How Often Do You Need to Shave?

By Dr. Josh Zeichner | Monday, December 26, 2011

On average, I would say I shave my beard every other day. Despite following best shaving practices, I still exoerience face irritation if I shave too frequently. So for me, every other day is the perfect balance between avoiding irritation and growing too much stubble on my off-days.

So how often should you shave? There’s no hard-and-fast answer. Shaving frequency depends on several factors:

1. Hairs grow approximately 0.017 inches per day. The question is: How visible is that 0.017 inches on your face? If the stubble is very visible, you may need to shave every day. If not, you could skip a day or two.
2. Thick, coarse hair needs to be shaved more frequently than thin, sparse hair, since the stubble of a thick beard is more noticeable than that of a thin beard -- leading to an earlier 5 o'clock shadow appearance.
3. Dark hair is more visible than light hair.
4. Sensitive skin may not respond well to daily shaving. Shaving exfoliates the skin, which can cause substantial irritation. Practice proper shaving and skin care techniques before and after shaving, or take a break for one or two days between shaves to reduce the risk of irritation.

In general, you make the rules. Your personal preferences, skin and hair type, and your school or work environment will determine how frequently (or infrequently) you need to shave.

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