My NaNo book has a main character with a short beard. But since I am a woman, obviously I don't know what a beard feels like from the inside, as it were. If my MC does hard, sweaty work--haying, in this case--how would his beard feel? Would it itch? Get all damp and sweaty? Any insights would be great, thanks!
Question for men with beards
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Gets a little wet, doesn't itch. It'll retain water, a lot of it, thanks to surface tension, but the beard itself is fairly unobtrusive, and after the amount of time it takes to grow a decent beard, you ought to presume that for the most part a guy's not going to notice it.
I'm not a man either, but was married to one who wore a beard. Whenever he'd get sweaty he'd end up scratching his beard - so your itching idea is spot-on. If the work's really hard, the sweat would run down his face into his beard -- it was very curly, but still ended up plastered to his face & neck. My ex did some haying & in addition to getting plastered to his face, his beard trapped bits of hay all day.
Hope this helps!
~WiC
Hope this helps!
~WiC
Thanks, that is helpful. In this case, the guy has only recently grown the beard and he's not sure he likes it. And it was kind of a surprise to me when he showed up in the story with a beard--I hadn't imagined him with one until that moment. One of the wonders of writing at breakneck speed, I suppose.
Ooh, yes, I would never have thought of the bits of hay stuck in his beard detail! Thanks!
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with me, a couple weeks after i shave, right before it comes to fullness, it can be a bit itchy. but once that passes its generally comfortable. and, when its experiencing a hard sweat, i taste a lot of it.
I've made a half-hearted attempt to grow a bread a couple of time just to see what it would be like to have one. However, I've never been able to go more than two weeks before I shaved it off. It would start itching a little (I would find myself rubbing my face all the time), plus I couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror . . . well, actually, I can barely stand to look at myself in the mirror without a beard.
I've never had an itch problem and mine is coarse hair, unlike than what's on my head, so it doesn't absorb perspiration as much.
It strains soup nicely, however.
It strains soup nicely, however.
You're welcome! Break a leg w/your Nano project. You're brave, that's far too much pressure for me to tackle!
yes, definitely the bits of hay in the beard. also the dust - if the hay isn't the nicest, it'll dust up a beard quite alot. Makes it look like they've been doused with dirty flour. I've never seen the guys itching at them though. Haying's so itchy when it gets in your clothes (and it does manage to go anywhere and everywhere), I'd think beard discomfort would be secondary.
In winter in cold climates (North Dakota, Manitoba, etc,), if you spend a long time out doors, your breathe will condense and freeze on your beard. The effect is more pronounced if there's a blizzard since the beard can trap blowing snow.
This isn't a problem for the most part until it accumulates and starts to drag on the hair and then it starts to hurt.
This isn't a problem for the most part until it accumulates and starts to drag on the hair and then it starts to hurt.
Maybe when it's first coming in a beard can be itchy. But once it's grown in, that's not a problem at all. One other thing--a very short beard can also be scratchy to others. Not so a longer beard. My grandkiddies love to rub their cheeks against mine, 'cause it's so soft.
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I agree with Haggis. I've had a fairly long beard for years, and the only itch problem occured the few times I shaved. A razor is rough on skin that's not used to it, so the irritation of shaving and the sandpaper feeling of having stubble starting by the next day was the uncomfortable thing.
Another point--beards grow in different patterns. On some people (I'm one of the lucky ones!) the edges end smoothly in a reasonably pleasing pattern. On other people, the edges will be uneven, or extend too far up the cheeks or too far down the neck, so to get an aesthetically pleasing beard, they'll still need to shave in places. Or they may choose to shave just to get a different pattern.
Like Parkinsonsd said, someone who's had a beard for a long time won't even really notice it, and just deal with the sweat and bits of hay in the beard same as they would in the rest of their hair.
Another point--beards grow in different patterns. On some people (I'm one of the lucky ones!) the edges end smoothly in a reasonably pleasing pattern. On other people, the edges will be uneven, or extend too far up the cheeks or too far down the neck, so to get an aesthetically pleasing beard, they'll still need to shave in places. Or they may choose to shave just to get a different pattern.
Like Parkinsonsd said, someone who's had a beard for a long time won't even really notice it, and just deal with the sweat and bits of hay in the beard same as they would in the rest of their hair.
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I have a beard and have done haying, the old way. A beard doesn't itch unless you have psoriasis or other skin condition. A beard actually helps protect your skin from flecks of hay, wind, etc. After haying, your arms will itch far more than your face. Also the hay bits that get down the back of your shirt will be about the worst. Your arms, you can wipe off, and your head, you can shake like a dog. However your back is another issue.
Thanks, everyone! This is all very helpful. And since last night I wrote it so that after haying the workers all retire to the pub for a cool-down, and the MC goes home after that (looking forward to a bath and bed) to discover his love interest waiting for him with a problem with a ghost, I think I'll go back and have him worried about his appearance (stuck all over with bits of hay, and his beard/hair full of dust) and his sobriety.
Thanks, everyone! This is all very helpful. And since last night I wrote it so that after haying the workers all retire to the pub for a cool-down, and the MC goes home after that (looking forward to a bath and bed) to discover his love interest waiting for him with a problem with a ghost, I think I'll go back and have him worried about his appearance (stuck all over with bits of hay, and his beard/hair full of dust) and his sobriety.
The hay stubble also gets down inside your boots and can make your ankles all red and itchy. Don't forget that part.
Let me also mention that hair in general holds a smell better than skin. It may be why our smelly parts are hairy. A beard tends to retain odors. For example, if you get some lunch on your face, and wash it, the lunch is gone, but unless you shampoo your beard, you are likely to still be able to smell your lunch.
Gross.
Gross.
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I've had a full beard for about 39-1/2 of the last 40 years. When working in a hot dirty environment, I find the beard actually protects me from a sticky, itchy feeling. Sweat and suspended dirt tend to accumulate in the folds of the neck skin and really irritate; the beard protects against that. It seems to filter dirt and small debris and keep them off my face and neck skin.