An age-old question that all beard-havers face is looking in the mirror and wondering if the beard makes you look old. Before you pick up that razor and make a decision you may regret, learn all the ins and outs of facial hair and age.
We’re here to calm those nerves and help you decide what the best facial style to rock is.
Keep reading to find out if your facial hair is making you look much older than you would like.
Does Shaving Make You Look Younger?
Let’s get right to business. Does facial hair make you look younger? The short answer of course is yes.
However, we’re not just going to leave you on that note. Let’s take a deep dive into exactly why a clean-shaven face makes you look younger.
One of the more obvious reasons for you to look younger when hairless is the fact that facial hair does a great job at giving the face shape.
Children tend to have more round or chubby faces, and not everyone grows up and out of this look.
If you have a round and full face, you may look chubbier when shaven. A chubbier face is also akin to a younger face, because of previously mentioned correlations.
Another reason you may look younger is that the lack of facial hair reminds you and people who see you as what you looked like before you could grow facial hair.
This is a more common happening when you have had your beard for a long time and clean shave it suddenly.
Benefits of Shaving Your Facial Hair
While you may think there are plenty of aesthetic reasons to keep your facial hair, there are many more hygienic reasons to shave it.
Because your beard grows over time and gets thicker, the ability to clear away the dead skin cells over time becomes harder and harder.
This means that an increasing amount of skin cells and residue are built up under your beard.
Yuck! Shaving can get rid of these layers of dead cells, as well as reduce the development of wrinkles over time.
Shaving also can open clogged pores, since it is part of what should be a regular exfoliation routine you do.
This can give you clearer and more healthy skin, promoting collagen production and the tightening of your skin.
Why Facial Hair Makes You Look Older
Above we talked about why the lack of facial hair makes you look younger, now let’s talk about why having it makes you look older.
It has been statistically proven that any kind of full facial hair can make you look between 3 to 11 years older.
This is because facial hair creates a sort of contour for your face and makes it look older.
As well, in society and media, facial hair has been shown to represent maturity and age.
This has led to a practical worldwide agreement that facial hair does make men look older, as well as make them look more mature.
Best Products for Shaving to Look Younger
If you’re ready to ditch the facial hair, you may want to save some money and do it yourself.
If that’s the case, then buying the right tools for the job is mandatory.
The Art of Shaving Sandalwood Kit for Men comes with shaving cream, after-shave balm, and pre-shave oil.
On top of this, it has a synthetic shaving brush to complete the kit. This is a great first step onto the clean-shaven path.
The Philips Norelco Shaver 3800 is a wet and dry shaver that comes with a stand, charger, and travel bag.
It has 5D Pivot and Flex Heads for getting all the nooks and crannies of the jaw and neck.
It also features a pop-up trimmer for mustache and sideburns.
If you’re just looking for good shaving cream, Harry’s Shave Cream with Eucalyptus is a fantastic choice.
It doesn’t foam up so you can be precise with your shave.
The 12 natural oils and extracts keep your skin moisturized and tight
Does Shaving Make You Look Younger FAQ
Does Shaving Make You Look Fatter?
Because a good trimmed and kept beard can help shape your face, it has been proven that a clean shaving of your face can make it look more round, causing you to look fatter.
If you’re worried about this, then you may want to try keeping a short beard and a more sculpted trim.
This has been proven to give your face more definition, causing you to look thinner in the face.
How To Look Younger With a Beard
If you are emotionally attached to your beard, you may be sad to see it go in the name of looking younger.
Luckily, we have a few points of evidence that could help you stay confident in your beard.
As men get older, they tend to develop jowls. Jowls are described as sagging skin below your chin or jawline.
If you have this issue, keeping your beard may be more beneficial for a youthful look.
On top of the aesthetic of keeping your beard as an older man, there is also a few health reasons.
Because older skin is looser, shaving frequently can lead to a larger amount of skin irritation, ingrown hairs, and potential cuts on your face.
Try instead keeping your beard clean and kept with a beard cleaning kit.
A shorter on the sides and longer on the bottom can sculpt your face and make it look more youthful.
A good trimming kit can make a world of difference.
Final Words on Does Shaving Make You Look Younger
To sum everything up, while facial hair may make you look older and more mature, shaving your face can be a more healthy decision for your face and skin.
Although we can’t tell you whether or not you look better with a beard, we can for sure say that having clear and clean skin is always a better option.