You grew your beard and kept it because it looked good. Perhaps it gave you that Jason Momoa vibe you were striving for. However, you may have noticed other changes after you grew the old whiskers, especially if you have allergies. Did you feel better or worse or suffer more or less from irritants?
The word on the street is that growing beards can keep pollen, dander and other pesky allergies at bay. Other bearded guys say their allergies have worsened since they added facial hair to their look. So what is the truth? Does growing a beard have an impact on your health?
Growing a Beard Might Help or Hinder Allergy Sufferers
Growing a beard could worsen your allergies or improve your resistance to them. Ultimately, your personal beard maintenance plays the most prominent role in how airborne allergens affect your health through your facial hair. Your beard is a magnet for pollen, dander and other allergens floating around in the immediate atmosphere.
Having a large beard, or even a goatee, might prevent many of these from reaching your nose or mouth to wreak havoc on your sinuses. Conversely, having them caught up in your beard for an extended period means there’s more chance of them eventually finding your facial cavities instead of drifting away in the breeze. You must keep your beard clean and groomed regularly to minimize the chances of the latter.
How to Practice Effective Beard Maintenance
Growing a beard is an excellent idea if you invest time grooming it to keep it looking and feeling good. If not, ignoring your shaver that first time might lead to encountering unexpected problems as your beard grows longer and thicker.
To counteract these problems, especially during the high-allergy months, spend some time and care on the following.
1. Invest in and Use Beard Care Products
Budget for and buy a decent beard shampoo and conditioner and use it frequently to eliminate potentially irritating allergens that have found their way onto your face. Conditioners seal in moisture and protect facial hair from breakage and damage. Ensure your purchase is gentle enough not to cause skin irritation under the beard, or you may have further problems. Don’t use a regular shampoo and conditioner — invest in high-quality products that will remove dirt and sweat from your pores at the same time.
Consider spending more on beard oil or balm for extra care. These products have natural facial hair drying qualities that restrict the chances of pollen, dander or dirt sticking in your beard. How much time and effort you’ll need will depend on your beard’s type and density, but go for unscented products, especially if you’re an allergy sufferer.
2. Consider Your Pets’ Effect
If you own a dog or cat, the spring and summer are high-allergen months, exposing your household to higher-than-normal dander levels. Pets are one of the most prominent sources of dander, and the more they try to cuddle up to you, the more likely you are to end up with loose fur and allergens trapped in your beard.
As the owner of a magnificent beard, you’ll want to minimize dander in the environment to cut down your allergy levels. Regular grooming will serve double purposes, keeping them cooler, happier and healthier while also keeping their mane under control. Clipping your dogs and brushing your cat removes excess thick fur and improves their natural temperature regulation. It’s a win-win situation for your pet and your beard.
3. Keep It Clean
People commonly recognize mid-to-late spring as pollen season, but pollen can actually be a hazard throughout most of the year. While spring is most prominent for tree pollen, summer sees spikes in grass pollen, while weed pollen is prevalent from around August through November.
If you’re an allergy sufferer who typically showers in the mornings, consider showering at night instead. As you go about your day, stray pollen can collect in your beard. When you go to sleep at night, as you breathe in, the trapped pollen will continue to get absorbed into the airways. Showering before bed can help clear your beard of stray debris, giving you a healthier nights sleep free from allergens.
4. Trim and Shave
Trimming your beard and shaving around it where necessary helps you look neat and confident, showing the world you respect yourself and care about your appearance. It also serves another purpose — it further reduces the chances of unwanted allergens nestling and getting trapped inside your facial hair.
When trimming, you want a sharp and even cut without the chance of blunting the scissors, which can cause discomfort. Invest in a high-quality pair that you can easily hold to provide the required finesse while trimming. Consider a beard trimmer for closer work if you’re struggling with the scissors.
It is best to shave the traditional way. A manual razor provides a closer and more precise shave than an electric one does. When shaving around your beard, you’ll reach the critical areas more easily manually than with an automated razor, meaning there is less risk of removing a crucial part of your look in error.
Whether you prefer a dry or wet traditional shave, both work well and have different benefits. A wet shave is closer, but a dry shave allows for a touch more accuracy. If you’re shaving dry, apply an aftershave balm or moisturizer to restrict your skin’s chances of rashes.
5. Apply Sun Protection
Allergens come in many shapes and forms. Keeping your beard protected from the sun’s extreme heat and harmful rays reduces the hair’s chances of becoming dry and brittle. Loose facial hair is an allergen, and a dry beard can directly cause reactions in the warmer months.
Sunscreen is most effective for protecting your skin if you have a thinner beard, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it if you have a thicker one. Remember, you’re not only protecting your skin from the sun but your beard, too. Applying sunscreen simply requires some extra grooming.
Facial hair’s highest ultraviolet protection factor of 21 doesn’t satisfy the Skin Cancer Foundation. It recommends a sun protection factor of 30 for extended outdoor activities, meaning having a beard doesn’t offer sufficient protection. From skin health and beard safety perspectives, sunscreen is necessary in the hot seasons.
Growing a Beard Can Help Your Allergies
It’s vital to maintain and care for your beard regularly and effectively. Then, while consistently grooming and trimming your facial hair, keep yourself and your immediate environment as clear of dander, pollens and other allergens as possible.
In this way, you’ll successfully restrict your allergies and make your beard an effective aid in the process.