Covid-19 and beard: what precautions should men take?
A neglected three-day beard or a billhook cut like hipsters, it has made a comeback in recent years. Will it disappear with the Covid-19? Maybe… Find out why with Dr Michel Le Maître, dermatologist and scientific director of the Moulin Royal Cosmetics laboratory.
The virus hides there for several hours
How to maintain your beard during Covid-19?
Beard: good advice for shaving it without sores
Protect your face from the sun
Since the Covid-19 epidemic in Quebec, Lucie Opatrny, the assistant deputy minister at the General Directorate of University, Medical, Nursing and Pharmaceutical Affairs has asked medical staff to shave their beards, because it was harmful to the perfect sealing of the mask.
In France, healthcare workers are encouraged not to wear a beard so that their FFP2 mask, which must adhere well to the skin, protects them sufficiently. What about the rest of the men?
The virus hides there for several hours
“Hairiness easily retains microbes, viruses and infectious agents”, specifies Dr Michel Le Maître, dermatologist.
Thus, the Covid-19 virus can live for several hours in a beard, not to mention that you touch your face, on average, 60 times a day! Another drawback of the beard, especially if it is thick and / or long, specifies the dermatologist: “The contact surface for the virus and bacteria is greater than on hairless skin”.
As for wearing a mask, “it does not always completely encompass the beard”, emphasizes the dermatologist. So, if you opt for a handmade mask, you have to plan to do it in the right dimensions! And don’t forget to rinse it with water to remove the hairs that have clung to it, before putting it in the washing machine at 60 ° C.
How to maintain your beard during Covid-19?
“Not only do you have to wash it every day with soap and water, but also when you come back from doing your basic shopping or a short trip near your home for the practice of a physical activity or to take your dog out, ”explains Dr Le Maître.
So if we no longer shave to save time, it’s a bit of a waste! Finally, the Covid-19 may be an opportunity to change your face, give up the beard (or mustache) and become (or become again) beardless!
Beard: good advice for shaving it without sores
As the skin has not tasted razor for … we don’t know how long, it is more fragile and will therefore be more prone to ‘razor burn’. So, before arming yourself with your ‘cabbage cutter’, it is best to take a few precautions.
“You have to wet your beard in your shower, for example,” advises the dermatologist. It will be softer, more able to capture the shaving foam. “
The choice of the latter is also important. “You have to use a good quality shaving foam, containing antimicrobial, antibacterial substances, such as piroctone-olamine, for example advises the doctor. They protect against the risk of folliculitis of the beard. “
Any other recommendations? “Yes, if it is bulky, it is best to start cutting it with scissors before using a good quality razor, that is, three blades,” says Dr. Le Maître. And of course, shave with the grain, don’t apply alcoholic aftershave, but rather a moisturizer. “
Protect your face from the sun
As part of the face has been protected from the sun’s rays by the beard, it is important to protect yourself well with very high protection sunscreen. And, of course, avoid the hottest hours of exposure: between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.