DARE TO ASK: Do older men tend to bathe less?

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

Why do many senior citizens view a daily shave (for men) as virtually mandatory, while daily bathing of the whole body is pretty much a matter of personal preference? I would feel dirty if I did not shower daily. I would much rather have clean hair and a full beard, washed daily, than be meticulous about my facial hair and have the rest of my body unwashed.

Augustine, 39, male, Columbia, S.C.

Replies

I think there are two answers to why male senior citizens shave every day. First, it's become a habit after doing it almost every day while we worked. Second, we think it makes us look neater. There is probably a third reason for some (like me): My beard looks lousy. As for showering, as you get older and less active, you do not sweat much and aren't in a very dirty environment, so bathing may not be needed daily.

Raymond, 57, Portsmouth, Va.

Keeping yourself presentable, either through shaving daily or maintaining a well-groomed beard, garners respect. A stubbly face represents a middle ground between these societal standards of presentability. It may convey a sense the man is lazy.

Robin, 25, female, Pittsburgh

I wore a shirt, suit and tie for more than 40 years and showered and shaved every day. When I retired . . . I continued to shower every day but cut the shaving to every other day plus Sunday. Recently I have found myself not showering every day, especially in the winter, and going as much as four days without a shower or shave. In cold weather I can do this with no discomfort, odors or problems. No complaints from anyone -- including my wife, children, friends, neighbors and dog.

Bill, 68, Lansdale, Pa.

Expert says

Older men who grew up in the era of the "Saturday night bath" fell in line with modern cleanliness standards upon entering the workforce, says Scott Omelianuk, former style editor of GQ and former executive editor of Esquire magazine. And they may slip back into their youthful habits when they retire.

"As recently as the '30s and '40s, most houses had one bathroom, just that one utilitarian spot," said Omelianuk, co-author of Things a Man Should Know About Style (Prion Books). "So you couldn't take a shower before school if you had three brothers and a father and mother getting ready for the day, too."

Also, let's face it, you can fool folks for a while when you don't bathe, but not if your face starts getting bristly.

"Shaving is a matter of pride, a quick and superficial way to still seem like you're keeping up appearances," he said.

Besides, Americans' captivation with hygiene didn't take root until the '50s, after many of today's older men had become adults, Omelianuk noted.

"It became an obsession, this idea of cleanliness and of body odor being a terrible thing. Before then, if you were a guy, you showered when you had a date. I suspect doctors today would say that hand- and face-washing are important, but that full body-washing is not always necessary."

Phillip Milano, author of I Can't Believe You Asked That! (Perigee), moderates cross-cultural dialogue at Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. Visit www.yforum.com to submit questions and answers, or mail to Phillip Milano, c/o The Florida Times-Union, P.O. Box 1949, Jacksonville, FL 32231. Include contact information.