Dandruff in the beard – How to recognize it and get rid of it
Dandruff is completely normal and goes unnoticed. Your skin renews itself and sheds the old flakes. However, if this happens on too many skin areas at once and they then clump together, you may initially perceive them as dandruff. This is a sign that something is out of balance. Causes of these undesirable flakes can include overly dry or oily facial skin, poor or incorrect skincare products, various environmental influences, or even a fungal infection. We have some tips for you on how to identify the cause and get rid of the dandruff in your beard.
Causes of dandruff in the beard
The two most common causes of dandruff in the beard are dry skin and fungal infections. You can easily get dry skin under control yourself. If you have a fungal infection, your dermatologist can help you. In addition to dry/oily skin and infections, hormonal, psychological, or an unbalanced diet can also be reasons for your dandruff in the beard. But your beard dandruff doesn't have to be unpleasant. In fact, the problem occurs very frequently. Simply see it as your body's signal that you should pay a little more attention to your beard and facial care routine or make some changes to it. This way you can prevent beard dandruff in the future.
Dry vs. oily dandruff
Dry dandruff
In most cases, beard flakes are dry, white, and easily fall off your beard. This means your skin is too dry, causing larger layers of skin to peel off. This quickly leads to itching, and scratching causes more flakes or even small cracks, making it easy for bacteria and viruses to grow. We've explained how to best care for your dry facial skin here: Facial care for men with dry skin .
Oily dandruff
If your skin produces more sebum than it can remove, greasy beard flakes develop. These flakes tend to be yellowish, stick to your beard hair, and consist of skin cells, sebum, and dirt. The cause of these flakes is often the growth of a yeast fungus that thrives in greasy environments.
Why is this distinction important? You need to know what's causing your beard dandruff in order to treat it properly and prevent it effectively.
Dandruff in the beard – what really helps?
If you haven't already, look in a mirror and see if your dandruff is dry and white or yellowish and sticky.
What can you do about dry beard dandruff?
Dry beard dandruff is caused by internal and external factors. Internal factors include negative stress, smoking, alcohol, and a lack of fluids. External factors include water that's too hot, very dry or cold air, heat from blow-drying, or a shampoo that isn't specifically formulated for your beard. Logically, a first step would be to examine these factors for yourself, then change them, and thus prevent dandruff in your beard in the long term. As a second step, and also as an immediate remedy, we need to talk about your beard and facial care . If this is the first time you've heard of it, please read the articles about it first. We've summarized the most important tips and home remedies for you:
1. Wash your beard and face
Wash your beard with lukewarm—not too hot—water and every three days with a beard shampoo . It's important to use a beard shampoo and not a hair shampoo or shower gel. This is too harsh for your sensitive facial skin and will only dry it out further. If your skin is very dry, you can leave more space between washes, for example, just wash once a week to start with.
2. Get a high-quality beard oil
Jojoba, almond, coconut, and argan oil are especially great ingredients for your beard oil. They all provide a lot of moisture; almond oil is also replenishing, and argan oil is antibacterial. Don't go for the cheapest option; make sure the oils contain only natural ingredients.
3. Integrate a beard brush into your routine
Yes, there are special brushes for your beard. They help distribute your skin's oil throughout your beard. They also help remove dead skin cells from your beard. For this reason, your beard brush should always be cleaned. Bonus: regular brushing is also said to stimulate hair growth!
4. Look more closely at your plate and not too deeply into the glass
A diet high in sugar and an unbalanced diet, as well as too much alcohol or nicotine, will quickly show up on your skin. Try incorporating more of these nutrients and vitamins:
→ Zinc: found in fish, meat, soybeans and whole grain products
→ Vitamins A, E and B7: Carrots, cabbage, nuts, avocados and flaxseed
Also drink plenty of water or unsweetened tea, and fewer sugary soft drinks or alcoholic beverages.
What can you do about greasy beard dandruff?
Oily beard dandruff can be partially treated by yourself.
1.Wash your beard daily and use clay
Here, too, lukewarm water is better than hot. And use beard shampoo more often . Anti-dandruff shampoos for the scalp may be tempting, but they dry out your skin too aggressively.
2. Even for oily skin: a good beard oil
This may sound strange, but if your skin is often too oily, it produces excessive sebum to prevent the drying effects of harsh skincare products. If you also use drying cosmetics, your skin will only produce more sebum. Jojoba , rosehip, argan , and hemp oils are good options , as they have anti-inflammatory properties and help restore balance to your skin. Just use a few drops, either daily or two to three times a week.
3. Use a good beard brush or beard comb
Here, too, you should regularly and carefully remove greasy flakes from your beard. A beard comb is a better choice for a full beard.
However, greasy beard flakes can also be a sign of an infection. If the flakes are present not only in your beard but also in your eyebrows or other parts of your body, this could be an indication of a fungal infection, dermatitis, or psoriasis. You should have this examined by your dermatologist.
Preventing dandruff in the beard
Depending on the cause of your beard dandruff, you can prevent it directly with our tips. A good beard care routine is essential for both types of dandruff and should be tailored to your individual needs.