f you want the perfect beard for your look, it’s important to choose the right beard length when trimming. Although different trimmer guards have numbers that dictate different lengths, it can be hard envisioning how your facial hair will look afterwards. Furthermore, how you groom your beard will determine how you maintain and style your facial hair until it grows out! And while your genetics will affect how long and thick your beard can grow and therefore dictate the best length for you to keep, it’s essential for men to learn about beard trimmer lengths and their corresponding sizes and styles. Whether you want a stubble, short, medium-length or long beard, check out this complete guide to beard lengths. From how long it takes to grow to finding the best beard length for business professionals, we’ll help you figure out how short or long your facial hair should be.
Stubble
Stubble is easy to spot as a light beard style that naturally grows after a couple of days with no shaving. Previously, it was thought of as lazy and uncouth to sport stubble, whereas now, a stubble beard style is considered cool and trendy. Also known as a five o’clock shadow or the 3-day beard, the stubble beard look is masculine and ruggedly charming, and can make teen boys or young men look older and manly.
Short and trendy, it’s an easy style to pull off as long as you start from the beginning and use a facial scrub to remove dead skin and unclog pores. Stubble can be a range of beard lengths. If you have 0.5mm to 1mm, then you’ll have light stubble. Guys with 2mm to 3mm will have a full stubble beard, and a 4mm beard starts to be classified as heavy stubble.
Who Should Style A Stubble Beard?
A stubble beard is an excellent option for pretty much every man since it’s masculine, professional and casual all at the same time. However, it works remarkably well for guys with baby faces who struggle to make the transition from small growth to a full-on beard. Not only is it a fantastic middle ground, but it’s a perfect way to add ruggedness to soft features.
Well-groomed short stubble is also the perfect corporate beard for business professionals. Whereas long facial hair can look wild and unkempt, a small amount of facial hair growth can be appropriate and in-line with workplace standards regarding a man’s appearance.
How Long Does It Take To Grow A Stubble Beard?
While it depends on your genetics, most men can grow a stubble beard in 3 to 7 days. As a rule, it shouldn’t take longer than 10 days for the spiky whiskers to come through and make your clean-shaven style a lot edgier and daring. For the men who are super-hairy, you might start to see coverage within a day or two.
It’s unlikely that you’ll experience hair coming back after a few hours, but it has been known to happen in extreme cases. If you fall into this category, you should keep in mind that you’ll require extra maintenance to stop stubble from morphing into a short to medium-length beard.
How To Trim A Stubble Beard
The perfect length for a stubble beard is about 2.5mm. Some stubble trimmers come with built-in dials for different length settings, while other high-quality machines will require you to choose between a 2mm and 3mm guard. Most men prefer heavy stubble as it makes them feel sexy, so a 3mm to 4mm guard setting might be the ideal beard for you.
If this is your first time using different trimmer lengths, always start longer and you can always go shorter. After you are comfortable with the amount of hair the trimmer will take off, you should go all around the beard line until the length is uniform. It’s better to trim once or twice a week and let your facial hair grow out inbetween than to groom every day and put extra stress on your skin.
How To Maintain A Stubble Beard
Stubble beard maintenance is straightforward from a skincare perspective. Applying a scrub beforehand and moisturizer afterward should help your face deal with the friction of your trimmer. In terms of styling, you should focus on the neckline to incorporate a different look. For example, bringing the neck hair up to your Adam’s apple will strengthen the jaw while softening the aesthetic.
Alternatively, if the cheek sections are hairy, you can elongate your face by removing the guard and using your trimmer to cut and clean up the stray facial hair that stands out. This technique is called “beardtouring” or beard contouring.