If you’re growing a beard from scratch, you may notice you’re getting some general irritation or an itchy beard. The good news is, your beard should stop itching within 2 to 4 weeks of starting fresh growth. There are some ways you can help prevent beard itching while growing facial hair, so read on for some beard itching relief tactics!
Ways to Relieve Beard Itchiness
Relieving an itchy beard can be simple – lots of times the itchiness is caused by coarse, young hairs digging into or irritating the skin. Once your beard grows longer, this will become much less of an issue.
The key to helping relieve an itchy beard is to keep the new hair that’s growing as soft as possible. Below are some of the best ways we’ve found to keep facial hair soft while it’s still stubbly or newly grown:
Beard Oils
Beard oils are the bread and butter of your beard growth journey from start to finish – we cover them extensively in The Beard Playbook. The right kind of beard oil is able to help provide your facial hair and the skin under it the ideal level of moisture needed to soften those shorter hairs from pricking and irritating your skin.
All you have to do is take a drop or two of beard oil, work it into your palms, and then rub gently into your freshly cleaned/washed face, working the oil in everywhere you’re working on growing facial hair. Cheeks, chin, and neck. Mustache, too!
Make sure the beard oil you select uses natural ingredients and carrier oils. Ideal carrier oil types are jojoba, almond, or castor – these soak easily into the skin without clogging your pores and will soften your facial hair.
Even better, beard oils with essential oils such as tea tree or peppermint oil can help speed up beard growth, shortening the itchy beard period even further. Beard oil is king when it comes to figuring out how to stop beard itch when growing a beard!
Read this short guide on what makes a great beard oil for softening your beard.
Improve Beard Hygiene
Beard hygiene is a crucial element to any beard growth campaign. You can’t just rinse your beard and call it done. You also can’t just use hair shampoo on your facial hair and expect a healthy beard.
Your beard has a delicate ecosystem of bacteria, skin, and hair follicles – you can’t treat it like the hair on your head, but you also can’t treat it like you would your normal skin (i.e. using regular face washes).
There are dedicated beard washes you can use that are formulated specifically with beard growth, cleanliness, and softness in mind. Same goes for beard conditioners.
Some common beard hygiene errors that can make your beard itchy are:
- Under or over-washing
- Aggressive drying
- Type of material used to dry beard
- Bacteria or oil build-up from poor hygiene
- Dry skin from lack of exfoliation
- Hard or brittle beard hair
Check out the Beard Hygiene section of The Beard Playbook for a full breakdown of what great hygiene looks like when it comes to growing facial hair.
Why Does My Beard Itch?
While the above can help with relieving some of the itchiness that can come with growing a new beard, there are other causes of beard itch that can occur while growing new facial hair or at any point in your beard growth journey.
Sores Under Your Beard
Sores under your beard could be a source of your itchy beard – in this case the beard isn’t causing the irritation so much as the skin under the beard is.
Please check out our guide on what to do when you have Sores Under Your Beard – it breaks down some of the root causes of beard sores and how you can address them.
Pillow Case
Believe it or not, the wrong kind of pillow case can cause beard irritation or itchiness! Some materials are too rough on your facial hair or may cause your beard to get caught in its stitches. This can cause uncomfortable pulling, tearing, or even encourage ingrown hairs.
The wrong kind of pillow case can also result in beard dryness by absorbing the natural oils your beard produces to keep it soft and hydrated.
Other Dermatological Issues
Sometimes, you can do everything right and still not have relief. If you’re still having an itchy beard after 2-4 weeks of fresh growth and implementing proper beard hygiene, using beard oils, and taking proper care of your beard, it may be worth it to seek a professional opinion from a dermatologist to rule out any underlying medical/skin issues that could be causing the itchiness.
Time to Scruff it Out!
Your beard should stop itching within 2 to 4 weeks of beginning a fresh beard growth campaign. Some of this itchiness is completely natural and can be mitigated with a combination of all-natural beard oils, proper hygiene, and patience.
For more great info on how to grow a beard, check out The Beard Playbook! It’s a completely free resource on beard growing found right here on The Gentleman’s Playbook. You’ll learn everything you need to know about growing a beard from what to expect for first time beard growth, to common issues and how to fix them, as well as what hygiene routines to utilize and what beard products are our favorites. Read The Beard Playbook here.