Beard: should you use sunscreen over your hair?

It's not news that men, in general, are not so adept at daily sun protection - a very common mistake that can increase the risk of skin cancer and premature aging - especially those who usually grow a beard... But what about when the beard is already big, should you or should you not use sunscreen on top of the hair?

According to Dr Jaqueline Zmijevski, dermatologist by the Brazilian Society of Dermatology (SBD) and Fellow in Trichologu by the Brazilian Medical Assosiation (AMB), it all depends on the size of the hair. If they are long and cover the entire skin, protection can be done with leave-ins on the fur. If the beard is short and sparse, it is important to protect the skin, yes - and the hairless area needs to be protected daily. Despite the common use by women, many men don't know about leave-ins - but they should use them. The doctor explains that the leave-ins serve as thermal and solar protectors, in addition to helping to align the wires. Some multi-purpose formula soothing emollients (which moisturize the skin and ease the discomfort caused by hair growth - itching, scaling, among others) and sun protection. Its assets also provide thermal protection", explains Ana Paula Kascher, commercial director at B.URB.

Dr Jaquelin explains that beard care starts with proper hygiene. "Keeping a clean beard helps to control the oiliness of the skin, in addition to removing the impurities accumulated throughout the day, such as sweat, dust, pollution, food and cosmetics residues. After washing, it is important the dry the area, thus preventing the proliferation of fungi. As for the hairless skin region, daily cleaning in addition to hydration and sun protection. In addition to hygiene, beard hair needs hydration, just like hair. Nowdays there are specific products for this purpose, but hair products can also be used. Hydration can be done in the bath, with clean hair", says the doctor. For this purpose and with more common uses among men, we have oils and creams: "the first ones help in the replacement of lipids, good fat that is present between the cuticles, while beard creams can have hydration function for the wires or protection of the local skin at the time of shaving, thus having less friction between the blade and the skin", says the doctor. For hydration in daily use, Ana Paula Kasher suggests Harlem Beard Oil, a powerful oil specially developed to promote complete and high performance treatment of beard and mustache. "Indicated to be used on beards of all types over 2 centimeters in lenght, the product ensures effective hydration of the strands, promoting softness and healthy grows and avoiding discomfort and itching/ The great advantage of Harlem Beard Oil lies in the fact it can be applied several times throughout the day, according to the needs of the hair, to promote hydration without increasing the greasiness of the region, since it has a dry touch and quick absorption", says Ana Paula.

According to Ana Paula, the correct hydration and protection prevents the hair from becoming brittle. "The hair can break with excessive friction in the rigion, lack of hydration and care (such as not trimming regularly,) intense sun exposure, continuous exposure to chlorine or sea water. When the breard becomes brittle, the best thing to do is to trim it. In cases of beard dandruff, it is important to undergo a dermatological evaluation, as beard flaking can be soborrehic dermatitis, but also other conditions that require proper treatment", concludes Dr Jacqueline.