It has happened to the best of us. You look in a mirror and find those little flakes. You may also discover you have a flaky beard by seeing the flakes all over a black shirt. No matter how the flakes were discovered, you need to know what caused it, and how to fix your flaky beard.
Who wants to have a beard that’s not healthy? The ideal thing for a beard is to be shiny, healthy, and silky. But at the foundation of a good beard is healthy skin.
Growing a full, clean beard is not always easy. You’ll likely develop a flaky beard if you’re not putting in the work. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your beards aren’t as healthy or attractive as you would love them to be. It’s one thing for your beard to lose its shine because it is unkempt. But if you’re trying to keep them healthy and find it difficult, this is for you.
What Are “Flaky Beards”?
You know how uncomfortable itchy beards make you. Once your beards are itching you, you can be sure that they won’t be pleasant to you or attractive to others. Flaky beards may be the layman’s term, but the condition is known scientifically as seborrheic dermatitis. So, what is it?
Seborrheic dermatitis is a common skin condition that affects the scalp and face, causes redness and dryness, and leads to itching and flakiness of the beard. This is primarily caused by the dryness of the skin on which the hair grows. While trying to cultivate your beard, you starve the skin beneath it of necessary care.
Can You Get Beard Dandruff?
Yes, beard dandruff is a real thing and could be the cause of your flaky beard. When this happens, dandruff forms on the skin. This is enhanced by a certain fungus called Malassezia globosa, an organism that thrives where oil is abundant. It extracts the oil from the scalp and breaks it into an oleic acid compound. This oleic acid, amongst other reasons, is the primary cause of dandruff. When this dandruff is on the scalp or skin, it irritates it, causing flakiness of the hair or beard.
Because this ailment sneaks upon the recipient, one cannot easily detect it. The idea is to learn how to keep the skin under the beard and fix it if it is already flaking. The beard could still look lush and full before it suddenly falls to the microbes breeding in the oil underneath the skin.
What Causes Flaky Beards?
Since we want to know how to stop flaky beards, we should understand what causes them. As you now know, a flaky beard is the result of the dryness of the skin, which in itself is caused by some organisms under the skin. Remember, as you tend your beard, it is possible that the skin underneath is shortchanged. Sneaky microorganisms take full advantage of this, resulting in flaky beards.
When the skin is dry, this may also cause flaky beards. Your beards begin to flake when your skin is dehydrated, but the flakes aren’t as large or greasy as when it is caused by dandruff.
However, other things can result in dry or flaky beards. Let’s look at some of them.
The type of soap you use can cause a flaky beard.
The soap you use on your beard can determine how hydrated your skin is. Many bar soaps are known to have a pH higher than what the skin is comfortable with. When this happens, the skin is easily dehydrated, causing flakiness of the beards. While bar soap may not affect the entire skin negatively, the beards and the face could easily dehydrate. To wash your beard, it is ideal that you use a face cleanser and soaps that are milder on the skin. Also, we recommend using a quality beard shampoo and conditioner.
Dry weather can cause your beard to be flaky.
Dry weather like winter may cause flakiness as the air has less moisture. With this, the body may lose more water, and the skin becomes dryer, causing the flakiness of the beards.
The temperature of your shower water can cause your beard to be flaky.
While a hot shower does not harm you, your beard may find it rather harsh. Hot water affects the skin by removing some of the oils that keep the skin and hair fresh. When the beard has too much contact with hot water, it reduces the natural oils in the skin, causing flakiness of the beard.
Genetics can lead to a flaky beard.
Some genetic conditions, such as eczema and hypothyroidism, usually contribute to dry and itchy skin. Ask some of your family members if they’ve ever struggled with beard dandruff or a flaky beard. Remember, genetics can often skip a generation.
How to Fix Flaky Beards
Flaky beards are a considerable discouragement for those trying to grow their beards. If you feel frustrated, there’s hope for you, and you may put your clippers away for now. Flaky beards are the results of things that aren’t your fault, but then what can you do to prevent them? Interestingly, there are simple things you can do to keep the skin under your beard from flaking. Let’s look at the most important tips to fix a flaky beard.
We offer product suggestions after these five suggestions to help create your beard care routine.
1. Use a good quality beard shampoo to help with beard flakes.
Leave it for about five minutes before rinsing it thoroughly before you shower. Also, remember to look out for the active ingredient ketoconazole when buying your shampoo. Although it is not compulsory to be included, its antifungal properties make it effective against microorganisms that cause beard flakiness.
2. Use a beard brush to remove beard flakes.
You cannot prevent birds from hovering around your head, but at least you can prevent them from building a nest on your head! If you can’t prevent your skin from flaking, especially if it is due to uncontrollable environmental or genetic factors, at least you can prevent them from ruining the texture of your well-kept beard.
To fix a flaky beard, use a beard brush daily. A beard brush removes the flakes that have fallen in the beard. The brush also disentangles the knots on the beard and straightens it. This way, all the dead skin cells that cause flaky beards are neatly removed. Also, remember to always shower after brushing. Don’t forget to avoid very hot water if you’re trying to keep your beard healthy.
A brush may not work effectively enough if you already have a fully-grown beard. You may need to go for a beard comb. It will do the same job.
3. Use a facial cleanser if you have a flaky beard.
As we’ve noted earlier, you must clean your face and beard with a mild soap like a facial cleanser. A facial cleanser helps remove the flakes in your beard without affecting your scalp, which can help you fix a flaky beard. There are different types of cleaners on the market, but make sure you go for one that removes flakes and is gentle on the skin. If your beard remains as fresh as you want, never use bar soap on it.
Any good cleanser will not only dissolve the topmost layer of the skin, which contains most of the dead cells, but it also gives way to a fresh layer of healthy skin that supports a healthy beard. Again, we highlight the importance of a beard brush here. The brushing helps remove the flakes and dead skin cells that hang around the beard. Remember, brushing also helps disentangle the beard, giving no hiding place to flakes.
4. Apply beard oil regularly to help fix a flaky beard.
Beard oil is essential if you want to fix a flaky beard. The oil has a moisturizing effect and also keeps it shiny. If you’re experiencing continuous flakiness due to harsh weather, you may need to increase the oil you apply to your beard. When purchasing your beard oil, always go for good quality ones.
If you are trying to prevent flakiness, a generous amount of oil applied after a shower will do for the day. If your beard is already flaky and you’re trying to correct it, you may need to apply it more often. After applying oil to your hair, you should use a beard brush or comb to massage it and keep it shiny.
5. Create a routine to fix your flaky beard.
Consistency is critical if you want to fix a flaky beard. If you’re not going to keep it as a routine, it won’t work. If you use your cleanser, use it consistently. Apply your beard oil and brush your beard always as well. If you don’t do this as often as necessary, you won’t get the desired results.
You should also consider getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and seeing a dermatologist if the skin irritations continue. Whatever you do, never give up as you work towards building and maintaining a great beard.
How To Fix A Flaky Beard? The Wrap-Up.
You’ve made it to the end well done! I hope you’ve learned as much as I have about how to fix your flaky beard. The first time I found flakes in my beard, I was super frustrated. However, I’ve learned a little more care can go a long way in battling beard dandruff.
Let’s brush up (Pun Intended) on what we’ve learned. We’ve learned what beard dandruff is and the [boring] science behind it. Above, we also discussed what can cause a flaky beard and itchy skin under your beard.
We discussed ways to prevent getting a flaky beard. Also, five proven ways to fix a flaky beard. If you have had an itchy beard or beard dandruff, let me know if these methods helped or what you found helpful. We are in this together, beard brothers.
My name is Doug, and I've been growing a beard on and off for many years now.
I've not had a perfect journey on the road to growing a beard. I've spent more time than I want to admit learning about growing a beard. I'm not one of those blessed with perfect beard-growing genes. So, I've encountered many frustrating and challenging obstacles along the way.
I hope some of my mistakes and victories along the way will help you on your journey to your perfect beard. Of course, reach out if I can help and share this content with your friends that are beginning or struggling on their journey as well.
