What happened I lost my pleasure in shaving?

[AshleyC]

I have the same thing happen to me every so often.. I will get into a slump or mood or even depression ( PTSD from army and war days ) and I will not really care about the hobby or even shaving at all and i will switch to the Phillips Norelco one blade electric razor and use it for a while as it gives pretty good shaves and I'm done in less than a minute . I also don't really participate in the discussions on ANY of the forums ( I still do a quick check though ) and then I do other stuff.. Lately I have been reading and watching a lot of YouTube videos ( car channels and history and restoration stuff ) and fill my time with that instead of worrying about this stuff.. I mean I'm not saying I don't still think of and care about you guys and whatnot , but , I fill my time with other stuff.... Honestly and I'm sure others would agree that this "hobby" of ours can only keep our complete interest for so long until we have to branch out a little as this is really in all honesty a pretty boring hobby. I mean we get up , we wash up , we get soap , we build later then pull blade across face and repeat until we get the smoothness we want !! Honestly How long can that hold all of our attention.... It's natural to get a little bored and need to do other stuff.. Is there anything else in this hobby or any other hobby that does have your interest right now that still gets you excited or happy ?? If the answer is yes then perhaps you could explore that .. On the other hand if there is nothing that interest you , or if you have just suddenly lost interest in anything / everything , then maybe you might want to talk to your doctor and let them know what's going on as that could be a sign of a deeper lying issue that you need to talk to a professional about !! Good luck and know we are here for you no matter what's up !!!

I went to my VA examination for PTSD Tuesday, something I should have done 10 years ago.

One of the things I've discovered about the ritual of shaving is it achieves much the same state of mind, for me, that I think some people seek through meditation. Or perhaps prayer.

Meaning that while I'm going through that whole process, I am not plagued by intrusive thoughts, unwanted memories, or worries about the next giant flaming hoop I have to jump through. I'm only thinking about what I'm doing right then and there. That's something I can't do when driving, for example.

And it is good to resist and roll back Entropy, which is what facial hair represents to me, same as an overgrown yard or a sink full of dishes. Or a mailbox full of mail because I haven't emptied it in a few days (one of my personal signs I'm in depression).

And...yes..."retail therapy" is an actual thing. Got this in the mail today.

Buying stuff is fun!

 

[Psychtec]

I went to my VA examination for PTSD Tuesday, something I should have done 10 years ago.

One of the things I've discovered about the ritual of shaving is it achieves much the same state of mind, for me, that I think some people seek through meditation. Or perhaps prayer.

Meaning that while I'm going through that whole process, I am not plagued by intrusive thoughts, unwanted memories, or worries about the next giant flaming hoop I have to jump through. I'm only thinking about what I'm doing right then and there. That's something I can't do when driving, for example.

And it is good to resist and roll back Entropy, which is what facial hair represents to me, same as an overgrown yard or a sink full of dishes. Or a mailbox full of mail because I haven't emptied it in a few days (one of my personal signs I'm in depression).

And...yes..."retail therapy" is an actual thing. Got this in the mail today.
View attachment 1847373
Buying stuff is fun!

Rex Ambassador?

Good for you!
I am waiting for them to make a GEM style razor.

 

[AshleyC]

Rex Ambassador?

Good for you!
I am waiting for them to make a GEM style razor.

Yaqi Ultima. This is my third Gibbs type. The others being "The Final Cut", and a Pearl Flexi OC.

 

[Green manalishi]

I started DE eventually fell out of the hobby side of it.Then I started Straight Razor shaving.Fell out of it as well after awhile.
I still shaved with a straight.Just for necessity.
I no longer searched for new hones or razors..Then out of nowhere I needed to rehone a razor..And I was pulled right back in.My advice is keep you stuff you will be back!

 

[Lane101]

Like in the title,,,,I lost the pleasure in shaving,,,
i am a looooooong time wet shaver,,,for weeks now I lost the pleasure in shaving,,,
It started by reducing the number of passes,,,now even to change a blade is a pain,,,yesterday I took a canned foam to be over faster ,,,,
I was excited to try new razors , creams, blades etc,,,,not anymore ,,,,Just shaving because I have to,,,
What happened ,,,,?
i hope it is just transitory,,,,,

;-(((

tam

Try experimenting with your shaving soaps via different lathering techniques and even blending/mixing some together. My favorite part of the process is creating and applying the ideal lather. Very rare today that we actually make something on our own. I mix my own custom pucks, periodically load two different soaps or superlather a soap with a creme. Recently acquired a small lathering bowl for my soft Italian shaving croaps to ensure plenty of product is loaded as that produces the ideal lather.

Finally there is no need to always pursue the perfect BBS shave. A good, and more convenient one pass DFS is perfectly fine when you are in a hurry or don't want to put lots of effort into that day's shave.

Best of luck.

P.S. Go through my posts, I've also found it interesting to research topics related to shaving from historical approaches to the companies that make the tools and products we use. That may also help spark additional interest.

 

[Chef455]

@TAM340R sorry to read your post about losing the Joie de Vivre for wet shaving.

As mentioned above, is it only the wet shaving or are you in a funk. As someone who tackles PTSD & depression everyday, if you’ve lost interest in a lot of stuff that you used to enjoy please talk with someone.

An idea to potentially rekindle the excitement. PM your address and I’ll put together a “box of stuff” (some razors, brushes, etc.) and get it shipped out to you. Some experimentation may spark your interest again.

Also if you get deep into fishing, you’ll find out the Wet Shaving Rabbit Hole is rather shallow.

Wishing you the best.

Tim

I'll add to that box. Keep me in the PM loop please.

I'll simply add to the supportive posts. PTSD, depression, just a funk or just being somewhat disenchanted with your shaves... I'm listening and willing to do whatever I can to help.

 

[Alum Ladd]

Like in the title,,,,I lost the pleasure in shaving,,,
i am a looooooong time wet shaver,,,for weeks now I lost the pleasure in shaving,,,
It started by reducing the number of passes,,,now even to change a blade is a pain,,,yesterday I took a canned foam to be over faster ,,,,
I was excited to try new razors , creams, blades etc,,,,not anymore ,,,,Just shaving because I have to,,,
What happened ,,,,?
i hope it is just transitory,,,,,

;-(((

tam

It will pass tam. "This too shall pass"

Like many Brothers have mentioned, it may well be a depression or anxiety you are going through. It may be so deep it hasn't fully registered with you, and you may be supressing some stuff. But you noticed it in your shaves. It has become a terrible chore, something to be got through.

If you are feeling bad you must talk to those closest to you. Also your Doctor would help, or refer you to someone who can.

I get it a lot, and there are quite a few Gents here who do too. I've got it pretty bad now at the moment, had it for a while now. I'm not communicating on the forum as much nor am I visiting my 'shed'. You can go into yourself.

This is a great video by a fine Gentleman. It covers a lot of these trials, from the shavers perspective.

Please watch. It may help indeed.

You did the right thing by posting. This is a good place, with a wealth of experience from members covering both the good and bad times.

May you be on the high road again soon.

 

[Captain Howdy]

Honestly, you could just be chronically depressed and it has nothing to do with shaving. That's one of the big red flags..loss of interest in things you used to enjoy.

 

[Sam Hanwich]

When shaving isn't fun anymore I just grow a beard until I feel like shaving again. My beard got almost to my belly button the last time I got bored with shaving.

Nowadays I wake up excited to feel my face and see how much stubble I grew overnight and start deciding which soap to lather up!

 

[Captain Howdy]

Maybe we are, maybe we aren't. We don't have all the information. We can only throw out ideas and leave it to his own judgment and self assessment.
I had a pretty bad spell of depression. Finally found effective medication and it hasn't been an issue since, but it started with this very thing. Hobbies that used to bring joy going stale and me not understanding why and me not being able to find it elsewhere. That's usually exactly how it starts. That and lethargy independent of how much you sleep. It's certainly a possibility and there's no reason for him not to made aware of that possibility. I certainly didn't consider it until somebody brought it up.

Fishing here in Alaska is amazing. 18 pound salmon right from any random bank...or if you go to the rivers when they're spawning you can literally just toss out a giant treble hook and yank back...get one virtually every time. Go home with 100 pounds of meat in two coolers if you're okay with eating them out of fresh water. Fisherman's dream.

 

[Old Hippie]

So much of the time our private struggles are, we hope at least, private. They're not, of course. Those around us have varying degrees of sensitivity to changes in our behaviour, and some of them also know a bit of our context. So we're not really hiding anything. Thirty years being married to a psych nurse, and 30 years that included some pretty horrific events before that, and I at least know I'm a challenge to that lovely nurse. She has on several occasions suggested I consider some things about my condition, and every time I have felt myself grow up just a little bit more.

I'm not "better" and never will be but I know a lot more about what's been driving me my whole life. I've accepted it and recognize also that it can bring a tremendous amount of insight, compassion and love for my fellow humans. I guess that's enough of me being cryptic for now .

With reference to your shaving journey, as my relatives in the U.S. South say, "I hear that!" I tend to like routines. I like to know at the start of each day that there are some things that are going to get done, and some things that I don't see right then that I'll deal with as they happen. I went through about a year of being constantly wanting to shave but only on the days I had formerly set aside for that. So if I couldn't shave on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday I was focused on that, then the next day I'd get that shave and be all cranky because it wasn't the "right" day for it.

Cutting to the chase, I've lately learned to be fine with not slavishly following that routine. If taking a half hour to shave seems like more time than I want to spend on it I'll just not shave that day. Suddenly (or so it seems; it took a year) I'm good with it whenever it happens. I look forward to it, enjoy it, appreciate the smoothness, and go on with my day.

Like some others here I will admit I know how frighteningly fast PTSD can leap out of the shadows. When that happens, thankfully not as often as it used to, that is my complete priority for the day or however long it takes to tamp it down again. I have realized that my insistence on routines has also contributed to the level of stress that can kick off that reaction.

That may or may not be your context. That's for you to decide. I'm simply suggesting that no mattter what the cause of your recent disaffection with the process, that you offer yourself some compassion. Sure; haul out that straight razor or get a shavette. Come to think of it, I've got a couple of nice inexpensive shavettes (Feather SS clone and Kai Luffy clone) that I'm not using. You want them I'll put them in the post. Drop a PM if you're interested.

Try to enjoy the shaves when you do them. Just that. Give it your attention then go do something else. Things and people change. Life's like that. This is simply another stage in the journey, although I'm also saying that if it's a journey you don't feel you can take on your own safely, that you reach out to those you trust to help.

Shared joy is increased; shared pain is lessened. Life's like that, too. If I can help, I'm happy to do it. We're all in this together.

O.H.

 

[Wgg2017]

Hobbies that used to bring joy going stale and me not understanding why and me not being able to find it elsewhere. That's usually exactly how it starts. That and lethargy independent of how much you sleep.

I guess that's enough of me being cryptic for no

My first thought from the op’s initial post was that this might be depression seeping in without his awareness. I recognized it from past personal experience.

If you find yourself in that situation, I can’t really add much to the advice already provided other than to say, try to get exercise and spend some time outside being active in some way. You might consider supplementing with vitamin d3 as well.

I’m not exactly an outdoorsman, but I do feel better being active outdoors when I’m in those depressive states of mind. It’s sometimes like getting a shot of a wonder drug. Start small and see how you feel from there. Walk around the block a few times or go to a secluded park, whichever you prefer.

If you plan a long walk and feel increasingly terrible with each additional step, turn it into a short walk that has an enjoyable component (maybe you swing by a favorite eatery where you can get a quick bite).

Regardless, if you are in a depressive state we are here to help you through it, including me. I know what that feels like and so do many others here.

Based on the responses to this thread, I believe B&B should add a sub forum for members who are seeking ways to maintain good mental health and where we can share strategies that work for us, our struggles, and a place to seek support when we aren’t feeling our best. Hell, I’ll even volunteer to be the moderator if that helps.

Regardless of that, credit to @TAM340R for initiating this conversation and everyone else who participated and shared their struggles. And credit to everyone who has served in the military and experienced things that change you and don’t leave you. Thank you for your service. 🫡

 

[Phoenixkh]

I've been following this thread with peaked interest. I was thinking of times when I needed something to lift my spirits. I had about a decade of "The Dark Night of the Soul" as I worked through my childhood trauma and a bunch of other stuff as it all seemed to hit me at the same time. 10 years of therapy got me on the right track but I didn't manage to climb out of that mess until I was finally ready to hmmmmm make some changes on my own. I was taught "Only God can change you.".... I was waiting for that miracle.

Somewhere along the line, I managed to absorb the skills necessary to face the pain head-on and worked my way through it. It wasn't pleasant or easy.

Anyway, one of the things that brightened those dark days was being around water....The source didn't seem to be a factor.. A pond, lake, creek, river, the gulf, the ocean????.... All of them seemed to calm my spirit and lift the soul, if you will. You can pick your own words there.

Inner peace has been my goal... and I was finally on the path to bring that about. In the meantime, being out in nature, around some sort of water, was a short-term fix. It can't heal all.... but it can give you a resting place for a while, perhaps. It sure did for me.

 

[HUF]

When I get fed up with wet shaving, I switch to my electric shaver, which does an okay job. But the resulting stubble annoys me so much that a few days later I'm back wet shaving again. Nobody cares, but I seem to have defined myself as a man who begins every day with an outstanding shave.

What if you change the shaving area? Mustache, beard? It could be fun to experiment.

 

[ErkRusselReserve]

Build one of these, it will keep you busy for awhile!

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