Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with beard

Where can I buy beard care products in New York?

235w103 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:54:58 -0800

Where can I buy beard care products in New York City? I'm growing a winter beard, and would like to get some beard care products, as seen on this site. But I hate online shopping (I'm an instant gratification guy) and was hoping I could just swing by some store in the New York City area and pick up some stuff. Do any hairy New Yorkers have a good source for beard conditioners, etc?

Help me make my balbo behave

Solomon — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:41:37 -0800

Please help me tame my balbo. I'm looking for suggestions for A] products that will help me make my new beard look less like a bush while I'm growing it & B] keep it under control once it's long enough to style.

The lesser problem I have at the moment is that the new growth isn't styled at all, because I'm not sure what to use. Some of the hairs are growing straight out, while some are curly. I'm going to try various hair styling products, but specific product recommendations (or other ideas, other than "shave") would be cool.

My main problem is what to do with my beard when it's long enough to style. I'd like to grow it long enough to plait or tie up or do other random stuff with, and I'm looking for ideas as to what to hold the entire affair together with. Again, suggestions are welcome as to what I could use. I'm pretty open to ideas as long as they're on the "manlier" end of the scale. I don't want to end up using one of these. ;)

Auburn drapes

mwhybark — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:58:46 -0800

Wild hair, related to this. I am of truly unknown Northern European ancestry (closed adoption). My hair was brown with auburn highlights before charging on to grey over the past couple years. My abundant beard was always about 30% bright copper red. Am I a redhead gene carrier?

How realistic do fake beards look?

emperor.seamus — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 21:43:56 -0800

Is it worth buying a fake beard? I'm biologically Female, and largely identify as such. However for as long as I can remember I've felt like there's a masculine, or male identity which I also identify with. I'm not transgendered, definitely not interested in getting a sex change, but I have casually cross-dressed on and off since I was a teenager and recently have started looking into drag kinging.

I've drawn on facial hair in the past, but I'm quite feminine faced, and (as I'm sure you can imagine) the results are less than convincing, and while I'm aware of other kings who trim hair and apply their own, I'm pretty clumsy with my hands and epically lazy. So I was looking into human hair artificial beards which are held on by spirit gum or tape, and while some of them look quite good and they aren't all too expensive, it's hard to find photographs of the ones I'm interested in being modeled, or testimonials of whether they're worth the money or just look silly when worn.

Does anyone have any experience with this area? Not neccesarily the drag kinging, but the fake beards.

Is the Norelco t980 dual voltage?

prophetsearcher — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 10:11:53 -0800

Does the Philips Norelco T980 work on 220 (European) voltage? Metrosexualize my beard, please. A few months ago I called Philips and they told me the vacuum beard trimmer is not dual voltage. However, I have seen reports on the Internet that it is.

Philips (Norelco) also told me that there was no 220v equivalent, but it appears that there is, so I'm having trouble with the company.

Does anyone have this shaver and know whether it does, in fact, support dual voltage? I can't seem to find this information anywhere on their site, or on Amazon - just others with the same query.

I'd be greatful as well for the model of the European equivalent, and a general review of the beard trimmer.

Where to get a beard trim in London?

Not Supplied — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 01:43:00 -0800

Where can you get a good beard and moustache trim/style in London that isn't too expensive? I've just grow out a beard and fancied getting a pro job done to make it look good. I don't quite want to pay for an expensive gentleman's place though.

FWIW, I am young with long hair. But I don't want an overly modish facial hairstyle, just to look like a good job.

My beard is flaky... in the not-good way.

mephron — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 10:36:53 -0800

I've recently decided that, at the age of 40, I'm old enough to deal with facial hair. I now have a pretty reasonable goatee, but now I've run into a new trouble: dandruff of the chin. Now, I do have dandruff of the head, and I've used my Head and Shoulders on both the head and the beard, but it seems that my chin is flaking out a bit more than I'd expected it to happen. But the past few days my beard, especially on the corners of my chin, has been getting itchy and shedding flakes of skin like regular dandruff.

Anyone have some ideas of things I can do? I'm a bit uncertain as to the best way this can be dealt with.

Recommendations for a cordless beard trimmer please.

Brandon Blatcher — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 07:55:12 -0800

I need a cordless beard trimmer that has certain features. I have a portable beard trimmer. You know the kind, small and cordless, needs to be plugged in regularly to recharge and takes a couple of hours to actually charge. Great, I plug it in regularly to recharge, it works, yay, there's one more handsome and neatly groomed guy in the world.

Sometime though, I forget to recharge it regularly and run out of power in the middle of trimming the beard. Naturally, this happens right before an important social or work function, so I'm left hacking away at the beard with hair trimmers and the results are never as good with a beard trimmer

So, what would you recommend as good, portable beard trimmer that can either A.)recharge insanely fast (say 15 minutes) or B) when plugged into an outlet to recharge will still work? It should also have attachments for different beard lengths and other facial grooming.

Summing it up, I need a beard trimmer that will:

1. Be cordless

2. Rechargeable

3. Work as normal when plugged in to be recharged, for emergency situations when the charge is too low.

4. Have attachments for different beard lengths, from 5'oclock shadow to thick, but not overly long.

5. Have attachments for other facial grooming.

6. I don't care what it costs

7. Shaving the beard off is not an option.

ADDED BONUS: It shaves really close on the part where you don't want hair.

Zombie "L'Origine du monde?"

klangklangston — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:15:07 -0800

Beardo Halloween: I would kinda like to go as Gustave Courbet, but fear a) trying to come up with a good costume that reads as Courbet, and b) having to explain who Gustave Courbet is over and over. I do look like him, but what else might there be? So, other cheeky ideas of how to be Gustave Courbet (or Zombie Gustave Courbet), or other chubby beardo Halloween costumes that will work better.

And yes, I've already gone as Rasputin. Even in full evil cassock, I had to explain who he was about a thousand goddamn times.

Grizzly Adams

chuckdarwin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:05:28 -0800

Why do the white hairs in my beard grow so much faster than the brown hairs do? When it comes time to trim my beard, the brown ones are much shorter, and this happens every time. There is a very noticeable and measurable difference.

Beard, or no beard for my wedding?

studentbaker — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:57:59 -0800

Beard, or no beard for my wedding? I’m getting married in less than two weeks. I’m having trouble deciding whether or not to shave my beard for the ceremony. It matters less for the actual day and more for the pictures, I guess. I’m undecided and my fiancée is terrified to answer and make a regretful choice.

Anyone disappointed in his or her spouse’s decision in regards to facial hair on the big day?

Photographers, any issues with beards? I’m wearing a black suit with a white shirt, if it matters.

Why would a Muslim man use henna to dye his beard orange?

The Straightener — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 19:22:42 -0800

Why would a Muslim man use henna to dye his beard orange? I've googled on this a little but the responses are so varied and the sources so specious that I'm hesitant to trust them. Specifically, I met with the head of a local black Muslim Masjid today and his beard was dyed bright orange around the fringe. What is the significance? I wasn't certain if it was a means of setting himself apart from other members in order to display his leadership role or if there was some more spiritual purpose.

Can he really eliminate a shaver?

arnicae — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 13:38:50 -0800

Does laser hair removal really work? If so, can you recommend anyone in the Bay Area who is particularly good? Posting for a friend, but I'm curious as well. Like this previous poster, my buddy really hates his beard hair. He brings his electric shaver with him everywhere, and shaves 3-4x daily. He's been thinking recently about doing laser. After reading this question, he knows he needs to pay for good results, but doesn't know what that means!

He has extremely pale skin (the kind that would use the 'rice paper' make-up on stage) and dirty blonde-brown hair. I know that laser works best on people with a large degree of disparity between their hair color and their skin color- he has that. His beard hair is coarse and thick and he says he gets about a 30-30-30 blend of black, pale brown, and red hair on his beard area.

Everyone online seems to disagree on the rest of the details, however, including whether to use lightpulse or GentleLase or LightShear- or whether it matters. Jerry Kindall's blog post seems to have the most details but the prices quoted elsewhere seem to range from a $250 for all of the treatments to $800 to infinity, as well as how many treatments it takes to achieve success and what, precisely, "success" is.

A lot of guys seem to agree that even multiple treatments only decrease the amount of hair, never eliminating the need for shaving. Others say- at least for women and the bikini area- it totally works.

So, if you've tried laser beard hair removal:
Did it work? (And what does "work" mean for you- do you still have to shave?)
How many sessions did it take?
How much did it hurt/did it make you look like a leper?
How much did they cost?
Can you recommend someone in the San Francisco Bay area (especially ones that do group discounts, ha ha)?

For my own part, I'm kinda curious if any women have tried laser treatments on the bikini area, and how effective they have been (as well as any health risks?) Sounds like FergieBelle likes her results- any other opinions?

Beardless Impostor Effect filter

holympus — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 03:12:03 -0800

Is there a word or phrase (preferably in English, but all languages welcome) to describe the distinct feeling one gets when a man whom one sees often shaves his beard and his face looks uncomfortably different? Does anyone else know what the hell I'm talking about?

Do Amish widowers shave off their beards?

dorothy humbird — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 19:05:08 -0800

What is the facial hair protocol for a widowed Amish man? Digging through Google hits hasn't produced the answer here. My understanding is that Amish males grow out their facial hair when they are married, so that a full beard (sans mustache) is the signal of a married man. But, what happens if his wife dies? Does he shave off the beard or let it remain?

Where can I find a small electric facial hair shaver for men?

leptin — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 22:03:13 -0800

Searching for the smallest (lightest and size-wise) electric shaver for men. I'm looking for the tiniest electric shaver for men for my father as a gift. The size is a factor because my mom has to carry a lot of things for him due to his illness so a tiny one that doesn't weigh much would be great. It would preferably use standard battery sizes (AA or AAA) too. Thank you so much for your help!

I don't want to look like a facial hair newbie

econous — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:14:40 -0800

I want to grow a beard. Or a chinstrap or a goatee or something. But I don't want to look like a facial hair newbie. Are there any websites out there with good photos of different styles and tips and such? This question asked for someone else via AskMeQ.
I found a goodly number of questions related to beards but none requesting sites with with good photos.

Attack of the Killer Mutant Beard Hairs

dw — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 15:36:30 -0800

I have these strange mutant beard hairs. They're thick, black, ropelike, and don't have a white follicle when I pull them out. What's the deal with them? I'm your usual male American Caucasian-majority mutt with dark hair and a beard (goatee). Every couple of months, while I'm trimming said beard, I'll come across half a dozen or so of these weird beard hairs. They look like rope, maybe 5 times the diameter of a normal beard hair. Sometimes they'll have a core of sebum when I yank them, and they'll always have a black follicle that looks a bit like an oily mop or paintbrush rather than the white follicle a normal beard hair will have when pulled. (And they don't hurt when pulled.) Sometimes they are ingrown, but not always. They're always darker than the other beard hairs. They tend to appear on either side of my chin area.

I not concerned about them, just curious. I have gone through Google a few times and have never found anything describing these weird beard hairs. When I describe it to other men, they have no idea what I'm talking about. What are they? What causes them? Is this just my weird genetic mutation, or is this common?

How do I properly moisturize my beard?

NationalKato — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:15:42 -0800

Help me keep the skin under my beard from drying out during the day! I've read a bunch of beard AskMe threads and a lot deal with moisturizing pre- or post-shave. However, I have a goatee and about 4-5 hours after my morning regimen, the skin beneath the hairs is dry and a bit flaky.

I'm looking for clear moisturizers I can use throughout the day that won't make my beard/skin greasy or too shiny.

How to deal with perma-stubble?

Stryke11 — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 18:15:02 -0800

I have perma-stubble and I'm sick of it. I am in my twenties and have been putting up with my perma-stubble for almost ten years now. It seems to continue getting worse. I have black hair and fair-ish skin. I typically have a five 'o clock shadow about fifteen to thirty minutes after I shave, and scratchy stubble a few hours later.

I use an electric razor because I discovered in the beginning that blades would either make me look sloppy and unshaven (going with the grain) or turn my face into a bloody wasteland (going sideways or against the grain). I have sensitive skin and found that electrics gave me the closest shave with the least amount of irritation. Still, however, it's not perfect because in hot weather any kind of sweat on my face will cause the whole thing to be a most painful experience.

I have used most every kind of commercial shaving aid product, both for before and after the event, and I am religious in my maintence of my electric razor's blades. I use a back and forth electric rather than the three circles ones, because again, the shave is closer and less irritating.

I need a solution. Has anyone here had to deal with this or know anyone who has? It's really a pain because, true or not, I feel like I always look dirty and it bugs me that I can't really do anything about it. I had a crazy idea that I don't even know is feasible in which I can use laser hair removal on my beard, but only randomly on like 1/3 to 1/2 of my hairs and thereby remove the shadow by lowering the density. I don't want to remove all the hair because my goal is not be a cherub. I also don't want to have patches of hair in some places and none in others - so I would only consider this is if was done right. Are there any other solutions? I have searched the net and not found much. I figured Metafites would have an answer.

i am the ginger beard man!

knapah — Mon, 13 Mar 2006 11:13:00 -0800

I have dark brown hair, yet I grow a beard tinged with quite a bit of ginger hair. Why? Neither my parents nor my grandparents have ginger hair... in fact i can't think of any ginger people in my family (and paternity is not in dispute, hehe).

but i've noticed this occurring in quite a lot of people and i was wondering if there was a reason for it to happen.

Help me tame my mane!

nevercalm — Wed, 04 Jan 2006 16:25:24 -0800

BeardFilter: I've recently grown a beard. It's getting scruffy fast.... ...anyone have any grooming tricks/tips/products? How do I not look like Marty Stauffer or someone who's growing it for religious reasons?

Getting my goat

_sirmissalot_ — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 14:51:35 -0800

I'd like to grow a goatee, but it drives me crazy. The longest I've been able to go is three weeks. By then the itching is terrible, and I actually get little red rashes on my upper lip. What's going on? My beard is not very thick, though the individual hairs are kind of bristley - certainly more so than my thin head-hair.

So . . . any tips for making this process go more smoothly? Because I look damn good with a goatee.

Personal Topiary

attercoppe — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 19:44:46 -0800

I have a rambling, multi-part question regarding hair, beards in particular, and hair care products. (Short version: what should I use to wash and possibly style my beard?) So since leaving my former job where I couldn't have a beard, I have been growing mine back. It grows fast anyway, and it has been (almost entirely) untouched for just over four months now, other than trimming my moustache to keep it out of my soup. This makes it longer now than I have ever previously worn it. The hair on my head, on the other hand, is not so much long as long gone. I have shaved my head for over five years, and buzzed it short for a couple years before that. But from what I remember, it was like what my beard is now - wiry. The hairs aren't particularly fine, and I don't think they're necessarily dry, but they feel like little wires - I had long ago been accused of wearing hair spray (on the hair on my head, when I had it). My beard is also, now that it's significantly long, beginning to show signs of being wavy like my head hair was. I don't intend on going ZZ Top with it, but I would like to attain some length, and would like to keep it neat, as well as smooth, soft, etc. How do I figure out what shampoo and conditioner to use? Do I even need conditioner? Should I try to tame some of the strays by using some sort of styling gel until the hairs are trained to lay down by themselves? Possibly tangental question - I have heard that shampoo (and presumably similar products) in other countries are adjusted for different pH levels (some sort of "racial" difference). Is this true? Could it be I need a Scot's or New Zealander's shampoo?

Recommend a facial hair trimmer.

ttrendel — Sun, 06 Feb 2005 23:54:52 -0800

I have a beard that I usually end up cutting off completely every 4 months because it gets too long and I can find no decent way of trimming it. Can anyone recommend any affordable facial hair trimmer that does the job? It seems like every one that I have bought either just doesn't cut or breaks before I can even get it fully out of the packaging.