Life with a beard

[lotus0kid]

Hello! I have a main character who is not going to shave for a full year. He's a white man in his forties, living in a medieval setting, previously suffering from malnutrition but with regular access to food and water for this year, a bit scruffy but not bearded at the start. I've done some Google searches ("what is it like having a beard," "

Comments

[anonymous]

As someone who has had one for thirty years:

Unless you're planning on going full-on Charlton Heston in _The Ten Commandments_, regular maintenance is essential. I shave three times a week to keep the general shape (e.g. no stubble), use special scissors roughly once a week to keep the mouth clear, and take ten minutes once a month (with the electric trimmer) to achieve the right length and keep it from looking shaggy. Assuming he's not alone on a desert island, he'll want someone to play barber.

Also - large beards are a Bad Idea in winter in temperate climes. Snow lands on the beard, melts, then re-freezes ... and now you have a chunk of ice enveloping your lower face.

At 55, my head and upper lip hair is still brown, but the area immediately below my mouth is at least fifty percent gray. This is apparently very common; it will be less noticable the blonder your character is.