The hipster trend for beards shows no sign of slowing. And for millions of whiskered men everywhere, that gives rise to a whole new issue – beard dandruff.
Beards have a surprisingly turbulent history – over thousands of years they have variously symbolized virility, honor, religious devotion, strength, and wisdom. They’ve even been taxed at one point in history.
These days, beards are making a resurgence, largely thanks to the same crowd who brought fixed-gear bikes, flannel and vinyl back into the mainstream. Yes - hipsters.
But with a beard comes a new and unexpected problem – dandruff.
The growing problem of beard dandruff
A quick look at peoples search behaviour on Google shows a meteoric rise in searches for ‘beard dandruff’ since 2009.
The number of people looking for help with flakes in their beard have risen 600% in past 7 years, almost mirroring the rise of the beard trend itself.
So what is beard dandruff?
Flakes in your beard are exactly the same as the ones that appear in your hair – they’re usually just straight-up dandruff.
Their cause is exactly the same – a microbe called Malassezia globosa.
It’s present on everyone’s skin and when combined with hair follicles and the natural oils they secrete, it can cause dandruff.
Flakes aren’t the only sign though. Symptoms can also include irritation and an itchy beard.
More about the cause of beard dandruff
How to treat beard dandruff
Getting rid of flakes in your beard is the same approach to getting rid of them in your hair – use an anti-dandruff shampoo.
Because the cause is the same, the solution is identical - a dandruff shampoo that tackles the root cause.
It’s great to use on your face too –the skincare ingredients in the shampoo help to moisturize and care for the skin beneath your whiskers.
Regular use of Head & Shoulders tackles dandruff wherever it occurs whether it’s on your head or on your beard.
More about beard dandruff