Helped Over 500,000 patients with 98%+ satisfaction.

Connect & Get Personalized 1-to-1 Answers from Expert Doctors

DoctorSpring > Question Home

rashes in my beard area for almost 2 years

Resolved Question:

soooo ive had a rash in my beard area for almost 2 years now. its red and bumpy, and dries out the skin, making it somewhat flaky. it seems to die down when i keep myself clean shaven, and it goes off if i get it wet and dont dry it off realy fast. it never spreads above the jawline, and never leaves the beard area of my neck. people have told me its heat rash, or sweet syndrome, or cancer, or and basically just punk on me, so since normal folks dont seem to know, i figured i'd ask you guys.

Category: Sexologist

Ask Your Own Question

Category: Family Physician-GP
 19 Doctors Online

Thank you for consulting with Doctorspring. I understand that you are concerned about a skin condition in the area of the beard and haven't been able to get a proper diagnosis. Since it is not possible to give accurate diagnosis of skin conditions without actually looking at them, I can only discuss with you the possible diagnoses and what you could do before getting help from a dermatologist. It'd be good if you were able to include a photo of your condition.

Tinae barbae is the first possibility. It is a dermatophyte (fungi infecting the skin, hair and nails) infection in the hair of the beard. It may be mild patchy scaling and itching as you described or it could be boggy sweeling that can be painful with pus exuding form the lesions. It could also resemble folliculitis with tiny pus filled vesicles similar to a bacterial infection of the region.

There are different varieties among the dermatophytes. Some of them are anthropophilic (affecting man mostly) and others are zoophilic (affecting animals mostly). The zoophilic fungi tend to cause a more severe infection of the skin which is likely to present as the boggy swellings I described earlier due to a more intense response of the skin to the fungi. The anthropophilic fungi tend to cause a less severe inflammation.

Taenia barbae was more common in the past before the invention of disposable razor at the time when barbers used a single razor blade for all their customers. Thus the disease was earlier called barbers itch. Nowadays, it is more common in areas where there is a high temperature and humidity. Currently, it is said that Taenia barbae is common in the rural population where it is mostly caused by Zoophilic fungi. Men are exclusively affected by this disease after the hair in the area of the beard has grown in the late teens. If the infection occurs in the same area in females and children, it is called taenia faciei.

The non-inflammatory variety presents with a itch in the area of the beard and also the hair in the affected area is easily pluckable. In the inflammatory type, there may be fever, local lymph node enlargement and a feeling of being unwell. A course of local and systemic anti fungals should be able to heal the infection. You may have to be treated till the affected hair completely grows out and is cut.

The other possible diagnoses that may be considered with your dermatologist are Irritant dermatitis, acne rosacea, contact dermatitis and actinomycosis.

Hope this information was of use to you.


Dr. John Monheit
Category: Family Physician-GP
Experience: 
Residecny: North Colorado Family Medicine
Medical School: The Chicago Medical Center
Dr. John Monheit and 4 other Medical Specialists are ready to help you

Users who read this, also read:

Make informed and better medical decisions.

Join the 500,000 people who found a smarter, quicker way to get Answers, Recommendations & Expert Opinions.

Expert Doctors at fingertips

Recommendation on next step. Second-opinion.Multi-specialty.

Save Time

Average time for answers: 6 hours.

Save Money

$35 for typical specialist consult vs. $120 for a local appointment.

Free Follow-ups

Clarify, ask further questions for free in private conversation.

100% Satisfaction

Money back guarantee for the 1st reply. MEDNET Quality Board.

Start My Consultation

CHAT NOW

About DoctorSpring.com

Doctor Spring is a novel online Doctor consultation platform where you can get your medical questions answered by leading Doctors. Just Submit your question and rest assured that you will consult a Doctor easily. Once you submit the question, the Doctor from the concerned specialty will reply within hours. You can always ask more questions or add details with follow-up question options and make it an online doctor chat. You may use this service to consult a specialty or for getting medical second opinion. All paid services come with a MEDNET quality assurance and 100% money back guarantee.

DoctorSpring in news