Do Beards Cause Acne?

Do beards cause acne?

Real truth of the matter? Yes, some guys beards can make the skin beneath their beard break out in acne. However, there is no certainty that it will occur to you because it doesn't happen to every bearded guy.

A well-kept beard may greatly enhance your appearance, but nobody likes having to put up with beard acne. Even while they might not always be visible to onlookers, pimples in your beard can be unpleasant and uncomfortable.

Additionally, if you sport a short beard style, your beard acne can even be more noticeable!

Although you might be prepared to put off taking care of beard acne now and getting rid of it at a later date, the process isn't quite as challenging as you might believe! Here are all our best tips for avoiding and treating beard acne!

Beard Acne: What Is It?

The acne that develops within or beneath your beard or facial hair is known as beard acne. Folliculitis, which can be bacterial or brought on by ingrown hairs, is another name for it.

Beard acne typically appears as red, inflammatory pimples at the hair follicles. They can be brought on by a bacterial infection, which can be a reason why they sometimes appear in beards.

Ingrown hairs, which happen when your hair becomes caught underneath your skin as a result of curling back into the skin and causing inflammation, can also be the cause of beard acne.

In either case, beard acne can cause intense itching!

Would Folliculitis Cause Your Breakout?

As mentioned above, folliculitis resembles acne in appearance and, by definition, forms in hair follicles. But pay great attention; if the pimples have an inflamed or red ring around them rather than solid red bumps, this indicates folliculitis rather than typical acne. But both situations are unpleasant and feel alike. You may experience beard itch, soreness, or even no symptoms occasionally.

Folliculitis can appear anywhere on your skin and is caused by damaged follicles.

How are follicles harmed? Simple.

Damage can result from bacteria that is present on the skin, ingrown hairs, excessive skin contact, friction from clothing or other people's skin, tight clothing, or... shaving. Even a hot tub might harbor bacteria that can cause folliculitis.

So, most times, acne is not being caused by your facial hair.

The first step in treating folliculitis is to halt or alter whatever caused it. If shaving is the issue, a beard might be the solution!

Apply a warm compress to the region several times per day, and continue to wash, moisturize, and brush your whiskers on a regular basis.

Do Beards Cause Ance

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, yes they can. That being said, the biggest reason which would lead your beard to cause acne is a dirty beard. 

If you don't wash your beard often, then your beard will become a breeding ground for bacteria, which will cause pimples and acne on the skin. Therefore, it is very important that you wash your beard once every two days. 

Related: How To Wash Your Beard In 5 Simple Steps

Using the wrong products to wash your beard can also contribute to acne because of the harshness on the skin. We also recommend using a beard wash. 

But what is beard wash?

A beard wash is simply a shampoo that has been made for the purpose of your facial hair and the delicate skin beneath it. It usually contains natural ingredients that provide moisture and nutrients to the beard and no harsh chemicals.

We have a great article called Beard Grooming For Beginners which contains a tonne of information regarding how to look after your beard correctly.

Could Grooming Products Cause Beard Acne

Simply put, yes! Over-using beard care products such as beard oil could cause beard acne.

Using poor quality beard care products can also be responsible, they may contain ingredients that are not natural nor have any business being included in such a product.

Some brands use silicone in their beard oils, which can give the appearance of a healthy beard, but in-fact silicone will do a lot of harm to your facial hair and the skin beneath.

Therefore, we recommend that you look at the ingredients of your beard care products if you're suffering from beard acne.

How to Treat Acne on the Beard

Surprisingly, treating and getting rid of beard acne doesn't always have to be a difficult procedure. There are many methods you can start doing right away to help you get rid of your beard acne.

Regular Beard Washing

Recall how we said that bacteria may be the cause of beard acne? Well, if you don't wash your beard every day, you're basically giving germs a breeding environment that could result in those unpleasant pimples!

Wash your facial hair at the same time you cleanse your face. Then, carry on with your normal skincare routine.

Our Beard Beasts Beard Wash contains Aloe vera which is an excellent source of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and amino acids, which together contribute to the health of your skin and beard. It will effectively clear your beard of any dirt, dead skin cells and bacteria without drying your beard or skin out.

Comb Your Beard

You should comb your beard for a variety of reasons, not simply to help with beard acne prevention!

The simplest way to distribute moisturiser, beard oil, or conditioner through your beard is with a beard comb.

In addition to helping treat beard acne, these solutions will untangle your beard and stop ingrown hairs.

Related: How To Comb Your Beard

Utilize A Beard Exfoliating Scrub

You can find instructions to exfoliate, scrub, and then exfoliate some more in many other guides about preventing beard acne, and sometimes they even recommend exfoliating twice a day.

These are the websites, of course, that also very handily offer you the face scrubs at the very same time.

Yes, exfoliating your beard can assist in reducing acne, removing dead skin cells, and opening blocked pores in addition to helping to remove greasy buildup.

But to be clear, you don't have to and shouldn't do it every day.

Similar to cleansing the beard, exfoliating it will remove all the sebum oils that would typically naturally hydrate and maintain the facial hair and the skin beneath it.

So, while exfoliating your skin may help to prevent beard acne, doing so excessively can make it worse.

So how often can I exfoliate the skin beneath the beard?

It is sufficient to exfoliate the underneath of the beard once every two weeks, according to the majority of grooming specialists.

It will take weeks after you deep-cleanse the skin beneath your beard before there is any serious buildup of dead skin cells and dirt, so exfoliating daily is borderline ridiculous and a huge waste of money.

Maintain Skin Moisture

Your beard is no exception to the rule that you must always moisturize your skin. Beard moisturizing helps to hydrate and safeguard not only your beard but also the skin underneath.

You can lessen facial hair itching and dandruff by maintaining the moisture in your beard and the skin underneath it.

Utilize A Mild Cleanser

In order to avoid irritation and a flare-up of beard acne, make sure that your cleanser is both effective and gentle on your face and beard.

Opt for a beard cleanser that contains tea tree oil, which has antibacterial and antifungal characteristics, as well as aloe vera, which is widely recognized for its calming effects.

Change The Way You Shave

In the long run, it would be worth reconsidering your shaving technique because it commonly contributes to beard acne, particularly in African-American men.

Try shaving after getting out of the shower rather than before to help prevent or decrease beard acne. Use a fresh razor blade each time you shave. If at all possible, think about switching to a four- or five-blade razor, this usually reduces irritation.

Finally, to make shaving easier, think about applying a pre-shave oil.

Last Words

Acne and other skin blemishes can be quite uncomfortable and unpleasant.

It can be appealing to shave when your pimples are covered by your beard in the belief that doing so will make them easier to remove.

However, it doesn't since beards are as dirty as faces that have been freshly shaved, and there are many ways to treat acne in your beard without shaving off your gorgeous whiskers.

We hope this answers your question "do beards cause acne?".