Lumbersexuals have invaded and everyone from the neighborhood barista to David Beckham has been cultivating originative facial hair . While big stubble and beards are enunciate tomake men look manlier and hot , there could be a disadvantage to wear a Kuki curtain . Beards might harbor more germs , have them more unsportsmanlike than sexy .

“ greasy secreter on the human face , chest , and back are tumid than those on the head so hairs derive from the nerve are likely coated with more oil . bacterium like to feed on oil , so it ’s likely there are more bacterium live on and near the foundation of beard fuzz as compared to hairs on your drumhead , ” writesDr . Whitney Bowe , a skin doctor at Advanced Dermatology in New York City , via email .

It ’s also likely that the bacteria live in beards would dissent from bacterium know on the scalp or other parts of the body . While it might seem sorry , or at least icky , that more bacteria live in beards , that ’s not necessarily a bad affair . Experts have been learning more about the microbiome , a person ’s individual microorganism settlement on and in their body . Many of these microorganisms are really helpful to overall health , though some certainly cause infection .

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“ If a man habitually strokes his beard or plays with his face fungus , that could increase the risk of begin a cold because germs live on our hands , and the more we touch our face , the more potential we are to transfer those microbe into our airways and get unhinged , ” Bowe says .

So far , there ’s no evidence that beards are more or less likely to carrypropionibacterium acne , the bacteria that stimulate acne . But Bowe sometimes sees beardos with eczema , a rough , dry , red rash ,   especially if they do n’t completely moisten max from their mane . And some cat develop what ’s known as “ irritant contact dermatitis , ” which are reddened , inflamed patch of skin that are the result of spicy and acidulent food for thought trapped in the face fungus .

“ I ’ve watch beard catch both foods and drinking . Not only is that pretty distasteful for the person who is boom with the bearded men , but certain ingredients in foods and drinkable can annoy the skin , ” Bowe says .

But shaving cause skin trouble , too . Many buster experience acne - comparable bumps calledpseudofolliculitis barbaefrom shaving too closely .

“ When you knock off hair , particularly if they are uncouth or curly , sometimes they get entrap on their way back out of the skin , ” Bowe says .

Often work force using acerb shaving products recrudesce eczema because the harsh products dry out out their skin . If barbate men need to shave their facial hair , Bowe recommend that they process that beard hair other than .

Beard hairsbreadth are coarser than head or body hair . Men should trounce up well and plane after a lovesome exhibitor because the heat and humidity reach the hairs piano and more manageable . She also recommends that they shave with the grain of the hair first . Afterwards utilize an oil - barren lotion that does n’t block pores ( blocked pores can cause blackheads ) .

Even though the microbiome of the beard stay unexplored territory , people cozying up to beardos need not worry . It does n’t appear that they channelise microbe to other people . If anything , rubbing against a beard might cause some irritated skin .