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Can male nurses wear beards? Yes, they can – with some small caveats. For those of us who can’t remember the last time we’ve bought a razor and shaving cream, instead preferring a chin-full of luxurious beard hair – it’s a great time to be alive.
Not since the dawn of man (or perhaps the 1800s) has it been more fashionable to wear a fancy chin rug. And whether you like to go for a short and clean-edged look or a full mountain man chin-grizzly, the chance you’ll be forced to shave for your job just isn’t that likely.
While many hospitals have relaxed their restrictions on facial hair, there are still some healthcare settings unfriendly to facial hair.
We’re going to talk about the trends of facial hair and male nurses and give you some beard care tips and products to make sure your bristles are looking fresh while being clean and neat enough for a hospital setting.
Beards And Face Masks
In the age of COVID-19, we’re all aware of the importance of personal protection equipment (PPE) but none more than nurses. And the standard for PPE is the N95 Respirator.
If you have a beard, according to OSHA standards, any stubble or facial hair that prevents an N95 Respirator from forming a tight seal around your face isn’t acceptable.
So even a close-cropped edged beard is going to affect the seal of an N95 Respirator. Now unless you’re working in a COVID wing, chances are you’ll just need to wear a surgical mask. In that case, beards are probably going to be acceptable.
It’s up to the healthcare facility that employs the nurse ultimately, so check with them before you shave your beard off or before you start to let it grow.
So Can Male Nurses Wear Beards?
Whether or not a male nurse can wear a beard depends on two things: the hospital’s policy and where the nurse is working. Society as a whole (hospitals included) has become much more friendly to beards.
From lumberjack beard-wearing, start-up hipsters to neat and trimmed murse (male nurse) beards, more and more employers are saying OK.
So it’s not uncommon to see male nurses with beards. But for hospitals, you’ve got PPE, infection control procedures, and sterilized environments to deal with.
For example, some OR environments don’t allow nurses to have a beard as a precaution against infection. Even if your beard is neat, trim, and clean it can still pose a hazard.
A nurse working general med-surg probably won’t have the same restrictions. So the general rule is where unless it is strictly prohibited for safety reasons, beards are acceptable – even though you may not be able to go full-on Grizzly Adams.
Just remember, shorter is always neater, cleaner, and easier to keep groomed. The longer you go, the more work (albeit totally worth it) you’ll have to do. And to help you keep your beard as luxurious and majestic as the king of Babylon himself, we’ve got some beard care tips and products for you.
Beard Care Tips For Male Nurses
Friends, male nurses, and countrymen – a beard is a glorious thing. Not only is it a beautiful sign of virility, originality, and manliness – it’s a work of art.
That is if you take care of it. If you don’t, and it goes feral, you’re going to end up like the guy living under the bridge wearing trash bags for shoes.
If you’re going to have a beard, you’ve got to take care of it. In work settings, they’ll let you get away with a short beard. But if you want to go longer, you’re going to have to shampoo it, trim it, oil it, and comb it out regularly.
Here’s some beard care tips to help you keep your beard fit for a king and looking clean:
Keep It Kinda Clean
Kinda clean? Seriously – I just ate chili. Yeah, your beard gets dirty but not as dirty as the claims that it’s crawling with as much bacteria as a truckstop bathroom.
Even though you need to regularly wash your beard, washing it more than 2 – 3 times a week can strip vital oils from the hair follicles making them weaker and more brittle. When you do wash it, use a beard shampoo rather than regular shampoo.
Trim It
Not only does trimming your beard make it look neater, trimming gets rid of split ends to make it healthier and grow faster.
Use Beard Oil
Hands down the most popular beard care product is beard oil. A quality beard oil hydrates the hair and replenishes the oils that are stripped when you shower. You should avoid beard oils that contain polyunsaturated vegetable oil – it can spoil and may have testosterone-lowering effects.
Brush & Comb
Simple enough – brush and comb your beard. Brushing and combing not only tames and straightens your beard – but it also aids exfoliation of the skin. Boar bristle brushes are the best.
Include Beard Balm
In addition to the beard oil, use beard balm for deep moisturizing. Beard balm looks and feels a bit like a waxy pomade and is perfect when your beard is super-dry and sensitive. You want one with beeswax and saturated fats as the main ingredients.
Don’t Play With It
Who doesn’t like to twirl their mustache like an old-school villain with a top hat? Yeah, well it may be hilarious or you may do it without even thinking about it – But Stop! You may think you’re training it to curl and look super hip, but you’re actually damaging the hair possibly causing beard hair loss.
Nutrition And Vitamins
Just like the health of the rest of your body, your skin and hair needs proper nutrition. Things that are good for your beard: saturated and monounsaturated fats, carbs, vitamins A, D, E, K2, zinc, magnesium, and biotin. Also, don’t forget to stay well hydrated.
Yeah, even with all of the care – a beard still beats a shaved face any day for rugged manliness. Plus, even though it sounds like a lot of work with the trimming, washing, and oiling – it’s way less annoying than shaving every day.
So we promised you some beard care products – here you go:
FullLight Beard Care Kit
Starting from scratch and don’t have any beard care gear at all? This all-in-one beard care kit from FullLight has everything you need.
You get:
- Beard shampoo
- Beard oil
- Beard balm
- Boar’s hairbrush
- Comb
- Stainless steel trimming scissors
- Beard care Ebook
Honest Amish Classic Beard Oil
This beard oil is organic all-natural essential nourishment for your chin whiskers from one of the most trusted brands around.
- Natural, organic oils
- Hand-crafted
- Softens beard, conditions skin
- Made in the USA
Viking Revolution Beard Balm
While Honest Amish has an excellent beard balm, we included Viking Revolution for the amazing scent. Made with argan oil and mango butter, not only will your beard be left soft and supple, but it’ll also have a pleasing citrus scent.
- 100% all-natural ingredients
- Get rid of beardruff (dandruff for your beard)
- Pleasant citrusy smell
So rejoice in your facial hair, you wonderful hairy murse. To all you male nurses out there sporting beards, whatever length or style, keep them cared for, healthy and clean – and may a razor never touch your hairy chin buddy.