Ultimate Guide to Stubble

Why Sport Stubble?
1. It’s Perfect If You’re Patchy Now that beards are tolerated more in formal environments, so too is stubble – and it’s particularly popular with men who can’t jump on the beard trend because they have patchy facial hair. It is possible to grow stubble to a certain point and keep it looking less patchy than if you were trying for a beard.
2. Women Love It According to a study by psychologists at North Umbria University, women are more attracted to men with stubble than to those that are either bearded or clean-shaven.
​3. It Can Mask Your Imperfections Like beards, stubble is great for hiding facial imperfections such as uneven skin pigmentation and acne scars. What’s more, it boosts the apparent size of your jaw, by virtue of color contrast, draws attention to your teeth. ​Stubble will also balance your face in a way a full beard won’t, which is worth remembering if you’re bald on top."

4. Enhances Facial Maturity
Facial hair is a visible indicator of sexual maturity, and the study conducted by North Umbria University found that men with smooth chins were considered less desirable as partners. If you often get mistaken for being younger than you are, growing stubble, like Leonardo DiCaprio, can help you achieve a more mature appearance.

Maintaining Your Stubble
- Treat it like a Beard
Stubble is essentially an early stage of beard growth, and while the length may differ, facial hair is facial hair. Therefore, you can follow similar maintenance routines for your two-day-old stubble as you would for a more established beard.

- Moisturize Regularly
Stubble, like beards, can cause moisture to be drawn away from your skin, leading to faster drying. To prevent this, it is important to moisturize your face daily or use a conditioning oil to keep your skin hydrated.

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Tips for Shaping and Maintaining Stubble:

- Consider Your Bone Structure
Take into account your facial bone structure when shaping your stubble. For an optimal look, shave parallel to your cheekbones and create squared-off corners on each side of your chin. This technique creates a well-defined silhouette of stubble when viewed head-on. Use a shaving mirror for precision and run your fingertips over your face afterwards to ensure evenness.

- Avoid Over-Shaping
Unlike beards that can benefit from meticulous grooming, stubble often looks better when left in its natural state, especially if your goal is to achieve a rugged appearance. If you prefer to keep your neck smooth to prevent stubble from catching on shirt collars, avoid using the jawline as a reference point, as this can appear too obvious. Instead, start your shaving just below the jawline or trim the area below using the shortest trimmer setting to achieve a more gradual transition.

Preventing Ingrown Hairs:

To prevent ingrown hairs, which can be as troublesome as unexpected visits from in-laws, it's important to maintain your stubble properly. By keeping it well-groomed, you can minimize the chances of hairs growing back inwards. However, if you're constantly cycling between shaving and growing, you're more likely to experience ingrown hairs.

Sally Penford from The International Dermal Institute recommends a simple solution: regular exfoliation to lift the hairs. By exfoliating your skin regularly, you can reduce the occurrence of pseudofolliculitis barbae, the technical term for ingrown hairs.​
​Try a gentle exfoliator, like Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant and philosophy renewed hope for men mattifying moisturizer,