Full Beard in the winter time?Yea or Nay?

[JTR357]

I was reading recently that primitive man would shave his beard(likely with a flint blade),especially in the winter time,because the beard would hold the moisture close to his face(or someting like that,don't know the exact wording,sorry).I'm thinking this is because of the rain and/or snow could build up & freeze on the beard.
So,I guess if you're outside all the time,in the elements...would it be better to be clean shaven or not?

What's your opinion?

I've always grown a full beard in the winter time,for as long as I can remember.I usuallly trim it down to a goatee in the spring.

Thanks,

 

[Calebklyne]

i find my beard keeps me warm in the winter but it is very dry where i live

 

[PayetteRucker]

yay, I have one and haven't been sick yet this year. Makes a huge difference if you're outside all the time, the bottom half of my face doesn't get chapped in the -20 degree wind.

 

[Bolt-action bultema]

What evidence are you using to determine the seasonality of stone age shaving? I have not come across any peer reviewed articles on the subject, maybe someone else has.

I like a full beard in the winter precisely because it grabs moisture. water in your beard freezes and makes an layer of insulation. During ski season, I grow my beard to create a barrier to the wind.

Özi, the ice man, traveled south over the Alps into northern Italy before he was attacked and sent running. He had a pretty full beard. We have very few examples of prehistoric human remains with hair on them. Also, many genetic groups across the world cannot grow full beards, so the question would not apply to the likes of: American Indians, Southeast Asians, Siberian populations, Indigenous South Americans, and others.

 

[JTR357]

What evidence are you using to determine the seasonality of stone age shaving? I have not come across any peer reviewed articles on the subject, maybe someone else has.

.

No concrete evidence at all.

I read about it somewhere or seen it in a documentary.I've been googling about it since I started this thread.No luck yet.

 

[Bolt-action bultema]

Fair 'nuff.

Personally, I have always wanted to try shaving with a stone blade, but I need to work on my bladecores to get there.

 

[storl]

I can't go more than a couple of weeks without shaving. I like the look and feel of stubble, but when it gets to the beard point, the itching drives me insane. I thought maybe once it got longer, it would stop itching, but I went about 6 weeks without shaving once, and it didn't get any better. Maybe I need to slather my face in anti itch cream or something...

On the usefulness of one, I will tell you that even a few days without shaving has me with a face that holds moisture way too well. I wouldn't want all that moisture next to my face in cold weather. I know that people 5,000 years ago didn't have them, but I'd rather have a merino balaclava or something similar than a face full of hair. I can take a balaclava off, but more importantly, I can put it right back on if necessary.

 

[JTR357]

Grabbed this off a blog-I knew there was something negative about beards & cold weather.

Beards should be shaved or clipped close. Hair should be combed daily and not allowed to grow too long. A beard or long hair adds very little in insulation value and soils clothing with the natural hair oils. In winter, a beard or a mustache is a nuisance since it serves as a base for the buildup of ice from moisture in the breath and will mask the presence of frostbite. All individuals should shave daily, when possible. Because shaving with a blade and soap removes the protective face oils, the individuals should shave, if possible several hours before exposing his face to the elements. This action will reduce the danger of frostbite. Shaving with an electric razor will not remove the protective oils. Under chemical or biological warfare conditions a beardless face and daily shaving are especially important, since an airtight seal of the protective mask is difficult to obtain with even stubble on the face.

 

[Mentor]

I keep my beard year-round. It doesn't get in the way in the winter, but then I crop it pretty short. On really long snowshoe trips in the cold, it does collect a bit of frost, but this hasn't caused any problems in the past. If primitive men made a habit of shaving their beards with knapped blades, then they were surely badasses. Can you imagine slipping while shaving with a flake of obsidian? Ouch!

All the best,

- Mike

 

[flipe8]

I gotta shave year-round as I wear a SCBA and need the seal, but would prefer to grow a beard in the winter. Once you frost up, wouldn't you essentially have a protective layer of ice on your face? I know from climbing and firefighting in the winter, that layer of ice might make it harder to move(especially when firefighting), but it also keeps you a bit warmer.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

I have a full, crazy beard right now, and while I really need to trim it up, I am keeping the full beard for the cold weather. It definitely does hold moisture, but and can get kinda raggy when working in cold weather (IDK why). I try to trim mine down in the spring/summer/fall to a goatee also.

 

[Marion David Poff]

I can't go more than a couple of weeks without shaving. I like the look and feel of stubble, but when it gets to the beard point, the itching drives me insane. I thought maybe once it got longer, it would stop itching, but I went about 6 weeks without shaving once, and it didn't get any better. Maybe I need to slather my face in anti itch cream or something...

Real men push through...

No really, the itching stops eventually. Or you get used to it. I have no real choice, I have PFB, which means that if I shave, my face is in abject agony.... So, a beard it is for me. But, they do itch sometimes...

Grabbed this off a blog-I knew there was something negative about beards & cold weather.

Beards should be shaved or clipped close. Hair should be combed daily and not allowed to grow too long. A beard or long hair adds very little in insulation value and soils clothing with the natural hair oils. In winter, a beard or a mustache is a nuisance since it serves as a base for the buildup of ice from moisture in the breath and will mask the presence of frostbite. All individuals should shave daily, when possible. Because shaving with a blade and soap removes the protective face oils, the individuals should shave, if possible several hours before exposing his face to the elements. This action will reduce the danger of frostbite. Shaving with an electric razor will not remove the protective oils. Under chemical or biological warfare conditions a beardless face and daily shaving are especially important, since an airtight seal of the protective mask is difficult to obtain with even stubble on the face.

Beards add very little insulation value? I have shaved a beard in the summer, and noticed my chin is cold, forget about the winter.... I just trimmed my hair down very short, and I have to wear a hat in the house or my head gets cold. Maybe if you had a real sparse beard.

This sounds like military re-print text, where you can't have a beard anyway, so they might as tell you all 'good' reasons not to have one....





Not in response to previous posts....

The thing I was going to add, is that ice in your facial hair can be an inconvenience, and lead to pulling some of it out.... Basicaly, once it is iced up, it will stay that way until it melts, you are not going to be able to comb it out, that way lies pain.

Marion

 

[tonym]

I would say yay, but the wife says nay.

 

[ratamahatta]

I'd say full beard, it just screams mountain man!!!!!!!!!

 

[vector001]

What evidence are you using to determine the seasonality of stone age shaving? I have not come across any peer reviewed articles on the subject, maybe someone else has.

I like a full beard in the winter precisely because it grabs moisture. water in your beard freezes and makes an layer of insulation. During ski season, I grow my beard to create a barrier to the wind.

Özi, the ice man, traveled south over the Alps into northern Italy before he was attacked and sent running. He had a pretty full beard. We have very few examples of prehistoric human remains with hair on them. Also, many genetic groups across the world cannot grow full beards, so the question would not apply to the likes of: American Indians, Southeast Asians, Siberian populations, Indigenous South Americans, and others.

i think ya nailed it, brother bolt-action'.

while i think that if you had a very thin beard it might be smart to shave it off, for reasons stated,

...but for those of us of more of the ...uh ...ahem ...viking persuasion i think need to consider using their beard for what God, or the Great Random Incident, or whatever, evidently intended it to be used for.

a thick short beard gives me wind protection, warmth, and even improved sensory! - they are whiskers, guys, for those here who are beard deprived and don't know. they can also make a nice barometer, well before my old injuries start complaining of pressure drop. you just have to listen to your beard.

i think the temperatures that a beard might "hide frostbite", etc. would be so cold and windy that you would obvioulsy have other measures in place anyways, like scarves, hoods, and balaclavas.

- everyone should have a silk balaclava in their kit anyways IMHO, beard or no beard. :thumbup:

good question. great thread.

vec

 

[Gossman Knives]

I've had a beard for 22 years. It's not hot in the summer and does help insulate in the winter. The ice build up in more of a nusance then anything else. The moisture is not near your skin so it's not a problem.
Scott

 

[jw2n]

Definitely a huge difference for me. Longer hair and a beard keeps my face and head warmer in the winter. I cannot believe that a beard does not help warm the face. To me, there is a significant increase in warmth. As for icing, I just suck all the frost and snot out of my mustache to avoid dehydration.

 

[Skimo]

jw2n, that was funny.

If I could grow a beard I would, I'm stuck with sparse stubble.

 

[JD Mandrell]

What is this thing you call "shaving"?????

 

[CDHumiston]

I had a beard when I was in Alaska, everytime I came home from 3 months in the wild my wife made me shave before she would touch me.

Beard = No Sex

So until sex is no longer important to me I will be beardless...