Beards require a lot of maintenance from the very first moment you get your last shave. The previous shave determines whether you will receive a beard rash or not. Just like a garden that needs to be weeded, pruned, and watered, so does the skin below our hair. Once you neglect your garden, weeds grow, and the soils crumble and crack up. This is the same case with the skin below your beard. Failure to feed or moisturize will result in cracking causing skin flakes. These flakes are what we term as dandruff. Some people term dandruff as seborrheic dermatitis.
- Causes of dandruff
Every human being’s skin contains a fungus that tends to grow on oily places such as scalps and the face. The amount of oil on an individual’s surface is determined by the number of oils produced by sebaceous glands. During the process when the fungus breaks down the sebum, oleic acid is created, known to cause irritations on the skins of most people. In addition to this, some people undergo faster regeneration of cells which may lead to an accumulation of dead cells on the skins.
Figure 1; image from www.stubbleandstache.com
However, people need t to differentiate the different kinds of dandruff. Once you spot flakes on your beard without any irritation or red spots, you should never consider this to be dandruff. That is just a sign of dry skin. The most common reason for these flakes on dry skins is a failure to wash up your beard regularly. This leads to the accumulation of oils and dead skins that dry up once they get exposed to dry weather.
Nevertheless, there is a high possibility of having more dandruff during cold and dry weather. The flakes can be embarrassing to you since no one deserves such a beard. The worst experience can be having your girlfriend touch your beard only for flakes to cover her fingertips.
Ways to get rid of beard dandruff
The only way to prevent your dandruff from coming back is finding ways to remove all the dead skin from the skin surface. In addition to this, you should find a new way of controlling oils to prevent fresh flakes from forming up. Most people apply simple methods to treat up dandruff; washing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. However, never expect simple, quick results since the whole process may take up to two weeks for dandruff to disappear completely.
- Exfoliating
This is a process known to remove any dead skin that may be a leading cause for dandruff. The process is straightforward as it starts with a simple step of picking a beard brush with soft bristles to comb through the beard. This brush can comb through the dead skin to ensure that all the sticky pieces are removed. In addition to this, the brush helps in the distribution of oils throughout the skin to avoid concentrating more oils on a specific part of a skin which might trigger more dandruff. During the brushing process, make the brushing as smooth as possible to ensure that the situation is not worsened by roughness.
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- Washing
If you are not washing your beard, you should consider cleaning it as often as possible. The washing process is similar to that of any scalp. However, for the beard shampoos, consider using a medicated one specified for dandruff treatment. The best ingredients to fight dandruff are pyrithione zinc, coal tar, and selenium sulfide. Once you find a shampoo equipped with these ingredients, never hesitate to buy.
Figure 2; image from www.bravenbearded.com
During the washing process, give the shampoo a few minutes to set in after rubbing through the beards. Never make the mistake of using hot water to rinse since this might dry out your skin more leading to more flakes.
- Moisturizing
The primary purpose of moisturizing your beards is to ensure that the skin is rehydrated and protected from dandruff. Many people are used to moisturizing lotions for their skins. Unfortunately, creams leave behind residues which are quite unpleasant. For this reason, you should consider purchasing a quality beard oil to moisturize the skin under the beards.
To prevent the beard from coming back, always consider repeating the process until the skin is entirely clear. The washing and moisturizing bit should ever be done more often.
Conclusion
Dandruff is a common problem whose treatment is quite simple. By following a simple procedure, one can get rid of dandruff in a very few weeks. In addition to exfoliation, washing, and moisturizing, always ensure that you follow other hygienic practices such as not sharing personal items.
This post was last modified on November 16, 2022 2:33 am