One of the greatest challenges for men with facial hair is the dry skin under beards causing irritation. Flaky, itchy skin under your beard is also known as beard dandruff.
Dry skin under beard hairs is the cause of numerous issues including:
- irritation
- poor beard growth
- ingrown hairs
- flaky skin
- bad smells
- reason for shaving
Table of Contents
What causes dry skin under your beard?
Beard dandruff is a mild form of *seborrheic dermatitis and has a few common causes including:
- Irritated and oily skin
- Dried out skin
- Yeast-like fungus, called Malassezia, that thrives on the scalp oils of many adults
- Contact dermatitis (caused by hair products)
- Skin conditions like psoriasis or eczema
Going one step further, the dandruff causes above can be traced back to some daily activities that you may be carrying out without a clue that they are, including:
Extra hot showers
I bet you didn't think that showering would show up as a potential cause of dry skin under your facial hair! The truth is, if you are cranking up the temperature and scrubbing your face, you may be stripping your natural sebum oils from your face, causing excessive dryness and irritation.
Make sure to strike a balance if you are a guy that likes hot showers. An extra steamy shower is a good thing as long as you are not specifically using the hot water to clean your face.
Using bar soap to clean your beard
The use of a soap with a high pH has a dehydrating effect on your skin which can increase irritability and reduction of bacterial flora.
Leave the bar soap for your body and use a specifically formulated beard shampoo to wash your beard!
Beard Shampoo - with PROGRO
$13.00
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Genetics
Unfortunately for us guys, being male is correlated with a higher likelihood of having dandruff. That applies to both the hair on our head and our beard hair.
3 Tips For Bearddruff Relief
There are 3 important things to remember when grooming beards to help prevent dry skin under beards.
1. Exfoliating
Exfoliation is a process that helps remove dead skin cells from underneath your facial hair, including those that cause dandruff. This process helps keep your sebaceous glands from clogging with dead skin cells and reduces the production of natural oils (sebum oil).
One of the best ways to exfoliate your awesome facial hair is to use a beard brush. Not only will a beard brush keep your beard looking great, but it also acts as a facial scrub - clearing skin flakes from the skin beneath your beard and stimulating your hair follicles.
2. Washing
Washing your beard regularly with a beard shampoo is one of the best ways to ensure your beard remains healthy. Make sure to really work the shampoo into the skin under beard to help your entire beard remain healthy.
3. Moisturizing
More often than not, a dry beard is the culprit behind beard dandruff. The dry skin beneath your facial hair is easily irritated and unless you are proactive with a good beard moisturizer, you'll end up with an itchy beard!
Summary
No one likes flaky beard dandruff and visible beard dandruff can be embarrassing. Not to mention, dry skin under beards is one of the most irritating things that can happen to a man. Luckily, if you follow the tips above - you'll learn how to manage dry flaky skin underneath your beard forever.
