Chin strap beard, Viking beard, French beard, or stubble beard which style you prefer? Shape up your beard the way you want or suits your face shape, but make sure to keep your facial hair neat. An unhygienic unkept beard could be a breeding ground for dangerous germs that can cause infections.
In a tete-a-tete with the HealthSite, award-winning celebrity dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon Dr. Manjot Marwah, gives an idea about the things that could be lurking in your beard, and it's nasty. Dr. Manjot Marwah is the Consultant & Director at Dr. Manjot's Clinic.
Dr. Manjot tells men with beard to: -
Because she says:
The skin microbiome consists most commonly of aerobic bacteria like staphylococcus and streptococcus, viruses, yeast, and even tiny mites called Demodex that live in or near hair follicles. The beard is no different. Microbiome is the natural bacteria and viruses that live on our skin to help the functions of the skin and protect it from harmful organism. An unhygienic unkept beard would be a powerhouse of these unwanted organisms such as MRSA and fungi like Malassezia furfur and infections caused by them. These infections usually present like painful recurrent boils or scaly red dandruff patches.
So, it is important to wash your beard thoroughly twice a day to prevent these infections and maintain sterilization while shaving or trimming the beard too. FDA says that using an antibacterial soap does not have any added advantage in disinfecting our skin hence a regular soap is also good enough as long as we are consistent with the cleansing.
Dr. Manjot says:
While heavy stubble and beards are said to make men look masculine, there could be a disadvantage to them. Beards might harbor more germs, making them more prone to infections.
Sebaceous glands on the face, chest, and back are larger than those on the head so hairs coming from the face are likely coated with more oil. Bacteria and fungi like to feed on oil, so it's likely there are more organisms living on and near the base of beard hairs as compared to hairs on your head.
It's also likely that the bacteria living in beards would differ from bacteria living on the scalp or other parts of the body. While it might seem bad, that more bacteria live in beards, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Experts have been learning more about the microbiome, a person's individual microorganism colony on and in their body. Many of these microorganisms are actually helpful to overall health, though some certainly cause infection.
The skin microbiome consists most commonly of aerobic bacteria like staphylococcus and streptococcus, viruses, yeast, and even tiny mites called Demodex that live in or near hair follicles. The beard is no different.
Beards can also catch both foods and drinks and certain ingredients in them can irritate the skin and break the skin barrier. This may lead to a higher chance of infections and eczemas.
Beard grooming tips from Dr. Manjot:
Beard hairs are coarser than head or body hair. So, wash your beard thoroughly twice a day, and don't forget the sterilization part while shaving or trimming.
Beard oils should be used limitedly only on the length of the hair and a simple moisturizer on the face, lotion or gel based is sufficient to moisturize the roots.
If you do wish to shave, men should lather up well and shave after a warm shower because the heat and humidity makes the hairs softer and more manageable. Afterwards use an oil-free lotion that doesn't block pores (blocked pores can cause blackheads).
