If you grow a beard, sooner or later you will experience some itchiness. Many aspiring beardsmen are put off by this and believe that it will remain that way forever. However, that is not the case – your skin will get used to the facial hair and the discomfort will disappear after a while. But to ensure that you don’t experience it in the first place, we have compiled a few simple methods against itching and looked into the underlying causes.
How to treat an itchy beard
In order to stop the unpleasant itching, it requires you to take care of your beard. If you incorporate the following steps into your daily morning routine, you will get rid of the problem in no time.
Wash your beard daily
It is only natural that impurities like food leftovers gather in your beard and therefore it is necessary to clean it regularly. If you fail to do so, it may lead to skin irritation and eventually result in the annoying itchiness. Now don’t even think about using your shower gel for the beard! The shower gel is intended for cleaning the body, but not for the beard. It usually contains aggressive ingredients that can dry out your skin and deprive it of essential nutrients.
The same is true for hair shampoos. Scalp hair is very different from beard hair and requires milder care – that’s what special beard shampoos are designed for. Make sure that you pick a beard shampoo that is free of silicons and paraffin and contains moisture-retaining ingredients.
However, don’t try to overdo it with using beard shampoo – twice a week is sufficient. Even a beard shampoo still removes moisture and natural oils from the skin. If it is used too often, the skin becomes even drier, which in turn may increase the itching. Furthermore, we recommend washing the beard with lukewarm rather than hot water. This way you will still be able to get rid of most of the dirt and at the same time not deprive the skin of too much moisture.
Brush and comb your beard
Using a beard comb or beard brush will benefit you in several ways. Firstly, it will simply feel very pleasant and relieve you immediately from any itching and secondly, it will remove dead skin cells from your beard. After all, your skin is constantly undergoing a process of cell renewal, which produces dead skin cells. These are so small that they are not visible to the naked eye and tend to accumulate in the beard. If they are not removed, they may irritate your skin and combine with other cells to form beard dandruff.
Besides, the beard brush also ensures that the natural oils of the skin are spread more evenly and that the beard hairs lie down. That way it will also make your beard straighter and give it a more well-groomed appearance. So get yourself a beard brush with soft bristles and get used to brushing your beard daily after washing.
Moisturize the beard with beard oil
As a result of brushing and washing the beard, the skin beneath loses moisture and natural oils. The best way to restore these is by applying beard oil or beard balm. Beard oil is the perfect remedy against itching as it reduces it and may even prevent it from occurring in the first place. Apart from this, beard oil also makes the beard softer and smoother, gives it a pleasant scent, and nourishes the skin with valuable nutrients.
Beard oils consist of carrier oils and essential oils. Depending on the oils contained, you can expect different beneficial effects. If you are buying a beard oil for the first time, we recommend you to choose one with jojoba oil. Alternatively, you might want to awaken the chemist in you and make your own beard oil instead.
Fortunately, you don’t need much of it either. Massaging two to three drops into your skin under your beard every day should be enough to get through the itching phase in the beginning. In case your skin remains too dry despite the use of beard oil, you can also try a moisturizer. We recommend using some mild moisturizing crème like Nivea Soft as it contains natural ingredients and at the same time provides the skin with plenty of vitamin E.
Other things you should consider
It is easier said than done, but you should avoid scratching and itching your skin as much as you can. Because once you do, you’re making the skin irritation more severe, which will only make the itching worse in the long run. Regardless of whether the beard itches or not, you should always use the beard care routine described here. This will ensure that your beard looks well-kept and stays healthy.
Why the beard itches
The causes of an itchy beard can be many and varied. Especially in the beginning, it is quite normal that your beard itches a little – however, there can be other possible reasons, but fortunately, there are also remedies for these.
Skin irritation due to growing facial hair
After a shave, a small sharp-edged part of the beard hair always remains. If you now stop shaving, the tip of the beard hair scratches the skin around it, causing itching. In case you scratch at the same spot, the skin irritation will intensify, resulting in even more unpleasant itching.
Once the beard grows a little longer, the tips of the beard hairs will no longer come into contact with the skin as often and the itching will subside. In addition to this, the skin will also “get used to it” and after a while, it will no longer react so harshly. Do you normally shave and have only recently started to grow a beard? Then this is most likely the reason for the itchy beard.
Stress, poor diet, little exercise and not enough sleep
Your lifestyle can also have a big impact on the health of your beard. So try to avoid stress, skip fast food, and go to the gym frequently. Alcohol, smoking, too much sugar, and too little sleep can also harm your skin flora and increase itching.
Dry skin underneath the beard
Another common cause of itching is dry skin. If not enough moisture is supplied to the skin under the beard, it will lead to skin irritation. For example, a cold climate causes your skin to lose moisture and dry out. Warm water, blow-drying your beard and the wrong use of care products can also cause dry skin. However, if you follow a beard care routine, you should be able to get the problem under control and provide your skin with enough moisture.
Beard split ends
As already mentioned, most novice beardsmen suffer from an itchy beard. However, if your beard is already longer and the itching phase lies long in the past, split ends in the beard can be a possible reason for the recurrence. With beard split ends, the hair breaks open at the tip and then breaks apart little by little. The split hair is then no longer receiving the necessary moisture and feels hard and dry. As soon as these wiry beard hairs press themselves against the skin, you will feel Itching.
Beard dandruff
If you do nothing about dry skin for a longer period of time, it may result in beard dandruff. There are also other causes of dandruff in the beard and the treatment of these differs slightly from the methods described here. To get rid of the beard dandruff, read our article which focuses on the topic.
Too little or too much beard care
Once the beard reaches a certain length, the body can no longer produce enough sebum on its own to supply the skin and hair sufficiently. Also, the use of normal hair shampoo or washing the beard too often with beard shampoo removes these oils. Both lead to the skin drying out and eventually itching. To prevent this from happening, use the right beard shampoo no more than twice a week and supply the beard with beard oil daily.
Consult a specialist for skin diseases
When you grow a beard for the first time, the cause of the itching is most likely one of the above mentioned. If none of these apply, the underlying cause can also be a skin disease and manifest itself, for example, through inflamed areas, severe red skin irritation or infections. If this is the case, contact a dermatologist as soon as possible for proper treatment.
FAQ
For how long does the beard itch?
The initial skin irritations when growing a beard should disappear after two to three weeks. If you have a curly beard, a longer period is possible, as the beard hairs can curl up and scratch the skin. With the help of beard oil, however, you can alleviate the itching from the beginning or even prevent it completely.
Are there any household remedies for an itchy beard?
To stop the itching permanently, there is no way around a daily beard care routine. For short-term relief, you can use lemon juice against itching and apple vinegar against skin irritation.