I'm 52 and always been clean shaven. On a lark I decided to stop shaving over the Easter weekend. I have fairly coarse dark facial hair that grows quickly. My face is incredibly itchy, especially along the ja line. Does this stop? If so when? What can I do to alleviate it? As per usual the internet offers conflicting advice so I turn to the GRM community.
First step, stop scratching it. Only makes it worse. I can't remember how long mine was when it stopped itching, maybe an inch and a half or so?
Did you use conditioner on it?
I found that shampoo and conditioner helps out as well. As it gets longer it does get better.
For me, never. As an actor I'm often called on to have a beard for a role. I don't care what shampoo, conditioner, skin treatment, or voodoo I try, it always itches if it gets longer than about 3/4"
Part of the reason I think I have so much trouble is that my beard hair is wavy/curly like my hair. As long as it's short enough to stick straight out, it's good. The day it starts to curl and tickle my face with every tiny muscle movement of my chin, I have to trim.
For me it has nothing to do with skin condition, product, or hygeine, it's simply the fact that I have thousands of coarse, wirey hairs tickling my jaw.
My beard didn't itch till I read this thread. Thanks for that.
I use Honest Amish Beard Balm to keep everything good. Wash it with shampoo and conditioner.
I generally have 2-3 weeks of itchiness.
mtn (Forum Supporter) said:I generally have 2-3 weeks of itchiness.
this. theres a grow-in phase of itchy that is about 2-3 weeks of irritation. My theory is that the roots take awhile to desensitize to movement from the longer hairs.
I have only made it past that phase 2-3 times. It can be maddening.
Apexcarver said:mtn (Forum Supporter) said:I generally have 2-3 weeks of itchiness.
this. theres a grow-in phase of itchy that is about 2-3 weeks of irritation. My theory is that the roots take awhile to desensitize to movement from the longer hairs.
I have only made it past that phase 2-3 times. It can be maddening.
Agree with this also. I gave up and I keep mine trimmed really short now. I use a beard trimmer with the 3mm guard every four days to keep it tight.
I also didn't like the feeling of the sideburn area whiskers touching my ears when I had the bushy beard.
I guess I remember this. I haven't shaved since 1996. Seemed to go away after a couple of weeks, if I recall.
Not looking forward to ever shaving again, but might have to when I go back to work, since a beard makes a face mask less effective.
Your beards itch? Weird
I keep Bag Balm around to keep the skin on my hands from cracking during the winter. I found that it works very well on my face and neck when I'm growing a beard, but it is a bit greasy when you first apply it.
After the first time I grew a full beard 12 or so years ago it's never itched again. I think the skin under just needs time to adjust. A good conditioner helps. Dry skin under the beard is the enemy
When you shave it.
The only thing I hate worse than shaving, is not shaving.
Apexcarver said:mtn (Forum Supporter) said:I generally have 2-3 weeks of itchiness.
this. theres a grow-in phase of itchy that is about 2-3 weeks of irritation. My theory is that the roots take awhile to desensitize to movement from the longer hairs.
I have only made it past that phase 2-3 times. It can be maddening.
I would bet it depends on the person. I was cast as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof once. It was a 3-year thing (with 3 months off each year). Once I was cast, I was told to grow my beard. Russian Jews had beards. Can't really get around that. In the first year of not being able to shave, it grew as far as my collar bone. It still itched. That first June I buzzed it back using my clippers with no attachment (5-oclock shadow style). I found three pencils, two dead birds, and a 74 Pinto in there.
For me, it doesn't matter how long I let it get, it itches. Which is why I don't let it grow past about 1" anymore.
I use my own beard oil every morning. Totally helps with the itching. I use some jojoba oil, and then I add in my own essential oils for scent. It's super cheap in comparison to trying to buy beard oil retail. I use an old eyedrops bottle that the tip pops off to have a reusable container.
Badger beard balm gets me through. Curly Irish beard so I know about it curling and poking back into your face. But the balm and oil makes it softer.
During the really itchy stage I find really scrubbing it with shampoo in the shower helps. That tends to go in a few weeks. After that I'm washing it 4 days a week with Head and Shoulders and then conditioning it with Lil Stampie's hair conditioner twice a week.
For me the growing out phase starts to itch around day 5 and ends around day 10. Then once it gets about 3/4" long the curling back in itching and poking begins. I have always trimmed it at that point using hair clippers with a #2 guard. So for the past 29 years my facial hair has been between 1/4" and 3/4". I was lazy this weekend and I did not trim the beard although it was itchy and today the itch seems to have gone away. I think I'm going to try letting it grow out and see if I can get a second job as Santa this winter...
Shorter the itchier. Power through it man!
I last shaved in 1972, but don't remember it itching. Or much else from that summer...
I caved and shaved mine on day #6 today.
I use dandruff shampoo. Also comb it and put lotion in it. I'm not picky about the lotion, any hand/face lotion laying around will work.
Mine gets itchier as it gets longer, I think because it reaches the point its almost impossible to get the shampoo or moisturizer down to the skin really well.
I keep mine at 1/8-1/4" and it doesn't itch. I can't remember how long it did itch when I grew it 'cuz that was in 1972.
mtn (Forum Supporter) said:I generally have 2-3 weeks of itchiness.
That's what I remember too. I keep my beard rather short myself. Just took my face a while to get used to it and then it wasn't a problem.
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