Imagine you’re trapped on a desert island - how long before you become unrecognisable?

[Sesquipedahlia]

I have short hair. It takes an inordinate amount of daily and weekly care to look the way I want. I could take pre-emptive measures for a planned and non-critical hospital visit, maybe …

But, washed up on a desert island, assuming you’re safe, with shelter, food and water but having had no time to plan - how many hours / days / weeks would it be before you wouldn’t recognise yourself in a mirror?

I really need to start carrying tweezers everywhere with me …

NB - this is the Style & Beauty board!

Haha I would love to say I'm so well groomed that I'd be unrecognisable in days, but realistically it'd probably be months before you'd notice any difference 🙈
Which reminds me, I absolutely MUST get myself organised for a haircut because it's been about a year since I had one... It's getting out of control...

If I find a pumice stone I’ll look exactly the same.

I’m imagining you look like Dolly Parton @Sesquipedahlia

Well, being a woman i wouldn't grow a beard, so the problem would be a) colour growing out b) hair getting long, straggly and grey and c) wrinkles. Presumably no moisturiser, sun block or lip salve but as there's water I'd stay hydrated.

This is just a roundabout way of saying no idea and I'd prefer not to have a mirror to find out.

I don’t do anything fundamental to change my appearance so I’d be completely recognisable I think.

I sometimes dont brush my hair nefore leaving the house and I don't wear make up so...a while.

I don’t think I do anything that drastically changes my appearance, @Minasama - it’s just maintaining my normal self that concerns me!

Personally I’m not confident about the beard, @MrsDanversGlidesAgain …

That did occur to me after I posted. I do get the occasional chin hair, but if I don't have a mirror, I won't see it. I don't think I'd end up looking like Tom Hanks in Castaway, put it that way.

Am I allowed medication? because if I'm not chances are I wouldn't survive long enough to be unrecognisable (sorry for the down note in a light hearted thread)

I might look better. Good fresh diet of fish i imagine, time to exercise, no one interrupting my sleep. I'm sure I could fashion a comb and some sort of natural Moisturiser from some sort of sea animal? Sea snail?

Being a hormonal middle aged woman, if I had no access to wax, tweezers etc, I very much would have a beard!!

@Sesquipedahliaid says id get 24hrs max - i rarely leave the house without makeup!

Assuming hair is only washed in the sea by swimming, I'd guess about three weeks.

Any acquaintance who drifted to the desert island would immediately recognise me and my moustache. Although I might lose a bit of weight by existing on fish and berries rather than biscuits so maybe that would confuse them momentarily.

I’m 35 and would have a bum fluff moustache and beginnings of the beard of a young teenage boy within about 2 weeks. Not sure if my monobrow will ever grow back with the force it did before I started plucking. But my head hair is already waist length so I think the biggest issue would be matting that either conceals my face or encourages birds to lay eggs. Without scissors I would probably resort to chewing it off into a bob after a couple of months.

I would try to think positively and hope the sun, fresh air, sand exfoliation and vegan diet would make my skin look fresh and glowy

Loving the general optimism here! 😄

Medication definitely allowed, @MrsDanversGlidesAgain.

About 6 hours.

Oh, goodness! What would you be lacking, @Laiste?

I think I'd embrace the opportunity to go full feral. I mean, I'm low maintenance to start with, but I do get the odd 'yeah, maybe I could up my standards a bit' feeling. If I were on a desert island I would be free of even that unless the ship's hold contained a big chest of Superdrug or Boots products and it floated ashore with me.

Grateful I can have the medication, thanks 😆

I don’t wear make up or have any treatments apart from having my long hair trimmed and highlighted two or three times a year. I do pluck my facial hair and moisturise. So I think I’d look basically the same but sunburnt and with more facial hair. My hair would be grey eventually but I don’t think I’d ever be unrecognisable; just a slightly more feral version of what I look like now.

🤣
I was only half joking.

I look like shite after a family day on the beach with hair slicked back in a bun with decent swim protect cream, sun screen, lip balm, change of clothes, nice beach towel, a touch up of mascara and a deck chair.

If i was to suffer a disaster of some kind - have to get to a desert island, find water and start on a shelter i'd be knackered, burned, my hair would look like nothing on earth, my back would go so i'd be shuffling, i'd have no make up (i always wear make up) my nails would break, my face would be dry and i wouldn't have been able to file and moisturise my heels which get wrecked by walking in the sand!!!

I'd scare all the wildlife away which means i'd be hangry as well 🧐

Are we allowed a few spare pairs of glasses in case of accidents? (think I'm traumatised by poor Piggy and his glasses in Lord of the Flies).
If I didn't have glasses I'd be bloody and unrecognisable in a few hours after walking into coconut trees/tripping over jungle creepers/general mishaps.

Vital for scanning the horizon for rescuers.

Lucky you. I'd have full beard in less than a week.

But other than that, and dry skin due to lack of moisturiser I'd look the same.

I’m pretty low maintenance and would welcome the absence of mirrors and hairbrushes to even nudge me towards any grooming.

While I’m optimistic in that way, I have a suspicion that even just surviving securing the basics of fresh water, food and shelter would require a lot more work from me than in my current life, so would not expect to have any thoughts to spare for my appearance. And if there was no fresh water in the island I wouldn’t give very much at all for my chances of survival.

Would I have my handbag with me?

I always have a cap, sunglasses and lip balm and a few other makeup products in my handbag, I had nail scissors and tweezers in there last time I checked too. In the summer I carry suncream everywhere, so ideally I get stranded with my summer handbag. I would get hairy legs and armpits eventually, can't see me being bothered to tweeze out all my leg hair!

No handbag - obviously. 😂

But prescription glasses count as a medical aid, so let’s assume we each float ashore with at least one necessary pair. It does occur to me that without contact lens solution and a steady supply of fresh lenses I wouldn’t be spotting any rescue on the horizon … This is worse than I originally imagined. 😲

For me about a month before I have a beard and moustache akin to Tom Hanks in Castaway.