Fake Facial Hair???

[Jay]

Hello Guys,

Is there any such thing that I can possibly buy to look like facial hair? I have looked on the internet and keep getting fancy dress wigs and beards..

Thanks

Jay

[Dennis]

Not anything that'll pass close inspection in daylight. You can try theatre supply places for fake facial hair if you just want it for an evening out or something.

Dennis

[Doc]

They sell it in costume shops. Along with the spirit gum you need to put it on. It is a skill you must practice.

Or you can just buy spirit gum and use your own hair.

[Patroklos]

Actually, I learned the best and most realistic technique from the book Becoming A Man and Back Again. Though it only works for creating stubble, in my experience.

Buy an electric razor and some type of thin, moldable, transparent wax. I just use beeswax that comes in a little tin.

Warm the wax to softness.
Apply a (very) thin layer to the area desired.
Use the electric razor to shave tiny bits (and I mean TINY) of your hair from an inconspicuous place on your head.
Use an eyeshadow brush to press the bits of hair into the wax.

The wax should dry clear but remain soft enough not to crack and the bits of hair should give the appearance of 5 o'clock shadow.

[Jay]

Actually, I learned the best and most realistic technique from the book Becoming A Man and Back Again. Though it only works for creating stubble, in my experience.

Buy an electric razor and some type of thin, moldable, transparent wax. I just use beeswax that comes in a little tin.

Warm the wax to softness.
Apply a (very) thin layer to the area desired.
Use the electric razor to shave tiny bits (and I mean TINY) of your hair from an inconspicuous place on your head.
Use an eyeshadow brush to press the bits of hair into the wax.

The wax should dry clear but remain soft enough not to crack and the bits of hair should give the appearance of 5 o'clock shadow.

WOW! That sounds complicated but I might actually try it.

Have you done it? And if so how many times?

Thanks for the advice.

[Andrew]

Are you talking about Norah Vincent's "Self-Made Man"? That's right, she did get away with using the old makeup-beard. I haven't read it but I've heard it's good. She really did make a great man - her voice and everything (I saw an inverview with her in both female and male mode).

[Doc]

Hey Doc:

With your access to animals, have you ever thought of giving yourself killer sideburns out of dog hair?
(Please don't be offended, I really though that it would be cool to have off-the-wall sideburns.)

Woah! What a fun idea. Actually, there's this big drum vaccum that we use to suck up all the hair after shaving animals for surgery. When you open it to empty it you get this massive felt/fleece-like drum-shaped mass of hair that's all swirls of every colour a dog or cat ever came in. It's incredibly pretty except you know there's blood and toenail clippings and all manner of nastiness mixed in.

I'd love to have off-the-wall sideburns, though.

Re: the wax thing. I find it to work better if you cut longer peices of your own hair, line them up into little flattened locks as close to one hair thick as you can get, and press them gently against little dash-marks of spirit-gum you've painted onto your face, and then carefully trim them once in place to create your beard or more-than-stubble-less-than-beard. Realism is quite good, if you use, uh, pubic hair. Do wash first. Pressing on tiny little hair-clippings means they will, on close inspection, seem to be growing in every direction. Either way, this is all very amusing, but you'll take longer than a girl to get ready to go anywhere and it's just not practical as an everyday thing.

[Patroklos]

I've tried the technique I listed four times now but I didn't actually get it down until the third try. I'll try to take a picture of it for reference.
And, yes, it is a little complicated and definitely takes a while but the effect was realistic enough that I don't mind.

And that may be the book (Self-Made Man) but the title isn't what I remember. Norah Vincent was the author (thank you for reminding me) but I could have sworn that it was called Becoming A Man and Back Again. My memory is probably defective.

I didn't read the whole book, by the way, just the first 30 pages or so in the bookstore but it was enough to pick up that technique.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

Shall I dare say it again....

ROGAINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

*runs like hell*

I have mad sideburns, though. It was well worth it imo.

[Doc]

What does the PI insert that comes with Rogaine say about people with low blood pressure? I've got that, so much so that they say I can't give blood, 'cause I don't bleed fast enough. The hair-growth thing for Rogaine is actually a side effect, it's a med for high blood-pressure.

[zombiesarepeaceful]

Doc, I am aware of this. I have high blood pressure naturally though, always have, so I didn't take this into consideration when I started using it. I haven't really noticed any change in my blood pressure since using it. I'm not on any medications to control blood pressure.

As far as having low blood pressure and using rogaine, I wouldn't recommend it, especially if you can't even donate blood because of it.

Ok, I just read my insert from the package. It doesn't specifically mention low blood pressure as a reason not to use it, but since rogaine is absorbed into the blood stream more readily when used on the face instead of the scalp, I still wouldn't recommend it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogaine_%28drug%29

Large amounts of minoxidil can cause hypotension,[QUOTE/]

[Andrew]

And that may be the book (Self-Made Man) but the title isn't what I remember. Norah Vincent was the author (thank you for reminding me) but I could have sworn that it was called Becoming A Man and Back Again. My memory is probably defective.

I think that was the subtitle.

Jay, I would stay away from fake facial hair; even if it doesn't look ridiculous, it'll make you self-conscious (Norah Vincent, if I recall, mentioned getting up to look in the bathroom mirror every five minutes).

[Doc]

Thanks, zombiesarepeaceful. I really wonder if the topical hair-growth solution lowers blood pressure. Mine is not a health problem but a physiological quirk, it's always been that way and is supposed to be terribly healthy-like or summat. I'm not allowed to give blood because I don't bleed fast enough and it's a troublesome bore for everybody involved, pretty much.