Why do people shave ?...

Paddy20 · 04-05-2004 09:39PM #1

Why do people shave ?...

Ever since I reached the age when hair started growing on my face. I have felt that I was pressurised into shaving. Eventually, I gave up and grew a beard which I keep under reasonable control, and I am happier in myself.

However, I am still not clear about shaving:

When did this shaving lark start ?..
Was it for health reasons ?..
Or cosmetic/appearance ?..

Whats your honest opinion ?..

damnyanks · 04-05-2004 09:46PM

Back in olden days beards used to come to life during night and try to take over your body.

This was stopped by shaving...

Think its mainly for cosmetic appearences. I like the way I look / feel after a fresh shave. But I hate having to shave each day. Growing a beard I look like a not so approachable person from about day 5 - day 12

Rabies · 04-05-2004 09:48PM

Years ago a beard was a sign of wealth. Rich people could afford to keep it clean and washed. Poor people couldn't. Food and dirt would get stuck in it.

Thats what we were told in school years ago, dunno if its right or wrong :dunno:

Personally I don't shave every day. Mainly because I couldn't be arsed. Usually about 3-4 days a week. Sometimes once a week.

woosaysdan · 04-05-2004 09:50PM

i like to go for the stubbly look as for the shaven i want all the women to join the anti bush campaign!!!

Mutant_Fruit · 04-05-2004 09:52PM

I shave because i like to be clean shaven. If i decided i wanted a beard or moustache (i could never spell that word...), i'd grow one. But i dont want one, so i don't grow one.

byte · 04-05-2004 09:59PM

Apparently, Neanderthal men were the first to shave

http://www.quikshave.com/timeline.htm

echomadman · 04-05-2004 10:11PM

Why do people shave ?...

Because they're weak and under the hypnotic powers of the Gillette/Bic/Wilkinson Sword triumvirate of evil.

orangerooster · 04-05-2004 10:20PM

I dont-well I dont want a moustache cause they suck so I shave under my nose but after that I let it grow.People who shave are corporate slaves.

Crucifix · 04-05-2004 10:31PM

I shave because I find rubbing my stubble when nervous stops me biting my nails. Also my beard comes out in patches of brown and blonde, rendering me ridiculous.

Barbie_666 · 04-05-2004 10:37PM

i think stubble on a guys chin is very, very sexy...
just my opinion...;)

rymus · 04-05-2004 10:38PM

medical reasons for shaving... Only one I can think of really.. It prevents stubble burn on the kissee.

I was going to grow a goatee (or whatever you crazy kids call them these days) but I gave up. Maybe I'll do it as a summer project?!? Sensitive skin is bad mmkay, cant shave more than twice a week without being in horrible pain.

pork99 · 04-05-2004 10:38PM

I read somewhere that its the same reason we cut our hair short. For men beards and long hair give an opponent something to grasp in hand-to-hand combat.

Don't know how true that is because if you look at history facial hair and hair lengths/styles vary so much between different civlisations and periods.

Sarky · 04-05-2004 11:08PM

/me strokes his sexy beard...

Stephen · 04-05-2004 11:16PM

Originally posted by orangerooster
I dont-well I dont want a moustache cause they suck so I shave under my nose but after that I let it grow.People who shave are corporate slaves.

:roll-fucking-eyes:

Seraphina · 04-05-2004 11:17PM

society says i have to

bunch o shallow bastard men. and women actually. tbh the women are worse.

Lainey · 04-05-2004 11:20PM

maybe its cos people prefer the smooth feel ...

whatever floats your boat... either way, it wouldn't put me off someone if i liked them..

Turner · 04-05-2004 11:22PM

Man i just love shaving.... Its feels so smooth and clean after a good wet shave.

40crush41 · 04-05-2004 11:27PM

Originally posted by byte
Apparently, Neanderthal men were the first to shave

http://www.quikshave.com/timeline.htm

thanks for sharing that link.. that was very interesting

THE MIDDLE AGES: 476 - 1270 A.D. -
<Because women in Europe wear very large and outrageous headdresses, the bizarre beauty secret of removing all hair from the eyebrows, eyelashes , temples, and necks becomes tress chic.>

thats gotta hurt, blah.
~beth

Seraphina · 04-05-2004 11:51PM

Originally posted by byte
Apparently, Neanderthal men were the first to shave

http://www.quikshave.com/timeline.htm

ehhh, not quite.
neanderthals definately didn't do that kind of thing, was early modern man who did all that.
100,000 BC is a horribly exaggerated estimate. they were just figuring out hunting at that stage, they weren't quite shaving yet.
shaving really only became popular with the advent of metallurgy. circa. 5000 years ago, depending on where you were in the world

alleepally · 04-05-2004 11:57PM

I have a goatee, moustache thing going on so I still have to shave. but i hate shaving anyway, so those bits of my face and chin I don't have to shave is a bonus !

Explosive_Cornflake · 05-05-2004 12:06AM

Originally posted by alleepally
I have a goatee, moustache thing going on so I still have to shave. but i hate shaving anyway, so those bits of my face and chin I don't have to shave is a bonus !

A van dyke that is, i had a page with every style explained, but its gone now.
I'll try googleing it.

A lot f girls like the smooth close shave thing.
I shaved my feet the other day for the first time ever.
They were burning me so much, and its very comfortable now. But i do a lot of cycling, and thats my excuse.

Not the link i had in mind, but'll it'll for now.
http://www.wauu.de/Arts/Design/Fashion/Hair/Facial_Hair/

Puck · 05-05-2004 12:16AM

Because I'm baby-faced (and oh so pretty :rolleyes: ) so the only beard like thing I could manage would be alternating patched of stubly whiskers and bum-fluff that has yet to develop into propper beardy hair.

I don't like shaving but it's better than the alternative.

ixoy · 05-05-2004 12:44AM

Originally posted by orangerooster
People who shave are corporate slaves.

Uh huh. That's it. Centuries ago, men who shaved were under the power of the might corporation that was the local smithy/tool maker! Feel the might power as he bestrides his local village! ARGH!

I shave because I despise the itchy feeling of stubble. I dislike the grain rubbing against the tips of my fingers or the distinct feel of the hair on my face. Even if I had wanted to, I don't think a beard would suit me and I don't generally like beards on guys. Which may convince you all to suddenly stop shaving

bus77 · 05-05-2004 12:54AM

Somthing that's been on my mind for awhile

Why have I never seen an American Indian with a beard? not even stubble

In every film Ive seen you'd think buffalo must have s**t razors out for them

What did they use, sharpened rocks?

ixoy · 05-05-2004 12:59AM

I assume it's ethnic reasons. Depending on your racial history, you can more or less easily grow a beard. On its simplest level it's because those of us in colder climates needed facial hair to protect us against the cold. Other races never had the need to and so their beard growing abilities (and cultural associations) kind of died off. Some even find it painful to grow a beard and shave it. There's an interesting sidebar about beards in Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon (the girlfriend of one of the major characters was doing a look at the history of beards and discusses it in some depth).

monkeymagic · 05-05-2004 01:25AM

I shave because beards look dirty.

40crush41 · 05-05-2004 03:02AM

<Why have I never seen an American Indian with a beard?~bus77>
theres that rumor that native american men can't grow beards.. i just looked that up to see if i was right on that before i answered u.. and apparently its not true:

this is a reply on some NA site forum to this question if NA men can grow beards:
<native american men most certainly can grow facial just as any other male can. many native american cultures, however, thought poorly of it (the Lënape thought it unmanly) and so great care was taken to shave or pluck facial hair. the Lënape made razors from abalone and other similar shells and plucked facial hair as well. after extended contact with europeans, the taboo on facial hair seems to have weakened and facial hair became popular among the men...perhaps it was grown in an effort to become more like europeans and make assimilation easier>

another said:
<This is partly true. Some NA men have very light beards, virtually no beard. Generally as they grow older this tends to change (not always). Some full blooded men have quite thick beards.
No general condition can be applied to all NA men.
A common practise was to pull out the beard hairs as they grew (and for some groups, tweezing out hair other places was common, including the head). If a fellow started this at an early age, it wouldn't be too bad>

good to know

now enjoy ur films and don't worry ur head about it anymore

~beth

Asok · 05-05-2004 08:46AM

I shave because well im made shave tbh i used to have a goatee and I liked it!. It proved I actually have a chin!.

Oh and Seraphina I'm dead jealous of your moustache

tman · 05-05-2004 08:50AM

i shave because i believe that beardiness is next to crustiness.

and my chin rocks... why the hell would i want to cover it up with some scraggly hair

leeroybrown · 05-05-2004 09:16AM

I shave because having a face covered in ungainly stubble annoys me (plus the added bonus of not looking like a neandrathal at work).

That said, I don't shave often enough. This I put down to laziness.

TomTom · 05-05-2004 09:59AM

I only shave about twice a week, on a thursday and a sunday. I don't like the feeling of stuble and it itches like hell.
Coperate slaves my aunt fannie.

Why do people shave ?...

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