how long do you let your beard get?

i'm sure that this has been asked before but i want to put a bit of a twist on it. since i am now fully into my SR shaving groove and can consistently get good shaves with all my razors (not perfect but good :)) i am going to actually measure my beard length before i shave to try to find my optimal time to shave. i realize this isn't necessarily the greatest (as there are other variables besides length) way of doing it but considering everyones beard grows at different rates asking someone how long they wait between shaves doesn't really mean that much. what sparked this is that i definitely think i am someone who CANNOT shave everyday, not that my beard grows that fast but if i did my skin would be raw and red even with a light touch and less pressure. typically i go every 4 day or so but i haven't payed enough attention to really put a number on it. hopefully this helps.

so what i am going to do is simply pay attention to how many days i leave between shaves (i seem to be always shaving in the afternoon now so that is consistent) measure my beard hair length before each shave and record how my results turn out.

anyone every done anything similar? (besides just remembering in your head :))

Seems I get the smoothest shaves if I shave every other day. YMMV.

every 24 hrs whether i need it or not.

36-48 hours works well for me.


24 hours is just OK, but usually there's not much to hack at at that point.

I can get away with two or even three days easy, as my beard is rather thin (both in thickness of the stubble and density of follicles), and also a light color. On the other hand, it grows fast enough that there is definitely stubble to remove after 24 hours. Since my skin can handle it and I enjoy the practice of shaving as well as the feel of a clean shave, I wind up shaving 6 or 7 days a week. That said, I end up only shaving a single WTG pass about half of the time.

I am an every other day guy, sometimes I will go three and then shave. Depends on how the days fall in my work week. I definatly can not go every day. There is just not enough to shave at that point.

:beer1:

If I shave every day it feels like a chore, so I shave every two, usually three, days. If I go more than three days, I have to hit the beard with trimmers before the shave, I try to avoid this at all cost.

nate

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Originally Posted by Seraphim

36-48 hours works well for me.


24 hours is just OK, but usually there's not much to hack at at that point.

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That's what works best for me too, but I still shave most days because I enjoy it so much

I usually wait 48-72 hrs from when I last shaved.

My facial hair doesn't grow real fast, and even when I used a cartridge razor, I couldn't shave everyday because it would just make my face raw.

I do notice that since shaving with a straight, I REALLY want to shave more often, but have to restrain myself.

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Originally Posted by richmondesi

That's what works best for me too, but I still shave most days because I enjoy it so much

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Me too.

36-48 is optimal, but 24 is just more shaves a week!:)

I get as busy with ATG after 24hrs as after longer time periods.

I shower and shave every morning.

Is there a more enjoyable way to start the day?

What's need got to do with it?

Almost twice a day. Every morning and then again before I go out at night if I go anywhere.

Every 2-4 days with a straight. Every 2 days if I wasn't retired. When I shaved with a DE, every day was needed.

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Originally Posted by ronnie brown

every 24 hrs whether i need it or not.

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Ditto......

Generally every 24 hours but every now and again I like to go 36 to 48 (eg like today). It usually coincides with nicks that wont go away after a days rest.

I shave every morning. I also shave in the evening, if I'm going out.

Every 2 days usually. However sometimes I like to let the beard go for a few days and then lop it off clean.

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Originally Posted by chee16

I definitely think i am someone who CANNOT shave everyday, if i did my skin would be raw and red even with a light touch and less pressure.so what i am going to do is simply pay attention to how many days i leave between shaves, measure my beard hair length before each shave and record how my results turn out.

anyone every done anything similar?

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Can't say I've done any actual measuring (BTW, how are you doing this? Micrometer?), but my growth is consistent enough that I do know what will happen when I shave after x amount of days.

Your above statement sounds really familiar to me though, with my skin type and beard density. For me I've found that shaving:
Everyday - more than a good chance of irritation, especially on my neck, but that is just me; YMMV
Every 2nd day - smooth shave, little to no chance of irritation the vast majority of times
Every 3rd day or more - Probably will get the smoothest results (the skin-like-glass feeling) as there's more whiskers to "grab", but also courting the chance of irritation as my razor has it's work cut out for it with my beard (more strokes and passes involved, etc).

I realize that these results will not be the same for everybody, but there are bound to be others who will agree with me.

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Originally Posted by Dubs

sometimes I like to let the beard go for a few days and then lop it off clean.

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+1. It's a great feeling, isn't it? :)

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

(BTW, how are you doing this? Micrometer

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that was what i was thinking, i have a couple so it makes sense. i could also use my little steel ruler as it has up 1/64ths on it which is much more accurate then i need considering that the whole beard length is going to var anyways.

your description sounds like me for sure. its funny though i don't seem to get irritation really but the comfort of the shave is different if i go every other day. every fourth or fifth day is really nice as the skin has recuperated fully. maybe my skin is just sensitive.