I have a beard since 3 years and few months back my skin under the beard started to itch and kind of pimples started coming. Its very irritating and I get the strong urge to pull the hair around it. I shaved my beard now but I still have those pimples/rash type of thing in some areas. Is there something I can do to first heal those pimples and second, to reduce the sensitivity of my skin. I plan to grow beard again after this is fixed.

Dr. Sandesh GuptaDermatologist22yrs exp

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We often see an increase in acne and ingrown hairs (which may look like acne bumps) when men grow a beard or move from a clean shave to an unshaven look. The reasons for this are multifactorial, but most relate to hygiene. Men tend to negate beard grooming, and beard hair can collect a lot of debris and bacteria that can predispose to the development of acne. During the day, your facial hair collects dust, dirt, and bacteria that can cause pimples. If you don't wash your beard that pimple causing bacteria thrives. To help prevent and treat facial hair related pimples, men should wash their beard twice daily with a facial cleanser, switch pillowcases every few days, and pay better attention to grooming. Particularly in people with curly hair, short beard hair can grow back into the skin and cause a foreign-body response, which can lead to the development of red and painful bumps that look like acne. The body actually reacts to its own hair as something foreign, and mounts an immune response to it. We see less of these foreign-body responses once the beard is longer, however acne can still be a problem if the hygiene is poor. If these methods don?t work, then a dermatologist can prescribe antibiotic treatments that may help keep acne at bay. If these problems persist despite medical therapy, laser therapy is a good way to remove problematic areas of hair that repeatedly cause bumps.  

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