At 39, I grew a beard, but the reality wasn't 'dashing'—it was 'unclean'

“It’s the 10-day Golden Week holiday, maybe I’ll try growing a beard.”

This year’s Golden Week. I suddenly had the thought in front of the mirror and put down my shaver for a few days. Once you reach your late 30s, everyone at some point harbors a longing to become a “dashing adult who looks good with a beard,” but you are bound to face a problem when you try it. I thought that now that I’m older, I could pull off that dash that I couldn’t in my youth. I was harboring such a sweet fantasy.

However, what I saw in the mirror a few days later was not a man with sex appeal, but “just an exhausted middle-aged guy.” The idea that you automatically become cool if you grow a beard was a huge lie.

The 'absolute rule of cleanliness' drilled into me during 18 years in nursing care

In the first place, I was never in an environment where I could freely grow a beard since I was young. For 18 years starting in my 20s, I worked in nursing care at special nursing homes and hospitals specializing in dementia, and I pushed through as a care manager and a team leader.

In the field of interpersonal support, “cleanliness” is the absolute proof of trust. If even a little bit of stubble remains, it gives the impression of being “sloppy” or “unsanitary,” which carries a fatal risk/danger of losing the trust of users and their families in an instant. Therefore, shaving my skin smooth every single day was a rule as natural as breathing.

My 'male pride' shattered by a single word from my family

Currently, I am independent as a web marketer, and during the day, I drive a delivery truck for industrial waste and other items, running routes based in Koshigaya. It is the perfect input environment where I can fully commit to business audio learning (ear-learning) while driving, and I am no longer as bound by grooming standards as I used to be.

I grew the stubble as a reaction to years of restriction, thinking, “I can pull this off now.” However, as the holidays were coming to an end, my wife coldly said to me while I was relaxing in the living room.

“You look... really tired, don’t you? You’ve lost your sense of cleanliness.”

It stung. Furthermore, my three sons—one in elementary school and two in nursery school—avoided my hugs, saying, “Daddy, it’s prickly and I don’t like it,” and even the Chi-poo (Chihuahua x Toy Poodle) puppy we welcomed into the family this year would turn its head away when I brought my face close. The beard I grew thinking it would be good was nothing more than a descent into being a “disappointing” middle-aged man to my family.

The 'aesthetics of subtraction' make an adult man the strongest

I went straight to the washroom in silence and shaved off all the stubble that had started to grow. The moment I washed away the thick lather and wiped my face with a towel, the person in the mirror looked clearly five years younger than he had a few minutes ago with the beard, and he had regained a bright, refreshed expression.

That was when I finally realized. What we were really looking for was not the “decoration of a beard,” but an “overwhelming sense of cleanliness that doesn’t make others uncomfortable.”

To maximize my daily performance, I have a routine of drinking hot water every morning, quietly writing in a journal to clear my head, and then brewing coffee. On weekdays, I skip lunch and avoid flour to eliminate intense afternoon drowsiness. Cutting out the noise and becoming light on my feet improves the quality of my work. That philosophy of “subtraction” and the “addition” of stubble covering the lower half of my face were fundamentally contradictory.

A man's face is the same. Instead of trying to force a sense of adult sex appeal, strip away the noise and perfect your sense of cleanliness. That was the only correct answer to being well-liked by those around you and being attractive.

Boost your cleanliness in your 30s! 3 god-tier items to save time in the morning

"I get that cleanliness is important. But shaving carefully every morning takes time, and razor burn ruins my skin."

I understand that all too well. Especially in the morning, every second counts. However, adult cleanliness isn't achieved through 'grit' or 'determination,' but can be obtained instantly by 'investing in superior tools.' Thinking that 'all electric shavers are the same' is a common mistake that people in their 30s often fall into.

Having completely cut ties with my attachment to my beard, I have carefully selected three 'essential items for boosting cleanliness' that I chose after thorough research and that have actually improved the quality of my life.

1. Ultimate close shave and morning time-saver: Panasonic Lamdash PRO 6-blade

If you are spending more than 5 minutes shaving every morning, that is a bad habit that is throwing away precious time.

This 'Lamdash PRO 6-blade' is on a completely different level. It catches even flat-lying or stubborn whiskers under the chin, and by just gliding it lightly over your skin, it achieves an overwhelming close shave that prevents 'beard shadow' from appearing even by evening.

Best of all is its 'time-saving power.' You can finish a perfect shave in the few dozen seconds it takes to prepare your morning hot water. It is surprisingly gentle on the skin, and it even protected my skin, which had endured razor blades for 18 years since my days in nursing care. If you consider that you can eradicate 'morning frustration' and the 'aged look that appears in the evening,' there is no self-investment with a faster return than this.

2. An essential weapon for men who choose the battlefield of keeping a beard: Philips Beard Trimmer

If you choose the path of 'I just can't give up my beard' or 'my face needs a beard,' leaving it in its natural state is absolutely a no-go.

An adult beard style may look effortless, but it is actually built on precise calculations and maintenance down to the 0.5 millimeter. This Philips beard trimmer uses a single dial to keep the length uniform, elevating sloppy 'stubble' into a sophisticated 'designed beard.' Growing a beard without owning this is simply abandoning your grooming. If you love your beard, it is an essential tool you must know as a minimum etiquette.

3. A fundamental solution to save 'desert skin' after shaving: BULK HOMME THE FACE WASH (H3)

Skin immediately after shaving is screaming from countless invisible damages. Using random cheap store-bought face wash or neglecting moisturizing is like going out of your way to make yourself look older.

BULK HOMME's face wash is a masterpiece for adults that achieves a high-level balance between the ability to 'remove' excess sebum and dirt, and the ability to 'retain' skin moisture. The rich, dense foam thoroughly prevents friction on delicate skin that is prone to razor burn. If you age without knowing proper skincare, an irreversible pitfall of spots and wrinkles awaits you in your 40s and beyond. Just by changing your face wash, your skin tone will brighten, and your first impression will change dramatically.

Summary: Shave off the you of yesterday and gain overwhelming cleanliness.

A man's appearance from his late 30s onwards is not determined by the quality of his natural features, but by 'how much daily care he puts in.' If you do nothing, maintaining a clean look becomes harder every year.

By investing a little in excellent tools and changing just a few minutes of your morning routine, you will create a cruelly stark disparity in how you are treated by those around you for the rest of your life.

Why not cast aside the fantasy of being an 'adult who looks good with a beard' and take the first step toward becoming a 'cool adult with overwhelming cleanliness' starting tomorrow morning?

First, get your hands on the ultimate partner that fits your lifestyle right now.

• Achieve overwhelming time-saving and a close shave: https://amzn.to/4wEvmjt

• Design your beard and create adult sophistication: https://amzn.to/49DlZq0

• Create the ultimate skin that serves as the foundation for cleanliness: https://amzn.to/4wn390i