Myth or fact - old man whiskers and chin stubble ?

[Pappa Piccolino]

Hi everyone. You hear a lot of things in the shaving world, and there are two I wanted to check as to whether they are true or not :

1. As you age, you grey / white beard stubble is harder to cut than the stubble of your youth ?

2. That chin (and maybe mustache) stubble is harder to cut than the rest of the face ?

Thank you.

 

[thombrogan]

Don’t know the answer to question one. What would the point of being young have been if I was paying attention?

Question two, though, seems true for me. I think it’s more follicles versus tougher ones.

 

[FarmerTan]

I have found that both questions are answered "yes" in my experience. This is why prep is so important for me.

 

[jmd]

Are you with the census bureau?

My whiskers have long come in fast, angry, and portuguese. Think old man ear hair, but more densely packed.

Now that they come in in white I'm not sure of the difference. I believe so, but the change has been gradual to me, and I've got so many other things to whine about, even the shortage of things you kids have to whine about these days annoys me.

My stubble? Can't help ya. Get lost. It's awesome.

 

[Jack Goossen]

A yes here too.
And what's more: my skin is more floppy and that poses an extra challenge.
So, you youngsters: enjoy the soft stubble and tight skin.
They seem for ever, but they are not.

 

[Medivh]

I can't say about the old whiskers, since i'm still young , but I can confirm that that whiskers on my chin and mustache are much harder and coarser than anywhere else on my face and perhaps my whole body.

I can barely shave my chin with a straight razor and at least for the moment, I can't fully shave even half of my mustache. It could be from my clumsy technique for all I know, but the blade feels resistance and I feel slight pain as if my whiskers are made out of steel, which is why I don't even bother shaving my mustache with a straight razor for now.

Of course, I can only speak for myself and I have no idea if everyone else is having the same issue.

 

[silverlifter]

The alacrity with which hair has decamped from my head is only bettered by the resoluteness with which it clings to my chin.

 

[kingfisher]

Both are true.

 

[jmd]

The alacrity with which hair has decamped from my head is only bettered by the resoluteness with which it clings to my chin.

Both are true.

Why are you helping?

I shave S-N on upper lip and through the chin valley occasionally to raise a middle digit to the universe. Now it wants an explanation?

I kid.

 

[hcoop112]

Fact …as I’ve gotten older (well I’m not that old yet ) I’ve noticed my facial hair getting more coarse especially on the first 1-3 days of growth it’s like sandpaper and hurts to rub it to the point my hand or whatever rubs it will be red …I fear for the future

 

[Ratso]

Question #2 is why I have a goatee.
My whiskers are white and have been for a while. My face feels like sand paper with one days growth. The upside is no more five o’clock shadow.

 

[hydro-magic]

I think it's true about the old white whiskers but honestly mine have always been tough to shave. Definitely true about chin whiskers being toughest to cut. Anytime someone says they get 7 or 20 shaves from a blade, I wonder if they have a goatee. I shave my whole face every day and 3 shaves to a blade is about all I can get.

 

[Euro_Lander]

A yes here too.
And what's more: my skin is more floppy and that poses an extra challenge.
So, you youngsters: enjoy the soft stubble and tight skin.
They seem for ever, but they are not.

Yes, more skin lifting and stretching needed as we age.

 

[luvmysuper]

As hair follicles age, they start to produce less melanin that colors the hair. When they run out, the hair is gray. At the same time, the follicle also reduces production of sebum, the oil that makes hair supple.
So gray hair is drier and harder than colored hair.

Mustache and chin area are a result of the number of follicles per square inch.

The hair on the body and the face are different kinds of hair with different growth rates. Hair closer to the temples may be a slight mix of the two, but on your chin, it's all beard hair, not body hair.

 

[Euro_Lander]

I think it's true about the old white whiskers but honestly mine have always been tough to shave. Definitely true about chin whiskers being toughest to cut. Anytime someone says they get 7 or 20 shaves from a blade, I wonder if they have a goatee. I shave my whole face every day and 3 shaves to a blade is about all I can get.

I view shaving videos on YouTube and many of the shavers have hardly any beard growth.

After they finish they pride themselves on a great shave .

What did they shave off !?

Fresh air

 

[Jack Goossen]

I view shaving videos on YouTube and many of the shavers have hardly any beard growth.

After they finish they pride themselves on a great shave .

What did they shave off !?

Fresh air

 

[Iron Paw]

I'm only 74 so it's early 'days' yet for me to give you a proper answer.
When I'm really old I will be better able to report, but at the moment...my whiskers do seem a tad harder.
Dang...does this mean that I'm getting old?
Are those folds in my skin another pointer that maybe I am starting to get old?
This might explain my desire for more assertive razors, and that my blades only last about 3 or 4 shaves and then they are done.
Coincidentally with this, I notice that I like 'good' soaps now. I enjoy a tallow soap. Stirling, or Blue Devil (Aussie soap), Noble Otter, etc.
When really younger (about 55 years ago) I could use any soap. Cheap was good, cheaper was better.

 

[rbscebu]

I use to think yes to both propositions when I was wet shaving with carts. Then I ventured into the gentlemanly art of SR shaving. With diamond pasted balsa stropping and about 100 SR shaves in, I changed my tune to no.

I daily shave ATG on my upper lip (fool's pass) to test my blade's edge and get a BBS finish there. That fool's pass is just as easy as WTG on my cheeks.

For my chin, I shave WTG + 2 x XTG for my wanted DFS finish. Again this is as smooth and comfortable as WTG on my cheeks.

 

[emwolf]

For me yes and yes. What little hair I have left on my head is more wiry than when I was a whippersnapper.

 

[rbscebu]

I use to think yes to both propositions when I was wet shaving with carts. Then I ventured into the gentlemanly art of SR shaving. With diamond pasted balsa stropping and about 100 SR shaves in, I changed my tune to no.

I daily shave ATG on my upper lip (fool's pass) to test my blade's edge and get a BBS finish there. That fool's pass is just as easy as WTG on my cheeks.

For my chin, I shave WTG + 2 x XTG for my wanted DFS finish. Again this is as smooth and comfortable as WTG on my cheeks.

SR shaving is not for everyone. It takes fortitude to overcome the initial ill-founded preconceived fear and patience to learn the art.