How to handle a 5 o'clock shadow?

August 23, 2006 12:47 PM

5 o'clock shadow: how do I make my face fuzz less scratchy and rough?

I am cursed with a 5 o'clock shadow at 10 am in the morning and I'm looking for tips or tricks on how to lessen the scratchy effects of it.

I currently do the following:
- I shave with a mach 3 and change blades often
- I use a brush and "close shave cream" to apply to my face
- I shave after I shower so the skin is still soft
- I use a good aftershave moisturizer, lotion

Besides laser hair removal, what other product or methods or whatnot, can I do to, if not lessen the effects 5 o'clock shadow, but make the hair softer?

posted by Stynxno to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (15 answers total)

Previous thread that might help.
posted by occhiblu at 12:52 PM on August 23, 2006

You and me both, brother. My wife has complained the entire time we've been married...morning to night. If she weren't so cute, and made such good looking children I might...nah, I'd still be here.

Anyway, here's what I do, but YMMV, of course: I use the Mach-whatever, and the vibrating handle. It tends to cut closer, and makes shaving a lot less painful. I've found I've had a lot more success cutting really close on the skin around my mouth and upper lip without cutting into the skin with the vibrating handle.

If I've been having bad luck with the softness of my facial hair (it seems to be seasonal, or at least dependant on the moisture floating about in the air) I use a little hair conditioner. My skin is normally oily, so I try to use as little as possible.
posted by thanotopsis at 12:53 PM on August 23, 2006

(Oops, sorry, that thread I posted wasn't all that helpful. I think this is the one I was thinking of.)
posted by occhiblu at 12:54 PM on August 23, 2006

The perennial answer to all face-shaving questions: grow a beard.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:21 PM on August 23, 2006

Best answer: Set your clock ahead and make it a six o' clock shadow. Enjoy the extra hour.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:22 PM on August 23, 2006

Could you carry a cordless electric shaver for touchups, a la Nathan Lane in The Birdcage?
posted by Sara Anne at 2:31 PM on August 23, 2006

Try experimenting with different razors. Personally, I get a better shave with the sensor excel (the old two blade) than I do with the fancy mach3. Not necessarily a huge help, but at least a little one.
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 3:24 PM on August 23, 2006

I'm not one to jump on the "more blades = better" bandwagon, but I have to say that whatever Gillette did with the Fusion razor, they made it a lot less irritating and much easier to get a smooth shave than the Schick Quattro I had been using. I've been using both with Gillette's Multi-Glide Shave Gel, which I've found to be better than the shaving creams I've tried. After washing it off some, it still leaves a bit of a film so you can feel around for rough spots and shave them away without lathering up. When I want a really close shave that's what I do. YMMV, I think a lot of it depends on your skin type, hair volume/thickness, and shaving style.
posted by Bondrake at 5:56 PM on August 23, 2006

a lot of guys i know said their stubble situation improved greatly when they switched from a shaving cream to a gel. i'm a girl though, so this is just hearsay.
posted by ifjuly at 6:15 PM on August 23, 2006

Let it grow, man. Let it grow!
posted by mendel at 6:40 PM on August 23, 2006

I switched to a shave gel recently (the kind the in the squeeze tube) and find that my face feels softer but I actually think that the shave itself is not as close as with regular shave cream. I have more of a five o'clock shadow look, but without the scratchy feeling, if that makes sense.
posted by Mid at 7:03 PM on August 23, 2006

Take a bath, and then wrap a hot towel around your head.
posted by Phred182 at 10:16 PM on August 23, 2006

Also, consider skipping the brush and using dial soap, which works surprisingly well.

(And then make yourself some soup, get a nap.)
posted by Phred182 at 10:19 PM on August 23, 2006

Don't just cut that beard with a razor! Suck out the hairs from your skin right down to the roots using an epilady*. No more 5 oclock shadow, but perhaps a mask of crimson instead.

*Using an epilady is a bad idea.
posted by maxpower at 11:16 PM on August 23, 2006

To slow beard growth, you could try orchiectomy. There are equivalent chemical treatments.
posted by RussHy at 9:29 AM on August 24, 2006