My beard is falling out. time to start shaving

Hello Everyone! This is my first post...

I am considering going to wet shaving.

I don't normally shave, only every once in a while (2-3 times a year). My wife likes the 5 o'clock shadow look so I have been just using a beard trimmer and keeping it low for years. However, within the last few weeks, I have had a patch of my beard hair fall out. No lie, I woke up and a 1/4" hole was there... it has grown gradually and now it looks stupid. I do not know why this is happening, but I do know it looks stupid with stubble

While I don't shave often, I know I don't like it... or perhaps i was doing it wrong. I want to try out this traditional style of shaving. When i did shave it was Schik Hydro 5 and Gillette gel cream. From what I've read, we shaving is easier on the skin, more comfortable and a better shave. For someone starting out, what do I need? Local places to procure said items? I'm not a big online buyer and would rather buy local. We do have an "Art of Shaving store" a few miles away (never been in) Any tips for a beginner would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to B&B! You can buy a Van der Hagen shave kit from Walmart for around $8 that comes with a boar brush, soap, and a bowl.

As a fellow relative newbie, I have found it to be a better shave by far. I never got this smooth with a Fusion. As far as what you need to start out, etc., I'm going to leave that to the more experienced posters. I know there are a few good tutorials on this site that I referred to frequently... still do sometimes. So those would be worth looking into.

Hi Bowtie2Bimmer, welcome to B&B! Congrats on your decision to give wet-shaving a try--you're going to love it!

When you get a chance, please head over to our Hall of Fame and tell us all a bit more about yourself. There are links in my signature to areas of B&B of special interest to beginning shavers--perhaps you might like to have a look at them. If you ever have questions or run into problems, don't hesitate to post them up. We're a welcoming and friendly group here, and there's always someone around to offer advice or lend a hand.

Enjoy your time here, happy shaving, and once again, WELCOME!!

Welcome to the forum!

Welcome to B&B.

Welcome! If you're looking to get a razor from someplace local, Art of Shaving carries safety razors, but you will generally pay more for it there than you would online. Razor blades can be found at Walmart and CVS drugstores, Van Der Hagen soap and brush kits are pretty commonly available from Walmart, and you can usually find Williams Mug Shaving Soap at CVS. You can also find Pinaud Clubman (aftershave) at most CVS stores.

Another option available for the razor is to go to a few antique shops and you might find a pre-loved razor that fits your needs for a fraction of the cost of a new one from AoS. A well cared for safety razor can often outlast at least one user. Best of luck,

Welcome to the forum. Using a brush and soap is quite enjoyable. With regard to your beard, have you considered consulting a doctor?

Welcome to the forum !!

Welcome aboard!

Mike H said:

Welcome to the forum. Using a brush and soap is quite enjoyable. With regard to your beard, have you considered consulting a doctor?

Click to expand...

I probably should. My guess is it is from stress...

I going to check the local antique places tomorrow, see if i can find a nice razor.

In terms of soaps, aftershaves, creams etc... what would be a good recommendation for a beginner?

If you want to stay local, Walmart, CVS, or AoS will have soaps as above listed. If you would consider an online order, I can't recommend Mike's Natural Soaps highly enough. The lather is fantastic, all natural artisan soap by a small business owner. All of my friends that I've turned to Mike's have been more than satisfied with his products.

I use the tins, easy to use everyday and not too big to travel with. http://mikesnaturalsoaps.com/Mikes_Natural_Soaps/Shaving_Soaps.html

I'd be a little more concerned about a patch of my beard falling out. A lot of good wet shaving will do when ya got nothing to shave.

As others have said though, inexpensive items can be bought locally at wally and targets and drug stores, all but the DE razor. AOS will have DE razors but you'd likely find a lot better deal online. or hey!, the BST here!

Welcome to the Forums. I see you are in Florida. I am not sure how close it is to you, but the http://www.thesuperiorshave.com/index.html is located down that way. Maybe try giving them a call, at least your shipping should be fairly quick. He also has a lot of info on his site.

Welcome. This thread might help you......http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/318706-Dirt-cheap-wet-shaving?highlight=

I can't figure out how to make the picture bigger, but here is a photo of my "spot" that I took last week. Weird huh? I plan on making a doctors appt about it but I figure until then I'll just shave

*never mind... its plenty big. Looks smaller in the reply box