Beard transplantation bumps - Any advice on treatment? (photos)

Two years after a beard transplant, the skin and follicles should normally be fully healed, so if you’re still experiencing bumps, irritation, or inflammation when trimming or shaving, it usually means there’s chronic folliculitis or ingrown hairs in the transplanted area.

Here’s what you can do:

Avoid steroid creams long-term. These can thin the skin and worsen irritation over time.

Use a mild antiseptic or antibacterial cleanser (such as chlorhexidine or a gentle salicylic acid wash) to reduce bacteria and unclog follicles.

Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer or beard oil with tea tree or niacinamide, which helps soothe inflammation.

If you notice small pustules or redness after shaving, it may help to use a topical antibiotic cream (like fusidic acid or mupirocin) for short periods.

If bumps persist, a dermatologist can prescribe low-dose oral antibiotics or perform gentle laser hair removal on problematic grafts.

It’s also important to trim with a clean, sharp trimmer and avoid shaving too close to the skin to reduce friction and irritation.

This is not uncommon after transplants, especially if the implanted follicles are curved or angled slightly incorrectly, leading to minor ingrown hairs when cut too short.

You can use not only steroid creams, but steroid injections as well to flatten the beard transplant bumps. For the steroid injections, you may need multiple sessions.