No matter if you are a beginner or a full-fledged bearded guy, beard itching has been a constant hassle for you. And not only you but there are also millions of others reading this post who have experienced it or are proactively looking for preventive measures.
Itchy Beard can be an embarrassment and also one of the potential reasons to give up on growing facial hair. There is no exact time frame when beard itch starts occurring; it can be during the initial days of beard growth or after several months of full growth.
The itching might range from mild to severe and even unbearable, which requires medical treatment. But before it reaches that stage, this article will become your savior. We have got you covered with effective treatments that include some quality investments in beard products and some home remedies for the mildest beard itchiness.
But before knowing, you must know the causes since treatment depends on the cause of beard itch. So, let us know what triggers beard itching?
Table Of Content
Causes of Itchy Beard
The only solution to this condition is to find out the cause of beard itchiness. The cause will further help you in implementing the right treatment. Failing to do so will even ruin the treatment that you put into action against beard itch.
Dry Skin
The primary cause of dry skin is the lack of sebum oil (natural oils) produced by sebaceous glands under the skin. The sebum oil manages to moisturize the skin and prevent dryness. However, a lack of sebum oil can dry skin, and slowly it starts to itch.
Other reasons for dry skin are:
- A cold or dry climate
- Soaps
- Hot water
- Lifestyle
Beard Itch After Shaving
Beard itch happens with most men after shaving since the shaven hair grows sharp and coarse, causing friction against hair follicles. It becomes severe if you shave closely to the skin.
As soon as the sharp edges of the shaven hair grow up, it bends towards the skin, rubbing against your facial skin and offering an itching sensation. And not only do the longer beards cause beard itch, but even the stubble can also let you scratch throughout the day due to its rough texture.
Note: Electric beard trimmer shaving is itchier than traditional razor shaving.
Though the learning curve of the beard trimmer is more accessible than a razor, it still causes beard itch. In our opinion, a traditional razor is the best when it’s about shaping and shaving facial hairs.
Supporting traditional razors doesn’t mean there will be no beard itchiness; the intensity will be mild. Since the skin is already exposed to sharp hairs, it is not advisable to grow hair after shaving. And even if it grows, trim them at a 90-degree angle to grow hair less sharp.
Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hair is a condition when the freshly shaven beard hair grows and bends back towards the skin. As a result, it inflames the hair follicle and causes itchy skin. It forms around the shaven area and looks like red, itchy, and painful bumps. In our opinion, it is better to let the beard grow and avoid ingrown hairs.
Folliculitis
When hair follicles cause inflammation, it occurs folliculitis, resulting in an itchy beard. Folliculitis happens because of parasites, bacterial, viral, fungal infections, or ingrown hairs. When you suffer from folliculitis, you will notice sore and painful red follicles on your beard area.
Seborrheic Eczema
Seborrheic eczema, also known as seborrheic dermatitis, occurs mostly on the scalp. However, it can even happen on facial skin, making it red and flaky. Oily skin guys are especially prone to seborrheic eczema. You may notice flakes whenever you rub your facial skin or beard.
Pseudofolliculitis Barbae
Pseudofolliculitis barbae occurs when beards cut your skin inside the hair follicle and then grow out, causing razor bumps that look like red, pus-filled blisters. African-American men are at a higher risk since they have curly hair strands. Though it is similar to folliculitis, it does not happen due to infection. It causes severe skin irritation and itching, which require medical treatment.
Tinea Barbae
Tinea Barbae is a fungal infection caused by the fungus called Dermatophyte. The fungal infection happens only on the facial hair region and looks like red, crusty, and inflamed skin. It causes severe beard itching, which is similar to ringworms of the scalp.
New Beard Hair Growth
Growing a new beard (stubble) will cause a beard itch. This is because the sharp edge will scratch against the skin, causing itchiness. And not only it happens when you grow it for the first time but also when you shave fully grown beards after a long time. The sharp edge irritates all hair follicles by causing discomfort and itchiness.
Unhealthy Diet
Diet not only uplifts your overall health but also contributes to your beard health. For example, eating unhealthy food such as junk food or caffeinated drinks can impact your beard health, causing an itchy beard.
Stress
Stress is another factor contributing to beard itch. The body releases Cortisol hormones when it is under stress. Cortisol is responsible for breaking collagen molecules in your skin, resulting in losing skin elasticity, dryness, and itchiness.
Another factor that causes is lack of sleep. It creates a hormonal imbalance, leading to beard itchiness.
Poor Grooming Routine
Beard itch is also a result of not following a beard care routine. It includes washing your beard and using high-quality beard grooming products. Failing to take care of your beard will primarily cause beard itching. Besides, if you do not comb your beard, it can even worsen the situation.
Use of Cheap Quality Beard Products
Stubble itches your skin is understandable since it has pointed tips that scrape your skin and follicles, but why does it itch even though you have a full beard? The answer is the use of poor-quality grooming products. Most beginners commit the mistake of considering shaving and regular products the same and use them for both purposes.
These everyday shampoos or soaps strip away sebum oil, making the skin dry and itchy. If you know about beard care products and still use regular products to save a few bucks, it’s not a good idea.
Another beard care product list includes beard oil and balm, which most men neglect even when they have dry or sensitive skin. These products are essential to soothe your irritated beard and the skin underneath it. It can keep your beard moisturized throughout the day without letting you scratch your beard hair.
Dead Skin Cells
Do you know how many dead skin cells you lose per day?
According to the study, you lose 30,000-40,000 dead skin cells per day. Though the shedding process is invisible, you still lose it. Besides, it is not a problem until you are beardless, as you can simply wash and scrub your face. However, the dead skin cells will be difficult to go away from your skin as soon as you start growing facial hairs. Eventually, you will start scratching your skin.
So these are the causes of an itchy beard, and we hope you know what is triggering your beard to itch. As promised, here is the treatment to stop beard itching.
How To Stop Itchy Beard?
A normal beard itch is treatable by washing your face or change in cleanliness routine. However, if they are caused due to an underlying skin condition, you will be required to take medication or undergo surgeries.
Here is the entire list of beard itch treatments that even includes surgeries. So keep reading and opt for the one that matches your itching conditions.
Cleaning
Cleaning is the first and the basic way to eliminate beard itch. It requires washing your beard with warm water and beard wash to prevent bacteria, dirt, debris, and excess oil build-up. You can also use beard care products such as beard soap or shampoo to cleanse your beard.
Since the head and facial hair’s texture is different, both have separate grooming products, and you cannot interchange them. The regular shampoos may dry your skin under the beard, causing it to itch. Using regular shampoo can even clog your skin pores and make the beard itch worse. Therefore, you must use a dedicated beard wash or shampoo to avoid such hassles.
Repairing
Using a hairdryer or heated flat iron for styling a beard can also damage your facial hair. The damage spreads from tip to root and slows down the hair growth rate. It will then irritate the follicle.
To quickly heal damaged facial hair, it is advisable to apply beard repair products since they contain protein and moisturizing properties. Besides, the product will also teach you how to stop beard itch.
Moisturizing
Dry skin is one of the reasons behind itchy beard rash, and handling it can be difficult. Moisturizing is one of the ways to hydrate your dry skin and overcome itching. You can use the best beard oil or lotion containing natural ingredients to pamper your beard and skin underneath it. The application is easier, and the results are mind-blowing.
Conditioning
A beard shampoo can cleanse your beard when washing, but what about post-washing maintenance? It still will require some beard care products. Just like your head hair, your facial hair also requires conditioning. You can use a beard conditioner to fight against the dreaded beard itch.
Conditioners containing anti-tangling properties do not create knots in your facial hair. The only difference between regular and beard conditioners is the inclusion of ingredients. When it comes to choosing a beard conditioner, look for ingredients like Jojoba oil or Argan oil. Both the ingredients make the facial hair softer and thicker.
Besides, it even seals the moisture into the skin, which makes the skin hydrated. Moreover, it even keeps split ends at bay. You may even notice reducing beard itch since there is a reduction in split ends.
Note: Men with coarse and thicker beards will be required to use a beard conditioner twice a day.
Tip: Always do a patch test since most conditioners contain comedogenic properties that may lead to acne breakouts.
Just take a dime-size amount of beard conditioner in hand and activate it by rubbing both hands together.
Brushing
Beard brush is one of the grooming products that play a crucial role in dealing with an itchy beard. It also helps with ingrown hairs that contribute to beard itching. In our opinion, a boar hair beard brush is a better option for treating an itchy beard. Regular brushing makes the dead skin cells visible, which can be washed off.
Besides, boar hair, being tougher bristles, can also train your facial hair to grow in the desired direction and give a clean shape. Along with reducing beard itch and ingrown hairs, it even resolves tangles and knots. Moreover, the beard brush is excellent at distributing natural oils.
When buying a beard brush, always prefer boar hair over plastic bristles. It may cost you a bit higher than other brushes but are worth your investment. Always prefer to brush your facial hair in the growth direction.
Tip: Brush or comb before and after you wash your beard once it is dry. Brushing before will remove pollutants, and after will make the hair softer and knot-free.
Trimming
Trimming is also one of the steps to reduce an itchy beard, but before trimming the facial hair, allow it to grow for three months. It is for the ones who just started growing a beard for the first time. It will make your beard grow thicker and also fill patchy areas.
Once you achieve the three months mark, you can start trimming your facial hair to keep the beard itch at bay. For this purpose, you can use a beard trimmer, beard scissors, and a straight razor.
Beard trimmers come with length settings and help to deal with an itchy beard. Just make sure you oil the blade regularly for smooth functioning. On the other hand, a beard scissor is a tool helpful in paying attention to detail trimming like nose, mustache, and neck hairs. Lastly, you can even use a straight razor as it does not irritate the skin nor cause beard itch like other razors. Also, it won’t give you razor bumps and ingrown hairs.
Medication
As said earlier, if you are suffering from an extremely itchy beard, you will be required to consult a doctor as it can be because of skin conditions or infections. So let us what skin conditions you may deal with:
- Dry Skin: Many products are available to treat dry skin; some say ointments, while others suggest lactic acid and urea-containing creams. In our opinion, natural face moisturizers are the best to treat dryness.
- Pseudofolliculitis Barbae: We suggest applying Glycolic acid to treat Pseudofolliculitis Barbae. Apart from this, you can even let your facial hair grow for at least a month until lesions are gone and then start shaving every alternate day.
- Folliculitis: Bacterial infections are one of the major causes of Folliculitis. You can treat folliculitis with the help of mupirocin. You can even use antifungal cream or corticosteroid cream if it is not infectious.
- Seborrheic Dermatitis: If it is acute inflammation, you can use Hydrocortisone, while you can use Clobetasol for severe itching.
- Tinea Barbae: You can opt for topical antifungal therapy to treat Tinea Barbae.
Surgeries
If you are suffering from chronic itchy beard, infection, or inflammation, there are high chances that your dermatologist may recommend laser hair removal.
They will make incisions to drain out boils and carbuncles, which are also known as skin abscesses. It makes the skin itching worse.
Avoid Harsh Chemicals
It is advisable to use products containing natural ingredients when washing, shaving, trimming, or maintaining your facial hair.
From the above discussion, we hope you have understood how to stop an itchy beard. Contrary to this, if you are a person who prefers home remedies, you can continue reading the next section.
Home Remedies for Itchy Beard
Lastly, you can even opt for home remedies to cure an itchy beard.
Firstly, drink plenty of water, avoid stress, quit smoking, and get enough sleep. Failing to do so can cause the beard to itch more and more.
Smoking can stink your beard and is bad for your health as well. Besides, if you do not drink plenty of water, it will stop hydrating your facial hair, causing dryness.
On the other hand, proper nutrition is a key to itchy beard remedies. The diet should be rich in Vitamins, Nutrients, and Minerals. Also, you must look for Vitamin A, B, C, and E that boosts sebum oil production and moisturizes the skin.
Besides, it prevents the beard from being overly dry and itchy, which is one of the biggest benefits for the ones who are finding beard rash treatment.
FAQs:
1. Why do beards itch when growing?
Firstly, you can apply good beard oil regularly. Secondly, you can check for any ingrown hair as it can be one of the potential causes of beard itching. If you find one, remove it with tweezers. It will save you from two painful hassles; ingrown facial hairs and excruciating beard itchiness.
2. How long does beard itch last?
The average beard itch ranges somewhere around one to three weeks. Meanwhile, if it is out-of-control, you can apply beard oil to prevent irritation.
3. Does Beard Oil stop itching?
As said earlier, beard oil is one of the must-have grooming products as soon as you start growing a beard. It not only helps in reducing beard itch but also moisturizes and hydrates the skin. Besides, it even promotes healthy hair growth. Moreover, it even keeps beard dandruff at bay.
4. Is it normal for Beard to itch?
Yes, when you start growing a beard, it becomes common to itch. You must keep your beard clean and avoid shaving to minimize the pain and discomfort.
Conclusion
Beard hairs are different from other hair on the body, and they are called androgenic hair. The growth is entirely dependent on testosterone levels. Here, if you have low testosterone levels, you will have slow hair growth and vice versa. Itchiness on your beard starts as soon as your beard hair sprouts up from the skin. It can go from mild to worse in no time, and if not taken care of, it will require laser hair removal-like treatment.
To save you from such hassles, we have included all possible causes of beard itchiness with its treatments. Also, we have added inexpensive home remedies that you can try on if you are new to a beard growing process. Lastly, we have answered some questions that users commonly ask. You can also share your questions, and we will try to answer them.
