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How to Treat Beard Burn

Beard Burn Is Really a Thing, and Here's How to Deal With It

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Even if you're not totally down with the beard gang, you have to admit there's something about facial hair that is just sexy AF. Want to know what's not sexy though? The red, stinging, irritated skin that can come from kissing a face full of hair. Sure, it's a risk worth taking, but even if you're not doing any superheavy smooching, you still may notice tingling, almost rug-burned skin afterwards.

That's called beard burn. On the surface, your skin may also look slightly swollen and dry. Dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe shared three easy solutions for saving your skin after a heavy (or light) make-out session.

Suggest Some Grooming Swaps

If this one is too good to give up, you've got to speak up. Try communicating with your partner, and let him know this is an issue for you. Offer some grooming suggestions that can benefit the both of you. "It helps if the guy's beard is softened and cleaned by shampoo and conditioner but also a natural seed oil, which will aid in lubricating the skin," Bowe said.

Adjust Your Regimen

In case of an unexpected beard burn, you'll want to have a few products on hand with nonirritating ingredients to help calm and heal sensitivity and redness. Dr. Bowe recommends adding a topical probiotic like Tula Multi-Spectrum Overnight Skin Rescue Treatment (£60). Some probiotic skincare products have actual live bacteria or a bacterial derivative that when directly applied to the skin's surface can help to calm inflammation in the skin.

Cover With Correctors

To help neutralise any redness in the skin from the irritation, try a colour corrector like bareMinerals Correcting Concealer SPF 20 (£21) to even out imperfections in the skin.

Steer Clear of Fragrance

"Be careful of using moisturisers with fragrance in them while your skin is still experiencing irritation as it can cause discomfort," Bowe adds. She also advises against exfoliating, particularly on sore spots. It'll add more distress to your already-raw skin.

Seek Out Soothers

This includes ingredients like aloe vera, green tea, and as previously mentioned, probiotics. Look for these kind of skin calmers in products like Dr. Jart Ceramidin Gel-Cream (£34) "Some probiotics can boost the skin's production of ceramides which help to lock in your skin's moisture, thereby protecting and strengthening your skin's natural barrier from any irritations," Bowe concludes.

See, there's no need to forfeit a good time in the name a beauty. So go ahead, and kiss all up on that man.

Tula Multi-Spectrum Overnight Skin Rescue Treatment
Tula Multi-Spectrum Overnight Skin Rescue Treatment
£60
from tula.com
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How to Treat Beard Burn
bareMinerals Face Concealer
from selfridges.com
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How to Treat Beard Burn
Dr. Jart+ Skin Care
from sephora.com
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