Thank you for consulting with Doctorspring. I understand that you are concerned about a skin condition in the area of the beard and haven't been able to get a proper diagnosis. Since it is not possible to give accurate diagnosis of skin conditions without actually looking at them, I can only discuss with you the possible diagnoses and what you could do before getting help from a dermatologist. It'd be good if you were able to include a photo of your condition.

Tinae barbae is the first possibility. It is a dermatophyte (fungi infecting the skin, hair and nails) infection in the hair of the beard. It may be mild patchy scaling and itching as you described or it could be boggy sweeling that can be painful with pus exuding form the lesions. It could also resemble folliculitis with tiny pus filled vesicles similar to a bacterial infection of the region.

There are different varieties among the dermatophytes. Some of them are anthropophilic (affecting man mostly) and others are zoophilic (affecting animals mostly). The zoophilic fungi tend to cause a more severe infection of the skin which is likely to present as the boggy swellings I described earlier due to a more intense response of the skin to the fungi. The anthropophilic fungi tend to cause a less severe inflammation.

Taenia barbae was more common in the past before the invention of disposable razor at the time when barbers used a single razor blade for all their customers. Thus the disease was earlier called barbers itch. Nowadays, it is more common in areas where there is a high temperature and humidity. Currently, it is said that Taenia barbae is common in the rural population where it is mostly caused by Zoophilic fungi. Men are exclusively affected by this disease after the hair in the area of the beard has grown in the late teens. If the infection occurs in the same area in females and children, it is called taenia faciei.

The non-inflammatory variety presents with a itch in the area of the beard and also the hair in the affected area is easily pluckable. In the inflammatory type, there may be fever, local lymph node enlargement and a feeling of being unwell. A course of local and systemic anti fungals should be able to heal the infection. You may have to be treated till the affected hair completely grows out and is cut.

The other possible diagnoses that may be considered with your dermatologist are Irritant dermatitis, acne rosacea, contact dermatitis and actinomycosis.

Hope this information was of use to you.