Choosing the right beard length depends on your preferred type of facial hair and styling. While your ability to grow a beard can play a factor in determining the best length for your facial hair, it’s important to learn how to trim your beard to get the style you want.
This guide will show you exactly how to maintain every beard length. Whether you want a short, medium or long beard, here are a number of ways to groom the perfect beard length for men!
Stubble
Stubble is possibly the easiest facial hairstyle to maintain. It’s longer than a clean shave but shorter than a beard meaning less upkeep, no shaving, and a fresh, timeless look.
The length of time it takes to grow stubble depends on how fast your facial hair grows, but a general guide is anywhere from two to five days for full coverage.
Once you’ve reached a desirable length, all you need to do is trim your beard every few days to keep it at the length you like.
To groom your beard, we recommend getting a high-quality trimmer for close cuts and no irritation. Choose the right beard trimmer from brands like Philips Norelco, Panasonic, Wahl, and Braun.
Trim Your Stubble Beard
Starting at a #2 or #3 guard on your trimmer, go over your facial hair. You can choose to keep it that length or go shorter, but it’s best to start long and work down in increments. Then, depending on how fast your hair grows you’ll just need to clean up your neck and cheeks as the hair grows out.
To protect your skin from the irritation caused by using a shaver, be sure to moisturize regularly and especially after a shave.
Stubble is a great option that works for everyone but is especially good for people with larger, rounder faces.
As stubble provides shading and contrast on your jawline, it can give you the illusion of having a more angular face, especially if you opt for a bold, defined hairline on your cheeks and neck.
Short Beard
A short beard is the step up from stubble without the commitment of a tailored beard. It’s what your facial hair will do if left to its own devices for a week or two.
Growing and taming a short beard is very similar to maintaining stubble; it’s just kept slightly longer. A short beard with a shaved head can be particularly masculine and classy.
Trimming A Short Beard
Start with a #5 or #6 guard and work from there. Because the facial hair is longer in this style, it’s more important that you clean up the edges than it is with stubble.
Make sure you trim your cheeks and neck with no guard on the trimmer to get the shape you want or this style can easily look like a scruffy mess. With a short beard, you probably won’t need to trim your mustache, but it’s something to keep in mind for those with thicker, faster mustache growth.
This style works best for those with thick, even facial hair. Unfortunately, for people with patchy beards, the hair in a short beard is just long enough to reveal your patchiness and short enough that it’s almost impossible to hide.
If you have a patchy beard and don’t want the world to know, try growing it out or keep it short. This style is best left for those with bushier growth or the people who don’t care about patchiness.
Tailored Beard
Tailored beards have been seen gracing the faces of celebrity style icons like Jake Gyllenhaal and Ryan Gosling for decades. They’re classy, stylish, and fashionable and are a good option for people who don’t mind spending a bit more time styling their facial hair.
For the first three to four weeks, there’s not much you can do besides waiting for your hair to grow. Once it reaches a length you’re happy with (tailored beards are rarely longer than half an inch at the longest point) you’ll need to start with pretty regular upkeep.
Styling A Tailored Beard
As well as using your shaver every few days to maintain the desired length, you’ll need to start using products on your beard to keep it fresh and stylish.
A small amount of beard balm or styling paste applied after a shower can make your beard look clean-cut and professional, and you’ll need to cut flyaways with beard scissors in between trims.
Because tailored beards are classic and classy, they’re a great option for those working in professional environments. They’re more consistent than stubble or a short beard and their length hides any patchiness, which gives the tailored look.
One of the benefits to a fuller beard is that they obscure the cheekbones and jawline, giving the illusion of (or emphasizing) a strong bone structure. However, guys can always experiment with different styles and discover what works best for their face.
Long Beard
Not everyone is blessed with the genes necessary for a thick, long beard. If you are, it requires substantial upkeep so shouldn’t be taken on by someone after for a low-maintenance look.
Once your beard begins growing past your chin, you’ll need to start shaping it into the style you’re after. It’s recommended that you go to your barber to get it shaped every so often, but in-between visits you can maintain the style with a pair of beard scissors.
Grooming A Long Beard
To ensure the health of your beard, invest in a beard cleanser and wash it every few days in the shower. A beard balm or oil will condition your beard and give it some shine, and brushing it daily with a beard comb will help distribute the natural oils to the ends of your hair and keep it from looking frizzy.
As with any facial hairstyle, keep shaving your neck and cheeks as necessary and remember to exfoliate your face once or twice a week; this will remove dead skin so you don’t get dandruff.
A long beard is a statement piece to any outfit so it looks great on a confident man. One of the key benefits of having a long beard is that you can use it to create new facial proportions.
If you’re self-conscious about a weak chin or thin jaw, a long beard will completely obscure your chin and jaw, lengthening and thickening your face.
Before committing to a long beard, make sure your workplace allows long facial hair as you might go to all the trouble of growing and grooming this beauty only to be told it needs to go.