# Grooming in public - what's acceptable **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 16, 2026, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729 "2026-02-16T23:51:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/21 "2026-02-17T01:33:15Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > the average person spends $277 per year on haircuts, with women spending slightly more at $286 than men at $268. Bwahahaha! How old is that? Unless I go to Supercuts and get a truly shitty haircut I spend a lot more than that. And I am a guy and my haircuts are 20-30 minutes, nothing fancy, no color or anything and about every 6-8 weeks. I can blow past that number with ease (and I have worked diligently to find a less expensive haircut that is not Supercuts). ETA: Ask my GF and she will laugh even harder at those numbers. Her hair appointments cost a fair bit more than mine (especially if she is getting it colored then it is waaaay more expensive…one session with color will come close to your annual cost). ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/22 "2026-02-17T01:34:34Z")
I have cut my own hair for decades. Its long and straight. Maybe twice a year I cut an inch. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/23 "2026-02-17T01:36:18Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > the average person spends $277 per year on haircuts, with women spending slightly more at $286 than men at $268. Ha! I want to know where you can get a years worth of haircuts for that cheap. I haven’t seen a barber charge less than $30 since COVID. Add a tip on that and you’re close to $400 yearly easily. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/24 "2026-02-17T01:39:06Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Curious where you’re getting your numbers from. According to [this industry cite](https://www.advdermatology.com/blog/americas-beauty-budgets/), men spend about 22 minutes a day, and women spend about 39 minutes a day. I don’t think that’s including how much longer it takes to wash, condition, and dry long hair, or shaving legs vs face. It’s true that good stats are hard to find. But [the shorter estimates](https://how%20long%20do%20american%20women%20need%20to%20get%20ready) I have found all prove to be really just talking about makeup. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/25 "2026-02-17T01:46:50Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > > [@Lucas\_Jackson](#): > > > > Then there’s the women who put on make-up while driving - I see this more than you might imagine. > > Well, hopefully it’s during stoplights. Strictly speaking, AFAICT, the etiquette standards for being alone in one’s own car are sort of like those for being alone in one’s own cubicle in an open-plan office. That is, there’s no expectation of real privacy, so don’t do anything in there that you **really** don’t want anyone else to see, but you’re not exactly “in the company of others”, either. Personal grooming restrictions are a bit more relaxed. That said, I personally would never never never risk the distraction of engaging in personal grooming activities while driving, any more than I’d try to read a book. Not even while waiting at a stoplight. I sympathize with all the time-stressed people trying to get too much done in too little time, and if they really can wield makeup apparatus safely while behind the wheel then more power to them, but ISTM that has a fair bit of potential for dangerous distracted driving. I also wouldn’t risk the distraction of staring at other drivers doing their makeup when I should really be keeping my eyes on the road, though. ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/26 "2026-02-17T01:48:13Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Women are required to do several times the amount of grooming that men do, just in order to appear healthy. If we go to work without any makeup people will literally perceive us as being sick. And men usually need to shave (or trim their facial hair) or they look slovenly. > [@TruCelt](#): > > While men shower, run a hand through their hair, throw on some thought-free comfortable clothing, and run out the door. Besides the shaving that I’ve mentioned, men often have social expectations with regard to clothing, just as women do. I’m not sure why you think that a man’s typical morning routine doesn’t require any thought towards his clothing, or that a men’s dress clothing is necessarily comfortable (I, for one, had to match a shirt, tie, and suit this morning, and I wore the shirt buttoned to the top all day) I don’t intend to detract from your point that women often put on makeup in the car because they don’t have time otherwise, and they face social pressure to look a certain way. But that doesn’t require you to denigrate the male experience; it’s not a zero sum game. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/27 "2026-02-17T02:00:24Z")
[This 2016 survey](https://nielseniq.com/global/en/news-center/2016/people-average-4-hours-a-week-on-personal-grooming-what-motivates-them/) of 27000 people in 22 countries found that women on average spent nearly five hours a week on “bathing, shaving, dressing, hair, make-up”, while men spent a bit over three hours. Anecdotes aren’t data, but that feels to me more in line with typical grooming activity levels than a full hour a day for women versus just a few minutes or so for men. I can well believe that doing one’s hair and makeup to a high standard takes at least that much time, but AFAICT a whole lot of us are getting by on a much more minimal appearance-care routine. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/28 "2026-02-17T02:10:53Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > So yeah, women are running out of time to get things done. We use every second that’s available to us, including applying makeup in the rear view mirror at stoplights. Meanwhile you pride yourself in your “superior standards” while enjoying a few minutes of your daily free time hours during your commute. ISTM a lot of time is lost removing the chip from your shoulder. I do not buy your characterization that women are doing all the things and men are getting a lot of free time as a result. Doubtless that happens in some cases but also doubtless the reverse is true too in some relationships. Maybe in the olden days when we were kids that was more common but no longer. Most men hold up their end as much as the women do. Putting on makeup in the car just means poor time management. Wake-up 10 minutes earlier and then no makeup in the car. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/29 "2026-02-17T02:20:24Z")
Yes. Those numbers might reflect people who get haircuts at Kmart in rural Kansas. In 1990. I get a haircut & beard trim every 3 weeks; call it 17x/year. To hit their $277/yr number I’d need to be paying ~$16 each. With tip. So maybe $12 pre-tip. IIRC I paid about that per cut in college and I’m on Medicare now. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/30 "2026-02-17T02:36:33Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > and I wore the shirt buttoned to the top all day) Did you know that many companies still require women to wear heels all day? Try a day in the office in a thin blouse and a skirt, see how the temperature works for you. Your posts read almost like sarcasm. Am I being whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/31 "2026-02-17T03:04:04Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Putting on makeup in the car just means poor time management. Wake-up 10 minutes earlier and then no makeup in the car. Problem solved. Yeah, even when I spent more time on hair and makeup, I managed to get up early enough to get it done before I left the house. I had a co-worker who would shave at his desk with his electric razor. The bathroom was only 15 feet away. Apparently the person in my job before me didn’t care. I told him to use the bathroom or shave in the car on the way to work. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/32 "2026-02-17T03:12:30Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Did you know that many companies still require women to wear heels all day? Try a day in the office in a thin blouse and a skirt, see how the temperature works for you. What company dictates wearing a thin blouse? Hooters? Suit jackets/blazers, dressy knit sweaters, and dress slacks are all acceptable in formal offices. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/33 "2026-02-17T03:40:40Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > I had a co-worker who would shave at his desk with his electric razor. The bathroom was only 15 feet away. Apparently the person in my job before me didn’t care. I wouldn’t have cared. Basically, none of the stuff described here except for leaving earwax on shared equipment would bother me. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/34 "2026-02-17T03:52:33Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > That is, there’s no expectation of real privacy, so don’t do anything in there that you **really** don’t want anyone else to see, but you’re not exactly “in the company of others”, either. Personal grooming restrictions are a bit more relaxed. That’s what I was thinking, but more along the lines of what sort of grooming is acceptable in your own cubicle at work. I mean, if someone’s looking at you, or you don’t have high walls, then very little is ok- go into the bathroom to do it. But if your cubicle has high walls, and you’ve got a bit of something stuck in your teeth and nobody’s looking in, there’s no harm in digging it out with floss/flosser, or even a post-it note. I still wouldn’t go scratching your ass or picking boogers though. There’s “Well, he was in his cubicle minding his own business getting something out of his teeth”, and there’s “He was digging in his ass crack at work!” ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/35 "2026-02-17T04:02:11Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I still wouldn’t go scratching your ass or picking boogers though. There’s “Well, he was in his cubicle minding his own business getting something out of his teeth”, and there’s “He was digging in his ass crack at work!” I used to have a boss who would dig at his ass during staff meetings. I mean, full-on excavations, nothing subtle about it. It was horrible to watch and most of us would just avert our eyes. To make things worse, he would then immediately start rooting around in the candy dish of Peanut M&Ms the office staff kept on the table in that conference room, flicking the candy here and there to pick out his preferred color (red, though I would have thought it would be brown). I never, ever, ever partook of any candy dish to which he had access. He was fired for misconduct having nothing to do with his ass. I was so glad to see the, uh, back of him. * * * I agree with those who say a discreet dig at a bothersome bit of food between teeth or delicate nose-blowing if the nose is running is acceptable if one must, but nail-clipping, application of makeup, hair removal and the like belong in the privacy of a bathroom. Preferably at home, but at least in a work toilet cubicle. Makeup such as lipstick excepted. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/36 "2026-02-17T04:02:59Z")
Homeless person digging out toe-jam from their crusty foot a few feet from you would not bother you? Really? ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/37 "2026-02-17T04:03:15Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > If we go to work without any makeup people will literally perceive us as being sick. That’s not universally true - if I wore makeup to work more than 100 times in 35 years I’d be shocked. No one thought I was sick. I’ve never spent an hour getting ready on a normal day - some of it is because I don’t spend as long as others ( my hair is short so drying it doesn’t take long and I can even let it air dry) and some of it is because I do things differently - I almost want to laugh when I hear about shaving as part of a morning routine. Because I usually use Nair once or twice a month in the summer and before I go on vacation , possibly in one of the other seasons if I wear a dress or skirt rather than shaving every couple of days. I’m not going to bother if one will see my legs. My husband, on the other hand, takes longer to get ready than I do - and he used to shave (with an electric razor) at stop lights. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/38 "2026-02-17T04:05:48Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > > [@TruCelt](#): > > > > If we go to work without any makeup people will literally perceive us as being sick. > > That’s not universally true - if I wore makeup to work more than 100 times in 35 years I’d be shocked. No one thought I was sick. I never wore makeup to work. They may have thought me unfeminine, but no one thought i was sick. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/39 "2026-02-17T04:14:40Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > If we go to work without any makeup people will literally perceive us as being sick. My GF wears almost no makeup…ever. A barely tinted lip balm is about it. Not even sure about that (I mean, she uses lip balm but if there is color in it just barely so). I think she is beautiful as she is. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729/40 "2026-02-17T04:43:50Z")
If I’m going into a restaurant/party/etc to be among people, I will comb my hair in the reflection of a window. Anything else is private. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/grooming-in-public-whats-acceptable/1027729.md?page=3)