So, you’re growing a beard… Great! We’re proud of you. But if you’re here, it might be because you’ve entered the dreaded beard itch phase we all encounter in the early going. Or, you may be dealing with it later on if you don’t know how to properly care for your beard.
Before we dig into our 3 tried-and-true remedies for beard itch, let’s quickly look over the root causes. Haven’t you heard? You can’t really solve a problem until you identify the underlying source. Patchwork solutions (or patchy beards, for that matter) aren’t our thing here at Weatherbeard!
We’re here to, ahem, weather the storm with you and build a rugged-yet-delicious beard you can rock confidently for life.
So first, let’s scratch that itch.
Causes of Beard Itch
- Seborrheic Dermatitis
Oof, that one doesn’t sound good, does it? But spoiler alert — It has a much more common name you’re likely familiar with: dandruff. When you grow a beard, your face can get it too.
And it’s not fun! Your face, more specifically the skin under your beard, can get red, scaly, and flaky.
- Dry Skin
Related, but different, dry skin affects roughly 1 in 3 beardos (we made that up, but it’s definitely common).
What causes dry skin? A lot! Genetic factors, medications, underlying health conditions, even your shampoos, soaps, or other facial products. (This is why you need high-quality beard products, but we’ll get to that later!)
Even your local climate can cause dry skin, particularly if you live somewhere that’s typically dry and cold (we see you, long winter).
- Ingrown Hairs
Ingrown hairs can surely itch, but they can also really hurt! This discomfort is caused by a confused hair that has lost its head in a shaving accident and grows inward instead of outward. Ouch! Or, itch!
These will make themselves known by red, itchy, bumpy, or even sore spots in the areas you’ve shaved. They can still pop up during beard growth when you’re cleaning up your neck and beard line. Not fun! But it happens.
Other Causes Of Itchy Beards
Speed round!
- Folliculitis - inflamed beard hair follicles.
- Pseudofolliculitis barbae - when facial hairs curve back during growth and irritate the follicle.
- Tinae barbae - a fungal infection! Eek!
Okay, enough of that. Let’s get to solutions.
3-Step Routine to Treat Your Itchy Beard
Okay, great. We’ve identified the problem. Now, it’s time to stop scratching and create a more comfortable solution.
Remember, your bearded brethren have all been here before you. Yes, even the most majestic beards took time to grow and curate and mold into the masterpieces you see before you.
“Man, I want to grow a beard like that,” you’ll say.
You can! You’re on your way. Stay the course and let’s kick that itch to the curb. The big secret? Moisture.
You may have noticed that the general theme of beard itchiness stems from dry skin. Mostly, that is indeed the cause. But what can you do? Keep a spray bottle at your desk to give your face a nice little mist every few minutes?
Not exactly. But sure, go nuts!
OR, you can keep your beard and face moisturized.
One of the most common problems early beard growers face is simply protecting your face from day-to-day elements. When you don’t, your beard and skin will dry out, and YUP, you guessed it, become itchy.
Think of it this way — If you’ve routinely shaved your face for years, this acts as a natural exfoliant. When you stop, your face is all like “wait, what?” and starts to dry out. This generally happens a couple of weeks into your beard growth.
To avoid a dry, itchy beard, try the following three-step process:
- Wash your face daily with a high-quality beard wash. Washing your beard with a wash that is specifically formulated for beards will remove impurities and moisturize rather than dry you out. Beard wash is tough enough for your coarse facial hair, yet soft enough for your skin. You can see how this might be a tricky formula to master!
- Dry your beard. This might seem counterintuitive, but you want to properly dry your beard after washing. Leaving water in your beard will actually cause it to dry out and become brittle as the water evaporates. Instead, gently pat dry your beard with a towel, or use a hair dryer on low heat if you’re feeling fancy.
- Use beard oil and beard butter or beard balm to hydrate your beard. Hydrating your beard might seem silly, but it’s not! Beard oils combat itchiness and irritation while beard butters and beard balms keep your beard soft and manageable. These products work best on a clean and damp towel dried beard.
** Keep in mind that this is a temporary solution. You should continue your beard maintenance routine even once your beard reaches its full growth potential. Otherwise, that pesky beard itch will reemerge.
Summary
There you have it. Three steps to a cleaner, moister (actually a word!), decidedly less itchy beard.
And yes, you’re darn right Weatherbeard can help. Give our products a try, build the program into a consistent routine, and say goodbye to itchy beard forever.
