So i've been struggling with acne for 10 years. I am a 25 year old man. Cysts, chin acne, mouth acne, nose acne, you name it. Terrible case. It has died down somewhat in the last few years but I still get pimples around my lower mouth quite a bit which look horrible.

I noticed that when I grew a beard 2 years back, acne in the areas under the thickest amounts of hair decreased by 80-90%. My upper lip which was extremely acne prone maybe gets a tiny pimple once every other month, and it's completely hidden from the public by my mustache. My belief is that facial hair acts as a skin protectant and shields the skin from irritation, grease, and bacteria. A dermatologist also told me once that men with acne should never shave, only trim. Shaving irritates acne. The only areas I seem to get bad acne now are the places on my face that do not have much hair (lower lip, upper cheeks). So, my solution? GROW A WILDMAN BEARD! How did I come to this conclusion...let me explain.

So, I have been sporting a beard for a few years now but I have been trimming it frequently so it doesn't look too wild. Today, after waking up with another ugly pimple near my mouth for what seems to be the thousandth time in the last year I turned on TV and what do you know, Duck Dynasty was on. I noticed these guys had beards so thick it covered their lip line, necks, cheeks, etc. They could be ridden with acne scars and no one would know.

I already gave up medications for acne. 10 years of that stuff didn't help. I have tried almost everything both prescription and store-bought (BP,SA, antibiotics, sulfur, etc). They all made my acne worse, or helped minimally and only for a short time. I now just use Cerave cleanser 2x a day and that's what i'm sticking with, it has improved my acne as it is non irritating and soothing. Everything else inflames my acne.

So this will be my thread about my beard growth. I'm just going to let it go pretty crazy. Before, I was trimming very close. Now I will trim a tiny bit like a quarter inch or so off my face. so it doesn't start growing down to my chest or look like an afro coming off my cheeks. Yet it will be thick as hell. Thicker than I ever grew it out.

I really want to fill in my lower lip area which could take a while, probably the better part of a decade. I would like some other guys to join in or talk about their stories about beards and acne.

DISCLAIMER: This is not a cure for acne. Some people may have a regimen and find it too difficult to apply, some people may find it itchy, some may think it's a bad idea.. To those who are willing, I welcome you to join. In the last two years since i've grown a beard I have seen much improvements in the areas with facial hair.

Rules: Grow your beard out for at least one year, trimming minimally or none at all. Just let the hair fill in as much as possible. Post about your experiences frequently. Is your acne improving, getting worse? We also can discuss how to maintain a beard with products that are noncomedogenic, etc. And, if you just want to talk about beard shapes, styles, growth, mustaches, whatever. Post here!