Growing a lustrous beard is no mean feat as it requires a lot of patience and tender care. The last thing you want after going the trouble of growing and maintaining it is your facial hair being flawed by beard dandruff. Your beard will become itchy and ruin your facial appearance. If you are in the process of growing one, do not be scared already as there are numerous ways to keep dandruff away and ensure that your beard is in top condition.
In this piece, we will demystify ‘beardruff’, and give you some tips for getting rid of it for good.
What Is Beard Dandruff?
Dandruff is a skin condition that appears to affect the scalp. It makes the skin often reddish in appearance, flaky, and itchy. If you do not deal with it in ample time, you could start seeing skin flakes in your hair, making it rather uncomfortable for you.
What’s the Main Cause?
The human skin is unique. It contains numerous microorganisms including a microbe called Malassezia globosa, which is a type of fungus that thrives in oily areas with lots of sebaceous glands. In the human body, this is your scalp and face. The fungus moves to break down the oil produced by these glands, called sebum. This chemical process leaves behind some acid that irritates the skin. If your skin is naturally oily, you might have also more of those microbes, producing more oleic acid.
We all have different rates at which our cells regenerate. If your rate is higher, the accumulation of dead skin cells is also higher, thus leading to more skin flakes. If you see flakes in your beard, it can be a simple case of dry skin. However, when the skin beneath your facial hair is red, and you sense some irritation, then this is typically a sign of the chemical process mentioned above leading to dandruff.
Regardless of what might be the cause, it is vital to understand a few essentials (up next) to take care of it properly. And, remember if in doubt and/ or you experience symptoms, always double-check and consult with a medical or healthcare professional.
What Are Some Early Signs?
You will go through an easy time dealing with beard dandruff if you spot it early on. Some of the common signs include itching, redness, and the presence of flakes in the beard. Itching comes first, and when you start experiencing it, do not wait for any other sign.
How Do I Take Care of ‘Beardruff’
The process of dealing with itchy, flaky skin beneath your beard aims to look at the actual source of it. This way, everything you do should help to remove dead skin cells and supply extra oil to keep new flakes from forming. This involves implementing a combination of regular activities in your beard care routine such as to:
1. Exfoliate Your Skin
This is a process of removing dead skin cells, some of which lead to dandruff. The body keeps on producing new skin cells, and it is paramount to remove the dead ones frequently. This can be done using a beard brush with soft bristles. It will be very helpful if you do this prior to washing and moisturizing your facial hair and skin. Aside from the exfoliation part, a quality brush will help to spread skin oils evenly, making your beard easier to manage.
Massage the skin beneath your facial hair gently using the brush to loosen the dead cells, but do not be too rough as it could cause irritation and make your dandruff worse. For this, we really like the ZEUS 100% Boar Bristle Pocket Beard Brush for Men. Its high-quality bristles are soft enough so it won’t scratch.
Alternatively, you could opt for a professional-grade exfoliator such as the Tea Tree Oil Exfoliating Scrub by Oleavine TheraTree for exfoliating your beard. This specialty product is not only enriched with Australian tea tree oil but also bamboo charcoal, neem oil, natural pumice, and skin-moisturizing omegas 6 & 9. In addition, it is scented with mixed mint essential oils that smell great and leave you refreshed and invigorated.
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2. Wash Your Beard
Washing your beard regularly can help to keep dandruff at bay. You should do using designated beard shampoo. It is even better if you choose a medicated shampoo that contains elements that prevent the formation of dandruff. When washing, take the time to massage the shampoo thoroughly into the beard to ensure that it reaches the skin underneath. Let the ingredients sink in for a few minutes prior to rinsing it off with warm water.
When shopping for a beard shampoo, look out for ones with coal tar, tea tree oil, and selenium sulfide. These are ingredients that are known to fight dandruff. Here is one of our readers’ favorites, the Medicine Man’s Itchy Beard Wash by OneDTQ. It is 100% natural, organic, and liked equally for new beard itch, chronic itchy facial hair, and of course beard dandruff. This product has been handcrafted by Barry and Rachel, the founders of OneDTQ, and a passionate team of two who work and live in Brooklyn.
You can add on to this step in rounding it up with a beard conditioner such as the Viking Revolution Beard Conditioner. This beard maintenance product contains Viking’s top of the line natural beard oil to give you the deepest moisturization and best beard growth conditioning possible. It helps hydrate, and soften your facial hair, thus keeping dandruff away.
3. Moisturize Your Skin and Beard
This helps to hydrate and protect your skin after washing. Do not be tempted to use regular lotion as there are many excellent quality beard oils available in the market today. Apply the moisturizer immediately after washing the beard, and massage it to ensure that it reaches the skin beneath your facial hair. Apply it gradually while making sure your whole beard gets moisturized.
Here is one of our personal favorite’s, The Gentlemen’s Premium Beard Oil, which is handmade in the USA. This beard softener oil will make your beard manageable and very easy to groom. The oil is super-fast and deeply absorbed by your facial hair, making them softer and stronger without any greasiness. The skin underneath your beard has to be in great condition, for your beard to look, feel, and stay fantastic.
How Do I Conquer It?
The key to avoiding dandruff for good is maintaining a daily routine of exfoliating, cleansing, and moisturizing your beard. The body will keep on producing new cells, and once you let them build up, dandruff will appear. Once the dandruff is under control, you can tone down on some of the things, for instance, usage of medicated shampoo, and stick to the regular ones.
A good way of incorporating this into your routine without going so much out of your way is to do it rigorously every morning when you get ready. If you take 20 minutes to shower and clean up, add 10 minutes for your beard. After some time, you will get used to the routine, and ‘beardruff’ will never be a problem for you again.
Wrap Up
There is no secret formula for dealing with beard dandruff. The process is pretty straightforward, and once you get the mentioned tips into your daily routine, it won’t be a huge problem for you anymore. You can procrastinate all you want, but in the end, you will have to clean and moisturize your beard. It is as simple as it gets, but the results are a healthy and aesthetically pleasing beard that you can be proud of.
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