Thread: How do i know if i have a tough beard?

Before i switched from the electric torture device to wet shaving i never gave a second thought as to if i had a tough beard or not. Being fare complected and blonde haired (though it's not so blond anymore) I assumed I had sensitive skin and fine hair. Back when i start i tried a variety of DE blades all of which tugged uncomfortably, i settled on Feathers with there reputation of being the sharpest and got rid on the tugging. (A switch to the SR and the problem solved).
Anyway, this lead me to believe i must have a tough beard. Is there a "test" that one could do to verify this? what about sensitive skin?

Usually you can tell by looking. Are your whiskers thick and rough like sandpaper and look like tree trunks or are they thin and wispy.

A good razor, DE or straight should mow them down easily with little effort no matter how tough your beard is.

Sensitive skin is another issue entirely. I'll let someone else discuss that.

If you tend to like the sharpest blades and more aggressive razors, you probably have a tough, coarse beard. Also, for a lot of people, beards get coarser as you age. Since you indicated your beard is not so blonde anymore, I presume that means you have a few years behind you. If you can use a single DE blade for a week or more, you probably do not have a coarse beard.

Sensitive skin can mean a lot of things. Some folks are sensitive to specific soap ingredients and scents. Lanolin is one such ingredient. For me, triggers are lime, lemon, grapefruit, cinnamon, clove, peppermint and menthol scents. I can tolerate them in low concentrations only, thus, I prefer well-blended cologne type scents.

Sensitivity can also mean sensitivity various environmental issues. My face is easily burned by sun, heat, cold, wind and shaving. Many times people see me on a windy day and assume I have been on vacation in Florida. I bowl lather because face lathering causes brush irritation. I try to use brushes that have minimal scritch and scrub.

If I use an aggressive razor and a very sharp blade to tackle my coarse beard, the shave can be too harsh for my sensitive skin. Thus, when using DE razors, I have to pair my blades and razors carefully to be sharp enough, but not too harsh. I have a similar issue when honing straight razors. Getting the right balance between keen and smooth is always a challenge. It means that I rarely get more than three shaves from a DE blade and rarely more than 5-6 shaves from a straight razor before it needs to be refreshed.

I'm sure there is variation in thickness from person to person, even hair to hair obviously. I would also say prep has something to do with it as well. I like to shave after a shower. I get steam and hot water to soften hair. Hair will hydrate to an extent. You also want your prep and whatever soap you use to be a good lubricant. you don't want a blade skipping.

IMO, the sharper the better. Just find what works for you.

The reason i asked the question was not because i was still looking for the right blade but because i see the statement made at times and just like me when i begun , I assumed I had one thing and it turned out to be the other. Just wondered if there was a standard of some sort. Thanks for the replies!

Here is what I ask people that contact me about what SR they should buy

I ask how many shaves they get out of a Multi-blade Cart or a DE.

Some people can go 10 shaves others go 2-3 this should give a good indication, the problem you might have is you were using an Electric before switching ???

I just remember the electric to be unpleasant, with some tugging and irritation from all the rubbing. The few times i tried a cartridge it felt like the hair was being pulled out.

I too remember irritation from the electric from all the rubbing. Going by what Glen posted, I guess I'm in the regular beard hair area, as I would get 4 shaves from my favorite DE blade. I could push it to 5, but that was because it would be the weekend and I wasn't going to shave during the weekend. I had a recovery time.