4 Annoying Aspects Of The Playoff Beard

By Sam Stilson
[Grooming]
Who are the two people that will complain the most about your playoff beard?  Sam Stilson tells you how to keep this tradition under control.
With the playoffs now in their late stages, many sports-loving men are wearing a healthy beard.  Several weeks of untouched growth coupled with heavy testosterone surges due to overtime goals will yield almost every man an unruly, unsightly fur mask.  Growing a beard isn’t all fun and games though, and if you’re feeling a little frustrated with your new facial hair, don’t fret, you’re not alone.

Though growing a playoff beard is now a widely recognized tradition, many men are relatively green when it comes to growing a massive beard.  It’s uncharted territory normally avoided due to work-mandated daily shaves or the realization that the only men that wear caveman beards are either out of work, out of the city or out of their minds.

Playoff beards are fun to grow, but eventually you will realize there are some seriously annoying aspects to letting your facial hair grow wild.  Some can be assuaged or eliminated, while others are just part of the package.

Itchy, Sore Face

The most common complaint from virgin beard growers is that after the first couple of weeks their face has become incredibly itchy and sore.  This is almost a universal occurrence and should not cause you too much stress.  Beards get sore or itchy for many reasons.  Ingrown hairs can be appearing, beards can be dirty, your skin can be dried out, etc.  If you continue to let your beard grow, the itchiness will eventually stop, but there are some short-term solutions to ease the itch.  Keeping your beard clean by using shampoo or soap and combing your beard will help reduce itch and ensure that your facial hair is healthy.  Another option is to apply cold, moisturizing cream or other soothing lotions to your beard to enrich your skin and temporarily relieve itch.  However, the best solution is to just suck it up and ignore it.  The playoffs only last so long.

Midnight Snacks

When you’re used to having a clean-shaven face, keeping your beard clear of food bits and other hangers-on can be a bit of a challenge…if you’re a totally oblivious slob.  Keeping your lunch out of your whiskers should be (and quite frankly is) an easy task that simply requires a little more attention to detail.  Yet somehow first-time beardos often have this complaint and are often finding milk in their moustache, crumbs on their chin and little bits of fluff in their sideburns.  There are two things you can do to solve this problem.  One, make sure your moustache is well trimmed.  Don’t let it hang over your lip or reach into your mouth.  While that seems pretty obvious, when growing a beard without regard, it’s easy to not notice a whisker or two creeping into your mouth.  The majority of food stuff will be in your moustache, so if you keep it trimmed, you’ll be safe.  Two, grab a few extra napkins and clean your face as if you were eating with royalty.
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