Facial Hair, Beards, and Shaving

[Hoodwink]

I couldn't quite decide which topic to start this thread, so I defaulted with general.

Just out of curiosity, wouldn't pretty much every man have a beard in Zalanthas except the rich (and ethnicities who don't grow facial hair)?  I understand there are some substances which are razor sharp, such as obsidian, but without an abundance of water and some form of lubricant (most likely gotten from a plant -- rare in many parts of Zalanthas), how would any man manage to go beardless on a regular basis?

[FiveDisgruntledMonkeysWit]

It's really not hard. They'd just have a lot of nicks and small facial scars. You don't -need- water or soap to shave, although it's a definite plus.

[Sandlord]

My father dry shaves. Real salty hardasses (which i am sure there are an abundance of on Zalanthas) would do this if they desired a clean face.

[Supreme Allah]

Even if I don't mention it in the desc/sdesc, most of my "commoner" characters (all male) have had stubble that I mention in emotes every once in awhile. I sometimes dry shave IRL, though - I doubt it'd be that difficult to be consistent if the character really cared about it.

What doesn't get acknowledged is that few, what with the constant struggle that most Zalanthans are always going through, ever WOULD care that much. I play it as I feel appropriate - most of my characters didn't care enough to shave every 3-5 days (about 1-2 days IRL just to clarify), but the rich or privileged among them did.

[Cuttlefish]

I think shaving is the least of your worries.  In an incredibly hot climate with no water for toiletries...

Let me just say I think there should be no such thing as either invisibility or sneaking around...

[spawnloser]

To note, ancient Egyptians used a stone to abrade the hair off to shave.  No razors, just stone with texture.  It got all the hair and left no nicks.

[aeshyw]

Actually, exfoliation using some sort of pummice could pull the hair out by the roots, painful the first time, but less so there after - much like the women's torture products, aka epilators so popular today.  Men who used a system like that would grow finer beards and have less stubble then those who shave.  There's actually a product in the drug stores now that advertises doing just that (for women's legs), but I've personally been too chicken to try it yet.

[Gorobei]

Beards are bloody annoying.  Even if I had to shave with an obsidian dagger and no water, I'd still do it, especially in a climate like Zalanthas.
I figure, though, that Zalanthans would generally have softer, thinner facial hair than most people IRL.  Caucasians are the race that grows giant cave-man beards the most quickly, and that's because we evolved in colder climates.  Zalanthans would grow thin, scrubby beards that wouldn't get so freakin' hot, I'd bet.

[Angela Christine]

Actually, exfoliation using some sort of pummice could pull the hair out by the roots, painful the first time, but less so there after - much like the women's torture products, aka epilators so popular today.  Men who used a system like that would grow finer beards and have less stubble then those who shave.  There's actually a product in the drug stores now that advertises doing just that (for women's legs), but I've personally been too chicken to try it yet.

Those purple mittens?  I've tried 'em, they are kind of like a very fine grain sand paper.  You make three clockwise swirls, then three counterclockwise swirls.  It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't pull the hair out by the roots (usually).  It exfoliates the skin as it powders the hair, so it leaves your skin smooth.  I find they sometimes sting on sensitive facial areas though.  There can also be a problem if you've let the hair on your legs get really long, because the six swirls will sometimes tie it in knots without removing it, and if you do more than the recomened six swirls you may abbrade the skin.

Still, it works just fine without water.  And the exfoliating action would help to clean skin without the benefit of soap and water.

AC

[sacac]

I prefer dry shaving to using lather because it gets a much closer shave
It just feels weird after you shave though. In Nak I use a leaves sap that is found on the trees in the city

[aeshyw]

Actually, AC...its this new torture-looking device I saw in the drug store. It supposedly does pull your hair out by the roots.  Here's the link: http://www.conair.com/Products/detail.jsp?productID=214 .

I've used regular epilators before, and while they certainly aren't painless they do work pretty well.  But I'm wroth to trust anything that promises painless hair removal by the roots...

[Delirium]

Pads Twist & Remove Hair "Painlessly" While Leaving Skin Smooth & Silky

See how they have "painlessly" in " "'s ? My suspicions are indeed confirmed, it's the latest and greatest new torture device from hell.

[Angela Christine]

I've used regular epilators before, and while they certainly aren't painless they do work pretty well.  But I'm wroth to trust anything that promises painless hair removal by the roots...

Clearly these are the same people who tell you "this won't hurt a bit" or "you may feel a slight pinch" before they inject lava into your arm with a small javlin.    Close kin of the dentists who insist you will only feel a small prick and then a sensation of pressure.  :roll:  Perhaps they are being sincere, and honestly think the device causes no pain because they don't realize that years of testing their products on themselves has led to extensive nerve damage.

If I had the money I would sooo be getting laser hair removal.  Dark hair, pale skin, I'm a perfect canditate!  I don't believe them when they say it's painless, burning the roots of your hair by shooting a laser through your skin sounds like it might sting, but at least you only have to do it a few times the first year and then maybe a touch up once a year or so.  It costs a fortune and no one is sure what the long-term affects might be, but what the hell.

I dunno, maybe I should just become an extreme feminist and declare hair removal to be a form of oppression foisted on us by the paternalistic media.  Then I could grow out my armpit hair until it was long enough to braid, that might be cool.  When I lived in a colder climate I would forgo shaving my legs for 4 or 5 months in the winter since no one was going to see 'em anyway.  That was sweet.  Nice soft, fuzzy legs.  It looked like hell though, and if I'd suddenly had to wear short I could have been mistaken for a sasquatch.

What was the topic again?  Oh, yeah, hair removal in Zalanthas.  I think dry shaving, or rubbing it off with pumice or other rough material would work.  It is possible that there is some form of naturally occuring chemical depilater too, but I'm not sure how you would rinse those off, so shaving would probably be safer.

Angela Christine

[Ayashah]

Those purple mittens?  I've tried 'em, they are kind of like a very fine grain sand paper.  You make three clockwise swirls, then three counterclockwise swirls.  It doesn't hurt, and it doesn't pull the hair out by the roots (usually).  It exfoliates the skin as it powders the hair, so it leaves your skin smooth.  I find they sometimes sting on sensitive facial areas though.  There can also be a problem if you've let the hair on your legs get really long, because the six swirls will sometimes tie it in knots without removing it, and if you do more than the recomened six swirls you may abbrade the skin.

Still, it works just fine without water.  And the exfoliating action would help to clean skin without the benefit of soap and water.

AC

Ahh, cool. I hadnt heard of those. I am going to have to go get those and try them out. I have sensitive skin and even shaving I have to buy 'sensitive skin' shaving creams to keep from getting irritated hairs. *sniffles*  Do you know what they are called or who makes them??

[Rindan]

I imagine people would just use obsidian.  Obsidian is actually sharper then metal and for your average Allanaki, probably fairly cheap.  I think it would be totally possible to make an old-skool razor using obsidian.  You just need a slim wedge of obsidian with a wrap around one part of it so that you can hold it.  As for water, one could simply use some paste from a plant.  Imagine an aloe like plant would be very good, though I don't think you need anything that class, just something that wet your face a little.  Hell, you might even just use some particularly nasty and undrinkable water.  In a pinch, if you don't mind a few nicks and just take your time you don't even need any sort of water.

[RaynerApe]

Some particulary nasty and undrinkable water would make an "excellent" combination with several cuts and nicks on the face. Few of those people would have clean of skin diseases face, and many would get some really bad things that way. Whcih reminds me to raise my personal lethality factor of Arm once again.

[Socko]

There's also fats and grease. Can't forget about that.

People can find ways to manage shaving without water-- it's not as hard as you'd think.

[Cuttlefish]

After reading the thread here, I actually tried dry shaving.  It worked great for the sparser areas of my face (anything but the moustache/chin area), but got a bit hairy (heh) in the thick patches.  I did power through it, though.  I think it would have been easier if it wasn't for about three days of growth.  The shave was amazingly smooth, though.  I never dreamt that the lack of cream/water would actually make that much of a difference.

[aeshyw]

Well, I bought the Conair product and tried it.  And... it didn't hurt.  At all.  I'm a little boggled.  Its pad is too big to get the knees and ankles well..but for overall..it did a fairly decent job.  I stand...stupified.

[Angela Christine]

Well, I bought the Conair product and tried it.  And... it didn't hurt.  At all.  I'm a little boggled.  Its pad is too big to get the knees and ankles well..but for overall..it did a fairly decent job.  I stand...stupified.

No way!  Clearly the pads or motor oil is inpregnated with a narcotic that becomes airborn and inhaled when the device is running.  That is the only reasonable explanation.

Ahh, cool. I hadnt heard of those. I am going to have to go get those and try them out. I have sensitive skin and even shaving I have to buy 'sensitive skin' shaving creams to keep from getting irritated hairs. *sniffles*  Do you know what they are called or who makes them??

They can be hard to find.  You are looking for "friction" hair removal products.  Here's a good link that mentions a few brands, plus using pumice or 600 grit sand paper :!: to remove hair.

http://www.hairfacts.com/methods/friction.html

AC

[Drayab]

I don't see how any man that grows a very thick beard could stand to dry shave. I was able to pull that off when I was in high school, but these days? Not on your life. I can just imagine the pain...

Who knows... maybe it would be worth it to a noble.

[RaynerApe]

Many things in a primitive world such as this one were done the painful way.

[Kalden]

Some races don't grow facial hair, or grow it very sparse. I've always imagined Zalanthans without beards, and with the hot climate...

[Hoodwink]

Some races don't grow facial hair, or grow it very sparse. I've always imagined Zalanthans without beards, and with the hot climate...

Actually that's not true.  Turks, for example, are very hairy and it's because they are from a hot and arid climate.  The hair acts as a sort of filtration system to prevent abrasion from sand.