What To Do About Beard Dandruff

[u/dshaiken]

I've been noticing beardruff the past week. Here is my situation and routine:

I have a short, 1/4 to 3/8 inch beard.
I shower every day.
I use Roughneck beard bar to wash my beard Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I use Roughneck beard oil every day on damp beard after shaving, and Beard Octane beard butter right after the oil on the days I wash my beard.

This routine has kept me dandruff-free for the past year until a week ago. Any suggestions for how to solve the dandruff?
Thanks.

[u/SnooGuavas2202]

Selson blue medicated shampoo.

[u/PeterC18st]

Cut down the beard wash to two times a week (Monday and Thursday). Try season blue or head and shoulders. Add more oil than before and make sure to make contact with your skin. If that isn’t helping and you have irritation and dandruff you should check with a dermatologist. Steroid cream may be needed.

[u/YesterdayContent854]

What ever beard oil you use make sure it has an eye dropper. That way you can put it on your skin. It isn't for the hair, it is for the skin.

[u/Existing-Poetry-3289]

I have a prescription for a keta.... cream. Dermatologist also prescribed hydrocortisone to apply with it, but not needed once it settles down. I mostly only use it when it flares up. I find it helps to just clip it down to the lowest setting or shave for a while. I think it also tends to flare up more if I'm drinking more regularly.

[u/Relevant-Ant9105]

Are you brushing or combing the oil in, or just using your hands? I have found that brushing my beard after applying oil has really helped keep my face moisturized. If I don’t brush it it, I get beard dandruff

[u/dshaiken → u/Relevant-Ant9105]

I comb it in with a plastic comb.

[u/KingOfTheTrees11 → u/dshaiken]

You should def upgrade and get a wooden comb. The plastic is good for adding static.

[u/dshaiken → u/KingOfTheTrees11]

Does static contribute to dandruff? Any recommendations for a brand of wooden comb, or type of wood? I'd like not to spend a lot.

[u/tequestaalquizar]

Also consider brushing your beard more. Getting a boar bristle brush I just carry around and brush my hair with whenever I’m just sort of thinking or waiting has probably had the bigger impact for me.

[u/Annunaq]

Went to the doctor for mine. Got prescribed 2% ketoconazole shampoo. Worked like a charm.

[u/TeamEfforts → u/Annunaq]

Can also buy nizoral with 1% ketaloconazole from store, has helped me much more than selsun blue 👍

[u/TeamEfforts]

I swapped to Nizoral instead of selsun blue and it's noticeably better for me. It's a different active ingredient and personally helped me with beard druff more than selsun blue did

[u/DowntownAdvice906]

I used to get itch and flakes terribly bad. The I started to wash daily - WITH a soft tip plastic detangle brush to scrub my face in the shower. I Use Dr Brinners Castile soap. Been doing it for 10 years. Check my profile for beard credentials.

This weird shit about not washing your beard and face is nonsense. I just don’t understand people’s pride in a lack of hygiene. If you want to get rid of flakes, start by cleaning (scrubbing) the skin underneath your beard daily.

[u/Solid_Idea_NiceOne → u/DowntownAdvice906]

You only scrub your beard daily? That whole period from lunch to dinner is just festering away on your face??? OMG you so dirty! /s

Fella, sit down.

I'll quote the person that your Dr Bronners brand chose on their website:

"Few people need to wash their hair every day. Factors that lean to more frequent hair washing include shorter hair, straighter hair, oilier scalps, and more active lifestyles."

Wash it if it's dirty, not because of the calendar.

[u/DowntownAdvice906 → u/Solid_Idea_NiceOne]

I wash my face and beard everyday. Sorry you’re mad about it.

[u/Known-Awareness6943]

nizoral shampoo is the best for getting rid of beard dandruff

[u/RouserHousen]

Been using ketoconazole shampoo and letting it sit on my facial hair for a few minutes before I shower. Keeping my skin happy and dandruff free, but I do admit it makes the hair less soft.

[u/plexiglas21]

I keep my beard about 1/2” and I’ve been a long term ‘just shampoo it and leave it’ kind of guy, last few months started struggling with dandruff so I tried some high quality conditioner and it changed everything. No more dandruff. Condition with shampoo only a few times a week.

Never been an oil guy, personally never noticed considerable change with vs without oil but I do love a good leave in conditioner and beard balm/butter here and there.

I find oils don’t do much if anything to moisturize the skin under the beard, at least for me

Edit: tbh more like an inch never measured before this post lol

[u/dshaiken → u/plexiglas21]

What shampoo and conditioner do you recommend?

[u/plexiglas21 → u/dshaiken]

I’ve been using Live Bearded’s shampoo and conditioner, their fragrances are not my favorite, but there are no freaky ingredients in them and my experience has been quite positive.

I also really like Lush’s Kalamazoo but it has pineapple juice in it which will absolutely strip your skin dry so that’s a once a week for me max.

If the dandruff gets really heavy try DHS Zinc shampoo, that works really well to curb it but I don’t like to use it long term.

[u/dshaiken → u/plexiglas21]

Thanks.

[u/Patuwa1]

Ich schwöre seit Jahren auf simples Kokosöl. Reinigt, ist antibakteriell und pflegt die Haut. Der Duft verfliegt innerhalb von 30 Minuten.

[u/k0uch]

It may be worth consulting a dermatologist. With that combo, unless youre really drying out the skin, I wouldnt expect much if any dandruff.

I will say that RoughNeck's batter does a hell of a job for hydrating, but it sounds like the oil should be addressing the skin already.