of age impression.

The fact that there is more area to shave and less area to trim is only a bonus when it comes to wet shaving. The world needs more clean shaved faces i say!

 

[fsturnz]

I've had some type of facial hair for more than 30 years...in part because I used to hate shaving. But even when I had a full beard, I kept it cropped close, and shaved my cheeks and part of my neck for a cleaner appearance. Many years ago, I went from that full beard to just a mustache...and man did it feel strange! Just as you say, the feel of fresh air on bare skin was so weird. After a week of shaving that way, I went back to the beard...just didn't like it. Now I'm older, and several years ago, my beard went to salt-and-pepper...and then more salt than pepper...and the beard made me look older than I really am. So now I'm down to a goatee, and since I've started DE shaving a couple months ago...I'm loving the feel of my face. But I still have no real desire to be completely cleanshaven. Maybe I just don't want to feel so exposed after all these years! Or maybe I just like the way the goatee looks since I don't have much up top...yeah, that's the reason.

 

[NingYupOwaDat]

I recently shaved off a 4 year goatee and too. I grew it back straight away though because nobody including myself thinks i look good clean shaven. Out of all of my friends I am the only one that ever has facial hair so it was kind of my thing, although everybody seems to be growing beards lately...maybe they can't afford replacement cartridges anymore!

 

[John Von Wuggz]

I've never kept facial hair for long but I do understand how weird the absence of hair feels. Back when I was competing in bodybuilding I was constantly having all my body hair removed. Even after 15 years of that process I never got used to how it felt.

 

[The Dean]

20+ years with a full beard down to nothing at one point. Felt VERY weird. And it felt weird for a while, actually. Honestly it just wasn't me.

Grew the goat-beard (Van Dyck, I believe) and have had that for 10 years, or thereabouts.

Thinking about going to a modified Zappa, just for fun. But I'm afraid it will end up looking like this guy's. Scroll to the end of the page.

 

[Ducati Scotty]

Not me but a friend is a civil engineer working on roads in NY. He grows a beard every winter. Come spring he shaves it off and always finds the first week or so weird as all these "new" sensations start coming in from his recently uncovered face.

Scott

 

[Moondancer]

In my youth I used to grow a full beard and 'stache every fall and shave it all off in the spring. In the spring of '78 after the birth of my second child, I decided to leave the 'stache. For decades I never shaved it. When asked when if I'd ever shave it off, my standard reply was "I'll keep it until I die".
In '05 I had a heart attack driving home from visiting a customer. By myself in the car. On a four-lane highway. At 65 mph. I died. Thanks to a volunteer fireman and a Michigan State Trooper, it didn't take. But... during my recovery period at home, on a whim I decided that since I'd died, I'd shave it off. WHOA! What an ugly upper lip! Needless to say I let it grow back and my stepdaughter and wife (neither whom had ever seen me without it) were the only two people to have seen my upper lip in 37 years. They didn't like it either. I've had a goatee pretty much non-stop since '96 or '97 but that has been off a few times. I don't care much for a bare chin either.

 

[gash]

Good for you!

Next, try burnsides: