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Older Shavers (like me)

In my mid-fifties and my beard has definitely gotten more stubborn and coarse the last few years. Will this continue till death? I'm trying to see if I should keep my more milder razors when thinning the herd but I've also read that skin generally thins as we age. Any advice?
 
Fifty five is older?
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I'm 76, and started DE shaving about 15 years ago.

I don't think my beard has changed much. My technique has improved, though - my new game is:

. . . What's the highest setting I can use on a Merkur Progress, and not cut myself ?

I've also just ordered a new, really mild razor -- for my old age, when my hand shakes.

. Charles
 
I am in my 70’s and yes while my beard seems to have become more coarse and tougher, my skin seems thinner, quicker to cut, bleed, and become irritated. The trade off for me is between no blood and no irritation or a closer shave. I still very carefully use my R-41 or wide open Progress or Futur or Timeless .95 OC with a Feather, but my regular razor is the EJ DE 89 with anything from a Feather to a derby. Along with technique the lather I create has a major impact - thicker better protection and less close but also less chance blood or irritation. So the 3 things I balance, or try to are the razor/blade/lather to get the ‘best’ shave that day. BTW my priority is to be able to comfortably shave every day. depending on how often you shave and what your shave priorities are for your shave don’t throw out anything, yet.
 
In my mid-fifties and my beard has definitely gotten more stubborn and coarse the last few years. Will this continue till death? I'm trying to see if I should keep my more milder razors when thinning the herd but I've also read that skin generally thins as we age. Any advice?
Hopefully, you have a long ways to go yet.

What happens is your hair becomes drier as you age. Your skin does not produce as much oil as it did when younger. This makes the hair rougher and tougher. Your skin will become thinner, also. This is where the pre-shave phase can made a noticeable improvement in the results. At least, that's been my experience. You can try a pre-shave cream like Prep or 3P, etc. where you wash your face and apply a cream that stays on for two or three minutes while you are doing something else. The PAA Cube works well for many people, also.
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
Fifty-five is early middle age, not older! I've gone way past 55 and I use more aggressive razors.

Early middle age? How many 110 year old people do you know???????

My usual response: 50, I've got shoes older than that.

I'm 70 and the hair is definitely tougher to shave than when I was a young pup - you know, in my 50's. But I have not noticed a continuing trend, it doesn't get worse each year. So far the skin is still doing fine, but I do try and take care of it.

It's hard to predict the future, but it wouldn't kill you to keep a few old razors in reserve. You're old now and you already have more than you need, no need to sell them.
 
I am 28 years old and I consider myself in the last stage of my youth. I use Gillette Old Type and the same vintage GEM razors. I don't even know what will happen tomorrow, and I may have to choose another razor. However, at the beginning of the 20th century, razors with soft blades did not exist. Perhaps in a hundred years we are simply asking too much, unlike our ancestors ...
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
I'm 67. My beard is gray, wiry, grows is swirls (and various chaotic directions), grows fairly fast, grows fairly thick and is, overall, a bear to get to a consistent DFS+ to DFS++ (my target for daily shaving).

Thank God I'm Southern Italian - the skin on my face and neck is not sensitive, but has retained the oily nature of my youth. ;)

I use everything from Gillette Techs to Ikon TEK and everything in between. Even survived 6 days of daily shaves with the Roedter 1909 (lot more blade than even the Ikon TEK) with my face intact.

With proper technique, you should be able to get great shaves with mild, medium and high efficiency razors - as long as they are smooth. Efficient + Smooth = Effective. :cool:

YMMV
 
Young - Old - Middle Age?

The way I see is that you're young for the first 1/3 of your life, middle-aged for the second 1/3, and old for the final 1/3 of your life.

Using that philosophy, then based on the way US Social Security benefits are structured, the Feds think you are young up through age 28, middle-aged 29-56, and old from age 57 to R.I.P.

Tell that to most of the women you know.

Then RUN! as if your life depended on it. It may.
 

never-stop-learning

Demoted To Moderator
Staff member
I’m 66. I don’t really think that your whiskers change as you age so much as the skin that contains them does. Generally as you age your skin gets softer and loses it’s elasticity, especially noticeable on your neck. As your skin changes, your shaving techniques evolve with it.

My beard is a lot more cantankerous now, compared to my younger self. :)

Of course that is true for me in general. ;) 🤣
 
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