DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband usually is clean-cut, and I like that. Recently he has let his beard grow in for a week or more at a time. He works in a job where having a beard is fine, but for me it’s an issue. He likes to cuddle up close to me at night, and his beard is rough and scratchy. I often wake up with irritated skin. I love my husband and want to cuddle with him. How can I get him to understand that for me it would be great if he would shave before coming to bed? -- Please Shave, Wilmington, Delaware
DEAR PLEASE SHAVE: Show your husband your skin when you wake up in the morning and tell him that the irritation comes directly from his stubble rubbing against you. Tell him how much you enjoy cuddling with him at night, but that his beard is making it hard for that to happen. Ask him if he will shave it off.
The other option is for him to grow it out more. A longer beard often is less bristly. You could suggest he try to grow out his beard and together you can decide if it works for you. This will show that you are offering a compromise. Keep him informed about how your skin reacts to his beard. Being open about it is way better than you inching away from him in bed.