I've shaved all my life. After I got on TRT I decided to let my beard grow. I have dead skin that clumps together so it won't fall out and instead sits there and rots, makes my face burn, stinks like a nasty wound, etc. I tried ketoconazole shampoo but after a certain length it doesn't get down to the skin or something goes wrong. Any ideas?
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RPEsq 4y ago
Moisturize and maintain, king.
It’s not your beard that’s causing the issue. You not doing your part to treat and maintain the skin and the TRT is changing your skin’s landscape. You are begging for problems.
Charcoal wash. Exfoliate. Tea tree oil. Argan oil to the beard when it’s clean. Drink shitloads of water throughout the day. Hydrocortisone to the affected areas to reduce inflammation. Reduce the TRT until you get it under control.
You got hydration issues and hygiene issues. And dermatitis is thriving because of it. It’s a fungal condition, which means it is entirely about the environment you are providing for it. Mushroom don’t grow in the desert.
NewCambrianEra 4y ago
who ever downvoted you are wrong.
This is exactly what you said it is. A lack of maintenance and duty to ones face.
"I tried ketoconazole shampoo but after a certain length it doesn't get down to the skin or something goes wrong. Any ideas?"
If your shampoo isn't reaching your skin its because you aren't washing it correctly. you can touch your scalp at any length of hair, it just becomes harder.
whytehorse2021 4y ago
I get enough water. I live in a very dry climate. TRT is already very dialed in. I'll give the charcoal a try. Why the tea tree oil? Argan oil?
RPEsq 4y ago
Tea tree: anti-inflammatory properties that lessen irritation; antifungal properties that may help reduce itching; antimicrobial properties that help fight infection causing germs
Argan has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
Hanscheezburger 4y ago
Drink LOTS of water. It solved most of my skin problems. I had dandruff and dry flaky skin too. Drink even when you're not thirsty, until your piss is clear
whytehorse2021 4y ago
I drink lots of water. 2-3 liters/day.
Hanscheezburger 4y ago
Not enough. Double that amount and see for yourself
hannulv 4y ago
So I developed severe dandruff in my beard and then my hair while on a strict keto diet. I did some tests and self-determined it was fungal serborrheic dermititis. The fungus eats fats and oils. I tried all the basic stuff 1% ketoconazole (only OTC strength available in US), tea tree, coal tar, salicylic acid, etc. I could manage some of the symptoms, but it was no cure. To cure it a had to go all in. I tried to just manage it for a while but I started to get strange zit-like bumps around my neck back and arms, so I decided to eradicate.
Shaved my beard and most of my hair, except the top, and then daily for 4 weeks
Result: No bumps, no flakes, no sores, no redness, no weeping skin, etc.
whytehorse2021 4y ago
I think that's what my Dr called it but he said to just shave and didn't do tests. So you must've basically reset your pores to not make as much oil and killed off any bacteria and/or yeast, right?
hannulv 4y ago
My understanding is the Malassezia yeast is ever-present on skin, you just get an infection that gets far down in the layers of the skin, which can be affected by hormones, diet, and hygiene. When I finally decided to eradicate, I was starting to get a thick, waxy build-up of layers of skin, almost like cradle-cap that I couldn't scrape off without making sores or red patches. When I shaved most of it, my skin looked a lot like this (https://qsota.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Seborrhea.jpg) Mineral oil can dissolve the peeling layers and get rid of it so less fungus is trapped under layers. The more oils released by your skin, the deeper the fungus can thrive.
I didn't run medical tests, I just did home experiments where I used a topical anti-fungal on one part and a topical steroid on another.
whytehorse2021 4y ago
Yeah I'm really oily. How did you maintain after the beard gets long?
hannulv 4y ago
I haven't tried yet.
RedPill115 4y ago
I have the same problem.
If it's just a small patch I found I can put lotrimin on it (antifungal). If it gets bigger I have to shave it off, then use lotrimin twice a day for a few days and it goes away.
What's annoying is - it will stay away, until I do beard trimming. Something about the beard trimming causes it to show up again sometimes.
Haven't quite figured it out.
whytehorse2021 4y ago
I'm trying the charcoal shampoo. I remember it working on dandruff for my father so I used it as a teen with great success but eventually it went away and now is rearing it's ugly head. I'm pretty sure my high levels of testosterone are causing higher DHT which is causing the skin probs. I'm definitely more oily and there's yeast and bacteria that eat oil and cause the problem. This is why the anti-DHT shampoo helps, but people think it's because of the anti-fungal nature.
RedPill115 4y ago
You know, I responded in this thread, then went to take a shower. It suddenly dawned on me - duh - we have soap specifically formulated to wash a combination of hair and skin, it's called "shampoo".
For the last 5 days I've been using my regular shampoo on my beard instead of face wash and all that skin buildup that was starting to happen went away. Looks clean, no skin redness or flakes, very clean.
Probably worth a try if you're not doing it already.
For completeness the shampoo I'm using is Aveda Avanti Advanced, it supposedly helps with hair loss so it may be anti-DHT.
I know when I was researching the topic the online claim was that Nizoral Anti-Dandruff Shampoo was the best, but the result wasn't as good for me as the Aveda. Lot cheaper though.
whytehorse2021 4y ago
Interesting. I have a 3-in-1 charcoal shampoo that does shampoo+conditioner+body wash. I'm going through all the things everyone mentioned in this thread but the charcoal seems to be the bomb. Anyway, I talked to my Dr again and he said different things work for different people and prescribed 2% ketoconazole or whatever prescription strength is. I asked about just jumping into a swimming pool with chlorine and he said they do that with people with MRSA but then is messes up your skin. So anyway I may end up just shaving for the rest of my life and get chiseled jawline implants.
RedPill115 4y ago
Lol, that's hilarious.