Are you looking for how to stop beard itch, then you are not alone, you must have heard of beard itch cream, itchy beard home remedy, etc and you got carried away or confused. In the course of this article, we would highlight you about it including how long this beard itch last and how to stop itchy beard.

Whether you’re a newbie to beard-growing or you’ve been rocking a beard for some time, beard itch is annoying for anyone. It’s easy to feel irritated with the prickly feeling brushing against your skin and it’s also tempting to shave it all off to relieve your pain. Whether you have dry skin or you’re growing out the hair on your face for the first time, there are a ton of reasons that can explain the itch you feel.

Sometimes it could get a bit more serious than just a common itch. There are just times when it all gets a bit too much. A lot of bearded individuals can suffer from acute rash or ingrown hairs which needs slightly more treatment. so what causes beard itch in the first?

What Causes Beard Itch?

Some of these conditions listed below can cause your beard to itch.

• Growing out your facial hair

When you shave, you leave a sharp edge on the end of each hair inside its follicle, the tiny tube that contains and shields each hair. When the hair grows out, this sharp edge can scratch the follicle, causing it to itch. When you’re growing out a beard after shaving for a long time, all of your follicles across your face can itch.

• Dry skin

Dry skin, also called xerosis, can be caused by dry or cold weather or immersing your skin in hot water, especially during a bath or shower. Shampoos and soaps can wash off your skin’s natural oils, drying your skin and making your beard itch.

Dry skin where scaling and skin thickening occur might be due to ichthyosis. This family of skin conditions includes acquired and genetic types.

Skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema can also make your skin chronically dry, causing your beard to itch.

• Ingrown hair

Ingrown hairs happen when a hair that’s been shaved or cut grows back into its follicle, instead of out. This causes the follicle to get inflamed and make your beard itch. This is more likely to happen to you if you have tight, curly hair.

You’ll notice ingrown hairs when the follicles get red, bumpy, itchy, and sometimes painful around the areas that you’ve shaved.

• Folliculitis

Folliculitis happens when the hair follicles that contain your beard hairs get inflamed. This inflammation can be caused by an infection from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites. Alternatively, it may be related to hair follicle clogging, such as ingrown hair.

When you get folliculitis in your beard area, the inflamed follicles usually look red, feel tender or painful to the touch, and can become blisters that leak pus.

• Pseudofolliculitis barbae

Pseudofolliculitis barbae is the inflammation that happens when facial hairs growing from their follicles cut your skin inside the follicle or curve back around into your skin as they try to grow out. This condition often happens in association with shaving facial hairs and can cause razor bumps.

The symptoms of razor bumps are like those of folliculitis. Your face may look red, bumpy, and develop pus-filled blisters. Unlike most cases of folliculitis, razor bumps in pseudofolliculitis barbae are caused by noninfectious irritation, and not any kind of infection.

• Seborrheic eczema

Seborrheic eczema (seborrheic dermatitis) is a skin condition that can make your skin scaly, red, and flaky. It’s also known as dandruff when on the scalp.

This condition most commonly affects your scalp, but it can also happen on your face in and around your beard, especially if you have naturally oily skin. Symptoms include yellow, greasy scales and red skin. The flakes may fall off when you rub your beard hair or facial skin.

• Tinea barbae

Tinea barbae is a fungal infection in the facial hair region. It’s caused by a type of fungus called dermatophyte fungus. This fungal infection usually appears as red, inflamed, and crusty skin around your mouth, cheeks, and under your chin. It’s similar to ringworm of the scalp, which is known as tinea capitis.

The two most common types of tinea that cause your beard to itch are:

• Tinea mentagrophytes var. equinum, which can be spread by contact with affected horses
• Tinea verrucosum, which can be spread by contact with cows or other affected livestock ¹

Beard Itch Cream

You can get over-the-counter anti-itch cream that contains 0.5% hydrocortisone, a corticosteroid. The cream is good for any type of topical itch, like bug bites, so it’s worth having in your house anyways. I bought a brand called Cortef, that has aloe in it as well, and found that — applied a couple of times a day — this stuff worked really well.

• Ointment or cream containing lactic acid and urea. This will help to treat dry skin.
• Mupirocin (Bactroban) to fight bacterial infections.
• Antifungal cream to treat fungal infections.
• Corticosteroid cream if the cause is noninfectious.
• Hydrocortisone, clobetasol (Cormax), or desonide (Desonate) can be prescribed to treat seborrheic eczema if the inflammation is noninfectious.
• Ketoconazole (Nizoral) if the cause of seborrheic eczema is a fungal infection.
• Glycolic acid (Neo-Strata) to treat pseudofolliculitis barbae.
• Topical antifungal therapy to treat mild cases of tinea barbae. Oral antifungal treatment, such as itraconazole or terbinafine, is also useful.

How Long Does Beard Itch Last?

How Do I Stop Beard Itch

These beard itch home remedies or beard itching solutions — depending on how you want to put it — can help reduce the discomfort and could also go towards eliminating the problem entirely:

1. WASH IT

Your beard needs to be cleaned regularly to prevent that annoying itch. Regular soap can strip the skin of its natural oils and head shampoos and conditioners can dry out the skin making the itch worse. A natural face wash that has been designed specifically for men is one of the best options (or a beard shampoo). Your face should feel refreshed and itch-free for at least a couple of hours after a good wash.

2. DRY IT

If you don’t dry your beard and the underlying skin, the trapped water can increase the itch. Don’t worry, you don’t have to invest in a hairdryer, a simple towel dry will suffice. Just make sure that there is no water on the skin that could lead to dryness and flaking later on during the day.

3. SCRUB IT

One of the greatest factors that cause beard itch is ingrown hairs. Ingrown hairs occur when the facial hair has difficulty breaking through the skin. Scrubbing with a loofah or exfoliating scrub is a good way to remove dead skin cells, promote hair growth and get rid of ingrown hairs.

Mix some bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) with water to form a paste and rub onto the bearded area of the face. Add some sea salt for an improved scrub. Be gentle and try not to damage the skin while scrubbing. Alternatively, purchase a natural exfoliating scrub and use at least twice a week for the best results.

4. MOISTURIZE IT

The skin under your beard needs some extra care to prevent dryness and itching. Moisturizing after every wash is essential to minimizing beard itch. Olive oil is a great natural moisturizer and can be used in conjunction with essential oils for a great masculine fragrance.

Aloe Vera creams and lotions are also great as they relieve itching, inflammation (swelling) and have great healing properties. Calendula oil, chamomile tea and cucumber are also great for soothing and moisturizing. These moisturizers will also soften and condition the beard hair for optimal results.

5. BRUSH AND TRIM IT

The thick coarse hair of your beard can trap and hold all kinds of residue and particles from food to dust that you are exposed to during the day. Brushing or combing the beard is a great way to get rid of theses irritants that could be contributing to beard itch.

Keeping the beard trimmed and ridding it of scraggly bits that could simply be tickling you is one of the best remedies for an itchy beard, especially if you are sporting one of the longer variety. ²

Conclusion:

Beards can get extremely itchy, especially if you’re growing one out for the first time. Practising good hygiene and treating any infections early can help prevent any damage to your skin or hair follicles.