Thread: Beard Changes Over Time

Question for all of you senior straight razor veterans. Has the texture and tuffness of your beard changed over the years as you've aged?

If it has, how? Finer? Tougher? etc.

Thanks.

Mine seems to grow in much faster now than it did even a year ago. I literally skip one day and BAM. Instant ZZ Top.

It does seem to grow thicker as well, but maybe thats my imagination.

@ 61 years old I don't notice any difference between now than in the past. Other than being white now of course.

My facial hair has always been very tough and dark, the only difference I see now is that it has big white patches all over when I grow a beard and I'm only 29!

No changes that I have noticed. BBS shaves every time with the same straight razors and same technique.

Pabster

Gentlemen:

I really have not noticed any changes in the texture of my beard. Since I was born in the same year as Louis XIV, the "Sun King," my beard has quite a bit of white in it. That's why I must always shave the tip of the sideburns with care, since I cannot distinguish between the shave cream and my white hair.

Regards,
Obie

My beard hairs became noticeably thicker / coarser between my mid thirties and early forties, and also seemed to grow back about 1.5 times faster than they did in my early 20's. The gray areas are coarser feeling if I skip shaving for a day or two, but don't seem to shave off any differently, or get any less smooth-faced with the same amount of effort as the areas that are still darker hair.

Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen:

I really have not noticed any changes in the texture of my beard. Since I was born in the same year as Louis XIV, the "Sun King," my beard has quite a bit of white in it. That's why I must always shave the tip of the sideburns with care, since I cannot distinguish between the shave cream and my white hair.

Regards,
Obie

I can see you introducing Marin Marais at the Sun King's court, Obie... Or perhaps you were a student of Lully? That would explain your excellent taste in music...

Up until my 2nd hundred years I didn't notice any differences but around 350 definitely coarser hair and at 400 color change to grey. Now that I've passed 500 it's getting softer again.

If I could only do something about those hairs coming out of my nose and ears.

Originally Posted by BKratchmer

I can see you introducing Marin Marais at the Sun King's court, Obie... Or perhaps you were a student of Lully? That would explain your excellent taste in music...

MY dear BKratchmer:

Ah, yes, what can I say? I kept telling Marin Marais to lay off all that glorious music for brass, all that trumpet stuff, but the guy wouldn't listen. I suppose just as well, because Marais wrote some lofty and courtly pieces for brass.

As for Lully, talk about the boss man. Lully was Italian, running all the musical activities in the Sun King's court. The frustration for the French was that the guy spoke their language with a lousy French accent — you know how the way the French feel about folks speaking French with a lousy foreign accent. I kept telling him, Jean-Babtiste, my friend, learn French the proper way, but do you the gentleman would listen? No, sir.

The thing with Lully was that he was so powerful, leading almost all the musical activities in Paris, that scores of his enemies were always trying to bump him off. Someone once even poisoned his tobacco, but old Jean- Babtiste got away with that one.

What eventually done him in is embarrassing for a man of that much power. In those days the conductors led the orchestra with a long staff. They kept time by tapping it on the floor. Well, one day old Jean-Babtiste Lully managed to stab his foot with the staff. Imagine that. That led to gangrene — and eventually killed him. That's an embarrassing way to get bumped off for such a powerful guy.

Oh, well, at least Lully had a personal barber and didn't have to worry about stropping or honing. I suppose he could have called Lynn for a first class honing on his straight razor.

Regards from the Sun King's court,

Obie