No shave until January 30th - my 30th birthday!

[theretroshave]

It's called your golden birthday when your age is the same number as the day of the month that your birthday falls on. So I figured now's the time. I've got a late start posting photos, but I'll be sure to post my progress twice more in this post, once in about a week, and the final on my birthday, just before "the shave."

My last clean shave was on New Years day! I'm half way there. I've gone almost 16 full days without a full shave. That's the longest I've ever gone. I have trimmed my neck and inner cheek areas so I don't look like a complete mess. Anyway, I just wanted to share my (approximately) half way there images. I don't think I've ever been so excited to shave. I mean I'm always excited to shave, but now I'm super excited to shave. I've got my 1983 D1 Gillette Superspeed all cleaned up and ready to go- Not that it needed cleaning, just sterilized it really. I bought it from Techichi via the bay. I'm still looking for a D1 Super Adjustable, but this will have to do for now, I suppose... Anyway, anyone have any pointers for faster/fuller hair growth, itch prevention, anything? Anyone else doing something similar?

For reference, a shot from September 2012


January 7, 2013


January 14, 2013

 

[Toothpick]

I was born Feb. 21st...my golden birthday was awesome

as far as itching goes that's just part of the territory. about the time you are ready to shave is about the time it will stop itching. I grew a beard and I kept it clean and neat and never had any issues but during the first few weeks of growth it was a pain. it gets to a certain length and you wont even notice you have a beard.

something similar I guess....my NY resolution is to grow a mustache. but mainly just because its a pain to shave my upper lip.

 

[celestino]

Congratulations and best of luck. No help with the beard as i have not grown one in over twenty years. Hee hee.
Good golly, no shaves for 30 day?! Wow, do you have patience!

 

[theretroshave]

I was born Feb. 21st...my golden birthday was awesome

as far as itching goes that's just part of the territory. about the time you are ready to shave is about the time it will stop itching. I grew a beard and I kept it clean and neat and never had any issues but during the first few weeks of growth it was a pain. it gets to a certain length and you wont even notice you have a beard.

something similar I guess....my NY resolution is to grow a mustache. but mainly just because its a pain to shave my upper lip.

That must have been an awesome golden birthday. I did hear that about beards- that they itch for the first few weeks. Good luck with your resolution.

Congratulations and best of luck. No help with the beard as i have not grown one in over twenty years. Hee hee.
Good golly, no shaves for 30 day?! Wow, do you have patience!

That will probably be me in 20 years too. I think I'm taking out my impatience by really indulging my ADs. Thankfully, I'm not off buying razors and brushes that are priced in the $100s. That's how I keep my patience, but now that my items are arriving, I'm really getting anxious to use them. My wife and I will both be happy when I get to shave again.

 

[dieselfuel79]

Also known as your champagne birthday. Enjoy!

 

[JDTTO]

I do not have experience with wacking a months worth of growth down. Since discovering DE shaving, I never skipped more than a day.

Obviously you want to use your birth quarter razor for the occasion but a Superspeed might not be up to it.

 

[Toothpick]

if you have beard trimmers i'd trim it as close to the skin as you can before taking the razor to it. I don't know any razor that could handle a full months beard. trim it down then wash/rinse to get the hair clippings off, then normal beard prep and shave. thats what I did when i took mine off.

 

[theretroshave]

(SLOW...) Progress. It was about 1°F this morning so I was happy to have the bit of extra insulation, but I still can't wait to get a great full shave!

January 22, 2013

 

[MrLara]

looks like you have the Don Draper hair going on.

 

[theretroshave]

looks like you have the Don Draper hair going on.

I like to use Groom&Clean when it's short, and Brylcreem when it's a little longer. Since it's cold as $h!t today, I decided not to mess with it. I do dig the Don Draper hair. Classic style. Though, I wouldn't be caught dead cheating on SWMBO like he does. Not cool. Since I consider the hair comment a compliment, I thank you.

 

[theretroshave]

The portion around my jaws just doesn't want to fill out! Ah well, I'm happy I'm doing this. Two more days, and I'll be having a wonderful, long awaited shave. The only question is, do I shave in the morning or the evening?... Thoughts anyone?

January 28, 2013

 

[Useless shaver]

Errr... My birthday's on the 3rd of the month.... Don't remember my golden one!

Anyway, waiting for your pics post-shave!

 

[eric1514]

That's my birthday, too. But I'll be 58!

Eric

 

[California Cajun]

That's my birthday, too. But I'll be 58!

Eric

A fellow member of the Class of 1955. (October for me)

 

[JDTTO]

The only question is, do I shave in the morning or the evening?... Thoughts anyone?

There is nothing like starting the day with a good shave.

 

[Userx234]

if you have beard trimmers i'd trim it as close to the skin as you can before taking the razor to it. I don't know any razor that could handle a full months beard. trim it down then wash/rinse to get the hair clippings off, then normal beard prep and shave. thats what I did when i took mine off.

This for sure. I grew about 1.5 months of beard and my trimmer was out of batteries. Took me about an hour to take off the whole thing with just a DE.

 

[theretroshave]

Well, Happy early Birthday Eric! I have to agree with JDTTO (Joris?), I love morning shaves. I think my experience will be similar to salim.nanji's. I will likely plan for an hour in the morning so I can do it all by DE. I am going to start out trying to use only my birth razor, Gillette 1983 D1 Super Speed. If it seems like too much work, or taking too long, I'll try my progress on the highest setting as a beard buster. I have a feeling that's how it's going to go though. I'll definitely post a pic of my post-shave BBS. I've never been so excited to finally shave, and my wife feels the same way. She's been trying to temp me all month to shave, but I've resisted, and teased her that I'd do a fu manchu- which she really hates on me. Now, if she'd offered me a Cobra, I might have considered... I can't wait to get back to my normal routine.

 

[theretroshave]

Well folks, my 1 month journey is complete. At 7am today, I shaved my beard away, and am now in BBS heaven (or at least I was this morning).

Here's the last picture of my beard, at about 12:30 in the morning.


Cheeks & neck cleared (7:05am)


Upper lip cleared (7:10am)


Chin cleared (7:15am)


I achieved a BBS shave in only two passes... I had to get this done without being late for work. So, I used my new Sabi T2 handle with my Muhle R41 head (which I like to call the terminator, as in the second movie, T2- seriously, the R41 just mowed through everything- just incredible), and one smooth pass with my Gillette 1983 D1 Super Speed- each was loaded with a Dorco ST-301. I uberlathered using RazoRock - Zi' Peppino, Proraso Green, and vegetable glycerine- whipped up with my Ever-Ready 925 w/mystery knot (suspect it's TGN 22mm Grade A Silvertip). Ice water, and a double dose of Aqua Velva Classic Blue, finished off with a couple pumps of my british Brut EDT to complete my Golden Birthday Shave (GBS)


Can't wait for tomorrow morning, to do it all over again.

 

[Klopstick]

Congrats and Happy Birthday! Now, get a running start on Mowvember and grow yourself a handlebar starting in the fall. Nice brush, by the way!

 

[MrLara]

Happy Birthday!

I'm trying that this year.