How to soften beard stubble is the question most men ask; So, if you’ve decided to adopt the superior stubble look; welcome!
As voted by most women, stubble is the most attractive kind of facial hair, even more so than the full beard. With the stubble come many benefits but also many challenges, such as itchiness and a rough feeling.
This is actually a deal-breaker for a lot of clean-shaven men, who abstain from growing out their beard because they don’t like the itchiness it comes with it. Fortunately for all of us though, there are several ways to soften beard stubble.
Check out the Best Beard Trimmer of 2024
What Is Stubble?
First of all, let’s get the science straight. Stubble is when your facial hair begins to grow out, but it’s not long enough to form a full beard. Stubble goes through three phases:
The 5 O’Clock Shadow: It’s called a 5 o’clock shadow because the hair length is short enough to create a light shadow on your face at the end of the day, as most men find that it appears around 5 o’clock.
Women actually think the 5 o’clock shadow is appealing if it’s not too much and looks messy. The 5 o’clock shadow makes your face appear more angular and strengthens your jaw and chin.
How do you get a 5 o’clock shadow? You just wait it out until it grows on its own at the end of the day, or take some clippers without a comb to your face.
Medium Stubble: Medium stubble can take anywhere from a few days of abstaining from shaving, up to a week.
This kind of stubble is the one most men wear, as it takes a few days without shaving and can then be maintained with clippers.
Obviously, you should shave your cheeks and neck. Using the 2-3 mm comb on your trimmers will get your look going every day.
Heavy Stubble: Heavy stubble or the 10-day stubble has a length of about 4-5 mm. The 10-day stubble strikes a nice balance between a fully grown, masculine beard and the lighter stubbly contouring look that women like.
Heavy stubble gives you more room to shape and style, and while it takes more effort to achieve and maintain, the illusion of this effort actually makes it more appealing.
Why Is My Stubble Uncomfortable?
If your beard or stubble feels itchy when you grow it out, that’s normal, but what about sharp hairs? That can be uncomfortable and even painful, depending on your skin type.
Simply, when you shave, your hair grows back sharper as you cut the tip, instead of completely removing the hair from its follicle through waxing and the like. Other than shaving, the main culprit of a sharp or uncomfortable beard or stubble is dryness.
Dryness happens for many reasons, you may be dehydrated and need to drink more water, or you’re using harsh soap on your face which strips moisture and leaves your facial hair dry and brittle.
Instead of using soap, you should use face washes and beard washes which do a better job at retaining moisture.
The weather and your diet could also play a role, as dryness can occur if the weather is too cold or too dry. If your diet is lacking essential elements, too, then you’re just asking for it.
How To Soften Beard Stubble?
Even though you can only control the dryness so much, there are many ways to vitalize your stubble and make it softer and nicer. Here are some ideas:
4-Trim, Trim, Trim
Trimming your stubble is a no-brainer for maintaining its length, but it also prevents split ends, which can damage your facial hair.
Split ends make your stubble uneven, which adds to the discomfort, so trimming them on a regular basis keeps everything even and neat.
3-Properly Wash Your Face
Even though washing your face can make your skin dryer, that does not mean not to wash it entirely. What you want to avoid is over-washing, which many men find themselves doing.
Use a cleanser that hydrates your beard or stubble, to keep the hairs soft and clear of any dirt. How often do you need to wash it?
Opinions vary, but a good rule of thumb is every 2 days, though you might need to wash it every day if you have very oily skin or your region is too humid. The less hair you have, the less you need to wash it.
The king in this situation is beard wash. Beard wash, or beard shampoo is a product designed for washing your beard while keeping it hydrated and soft.
Can you use it on stubble? Sure, why not? Make sure you avoid alcohol in the ingredients label at all costs, as that is a one-way ticket to the dry zone.
2-Moisturize Your Stubble
Moisturizing your stubble hair is the most important element of softening it. Just like your hair gets all frizzy and rough when you don’t condition or moisturize it, the same applies to your stubble. How do you moisturize, though? There are a few ways:
* Beard Conditioner: Beard conditioner works the same as a hair conditioner, it makes the hairs softer. Does that mean you can use a regular hair conditioner?
Absolutely not. Beard conditioner is made from different elements specifically targeted for your beard or facial hair. Apply beard conditioner every other day after washing for the best results.
* Beard Balm: Beard balm is another important part of the softening arsenal. Beard balm is usually used for a full beard, to soften, protect, and style it.
Since obviously you can’t comb or style your stubble, you might think you can skip the balm, but you’d be wrong. The balm will form a protective layer on your stubble, infusing it with moisture and nutrients.
It’s better to use balms with all-natural ingredients and you should only use a teeny tiny bit on your finger. The balm is a powerful weapon, use it sparingly.
* Beard Oil: Beard oil is another no-wash product to soften beards and facial hair. Beard oil is generally great for growing short beards as it eliminates itching and puts your skin in the best possible condition to grow soft, shiny, and even facial hair.
Same with beard balm, use only a little bit and massage it into your stubble. Ideally, apply your beard oil after washing and conditioning your beard when the pores are warm and ready.
1-Use Natural Oils
Do you need fancy beard oils and balms? Not always. You can get some great results with some natural essential oils such as coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, and more.
These oils are a cheap and safe alternative to store-bought stuff. The more natural oils are in your shampoo, conditioner, or just on their own, the softer your stubble will be.
Why Stubble is Superior
There are many reasons stubble is considered more attractive than a full beard, and it’s even much more convenient for men for growing and maintenance.
First of all, it’s easy to understand why women find it more attractive as it’s a perfect mid-point between the clean, soft, and smooth clean-shaven look and the masculine, rugged, and tough full beard.
It’s the best of both worlds, and it works for any occasion and with any look without ever looking out of place, be it light, medium, or heavy. Just make sure to clean it up by shaving the neck and cheeks.
For us, maintaining stubble is much easier than maintaining a full beard. First of all, you don’t need to wait for a long time for it to grow; it only takes a few days and you have a maximum of around 2 weeks for heavy stubble.
Maintaining the stubble look makes you avoid the “awkward phase” before your full beard starts to come in.
With stubble, you never have to worry about needing to comb or style it much. It will pretty much look the same all day, and you’ll never have a bad beard day. No need to whip the scissors out for any reason.
Also, if you can’t grow a full beard because it’s too patchy, the stubble has you covered and you will only need just enough to make it look good.
Stubble contours your face in a way that’s better than beards. If you’ve got a nice-looking jaw that shouldn’t be hidden under a thick beard, the stubble will bring it out while keeping it looking sharp.
If you’re hesitant about growing a full beard because you like how you look clean-shaven but want a change, then rocking the stubble is perfect.
Takeaway
The stubble look is 100% worth the shot if you want to take your grooming and style to the next game. It’s attractive, neat, sharp, and low-maintenance.
If you’re struggling to grow facial hair because it’s sharp, rough, uncomfortable, or painful, then you need to soften it up.
Trimming, washing, conditioning, moisturizing, and oiling are the road to having soft and smooth stubble that not only looks good but also feels good. Experimenting is always interesting, and you might just find a look that’s perfect for you in the long run.
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