I’m Stubbornly Embracing the Clean Shave

Today, I have more of a rant than a blog post. My apologies in advance.

I’ve stubbornly come to realize I simply cannot be a beard person anymore. Or a goatee person. Or if I ever participate in Movember again to grow out my moustache for a good cause, I can’t do that anymore. Even though I’ve preferred the look on my face of some sort of facial hair ever since I acquired the ability to grow it out around like 14 or 15, it’s hurting my skin.

And it’s only gotten worse for some reason.

So, if I start with a clean shaven and within a few days to a week allow the facial hair to come back, my face will begin to develop red patches around my moustache and chin area. And the chinstrap area for my beard gets flaky and dry. I’ve experienced the latter in the past, but the former is something new within the last year or so, I’d say.

No matter how much I moisturize, that area of skin basically dies until I get rid of the facial hair and allow it a few days of recovery. Even though I prefer the beard look, it’s just not worth that headache anymore. I’m sick of the redness. I’m sick of the flakes. I’m sick of the dryness. I’m sick of the itchiness. I’m sick of how all of that looks.

I’ve had skin issues in the past. I was treated with Acutane for pretty widespread acne and I still occasionally get pimples, as annoying as that is now that I’m in my 30s. Didn’t we think that getting pimples was a teenager thing and by your adulthood, it wouldn’t be an issue? I don’t know where that idea came from, but what a myth-buster getting older has been for that one.

I don’t know if I’m not using the right razor, shaving cream, face cleanser in the shower, detergent for my clothes washing or the right moisturizer or a combination of the aforementioned, but whatever I’m doing or not doing isn’t working and is causing the redness and the itchiness.

Therefore, I have made the executive, internal decision to become a person who embraces the clean shave. My aversion to the clean shave is that I’ve never liked how it makes me look 10 years younger, as odd as that seems and partly being lazy to shave more regularly.

I also think it’s time I revisit a dermatologist. I haven’t seen one since I was a teenager dealing with the acne. Maybe they can offer some advice or guidance. Nonetheless, I wanted to rant about the rash.