How many whiskers ...........

[SteveSxx]

Are there on the average male face ?
The reason that I ask is I was wondering how many metres we shave off per day in total - assuming that we shave off 1/5th mm per day per whisker - this will add up to a considerable length over a lifetime - enough to encircle the earth ??

[mibn2cweus]

According to this data source 30000 whiskers grow 5.5 inches per annum. At about 11.5 metres a day, (requiring that we nearly double the rate of your 1/5th mm estimate) that comes out to an annual yield of about 2.6 miles or 4.2 kilometres of whiskerage for each average adult male.

The same source gives a lifetime growth of 27.5 feet thus 250km each. The Earth with a circumference of just over 40000km would requires the beardage of about 160 (>300 @ 0.2mm/d) testosterone wielding humans to complete a circuit of end to end facial hairs.

[Llamatron]

Wow.
Is there any way to stop them growing in the first place?
I bl00dy hate shaving.

[mibn2cweus]

. . . Not so sure you'd mind so much if you knew the cure.

[SteveSxx]

Thanks for that
I had guessed at 1/5mm per day