The Pros and Cons of Going ‘Caveman’ With Acne

Growing facial hair through the year could improve the appearance of embarrassing acne on your face and considerably control its recurrence. If going ‘caveman’ for the entire year is already setting off an itch on your face, look at the lighter side of things – how about  improved self-esteem and macho pride?

While maintaining a beard with acne can do wonders for some, it comes with a host of ‘cons’ that could worsen existing acne conditions for others, leading to further hyper-pigmentation or scarring. This blog piece is going to divulge some of the important benefits and pitfalls of growing a beard with acne.

Pros

   1. Reduced Appearance Of Acne

If your acne occurs mostly around the cheeks and the chin, growing a beard could temporarily bring respite. Though you are not completely eliminating the problem from its ‘source’, you are concealing its appearance. Another benefit of covering up your acne with a beard is that you can experiment with different face care routines and spend as much time possible taking medications to tackle the ‘source’ of the acne without having to worry about whether your pimples are visible or not.

   2. Restores Skin pH

Contrary to popular belief, growing facial hair can restore the pH balance in your skin. Since you are not using shaving creams, lotions or scraping a sharp blade against your face anymore, your skin’s pH levels will take its natural course and restore itself. No more razor bumps, uneven skin tones, redness or ingrown hair! Plus, growing a beard can help keep your face warm for winters.

Cons

   1. Itchy Skin

The most obvious disadvantage of having a beard for prolonged periods is itchy skin. Also, if you already have a persistent acne condition, scratching your face repeatedly could worsen the redness and the inflammation on the skin.

   2. Scruffy Appearance

If you are employed or if you are still studying in university, having a really thick beard just doesn’t cut it and could make you appear scruffy.

Do some trial and error by growing out a beard for two weeks. If you feel that your acne condition is getting better, give yourself a pat. If it’s getting worse, shave it off and seek expert help straightaway.