How to Get Stubble

Опубликовал Admin
31-01-2017, 12:24
4 376
0
Stubble is that barely-there yet oh-so-masculine type of facial hair made popular by manly stars like Bruce Willis, George Clooney, and many more. To many, a thin layer of stubble is a subtle mark of ruggedness — it's clean-cut like a close shave, but still a little rough, like a beard. Wearing a debonair five o'clock shadow is one part genetics, one part good grooming — not all men will be able to grow stubble equally, but everyone can work with what they've got.

Choosing the Stubble That's Best for You

  1. Choose a look for your stubble. Before you throw out your shaving cream and swear yourself to a new, manlier life, it's best to have an idea of what you want to eventually look like. There's no "right" way to grow stubble, so feel free to be creative with your choice. However, there are a few popular "looks" that tend to look good on a wide variety of faces that you may want to consider. We've given these our own names below (and suggested a few celebrities that wear these sorts of stubbles as examples):
    • The All-over: This natural look uses a short-to-medium length stubble that's about the same length all over the face, making it easy to grow and maintain. Examples: Gerard Butler, Bradley Cooper
    • The Peach Fuzz: This style uses very short stubble to give a delicate, almost clean-cut look. Examples: Robert Pattinson, Ryan Gosling.
    • The Faux-tee: This stubble looks like a very short version of a goatee or a van dyke beard — the stubble is mainly around the nose and mouth, while the cheeks are clean-shaven. Examples: Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom.
    • The Shaggy: This style uses a somewhat longer stubble and a relaxed approach to grooming to give a rugged look. Examples: George Clooney, Idris Elba
    • The Wilderness: This wild, unkempt look is almost more of a short beard than it is a stubble style — wearing this will take some confidence, but when pulled off, the impression it gives is a strikingly masculine one. Examples: Russel Brand, Bear Grylls after a week in the woods.
  2. Pick a style that compliments your natural facial hair. Let's face it: not everyone grows facial hair in the same way. Some people have to shave every single day to stay clean-shaven, while others can put down the razor for weeks at a time and grow only a few wisps of hair. Keep in mind your natural ability to grow hair as you pick your stubble style — ideally, you want to pick a look that makes the most of your natural facial hair patterns, not one that's held back by them. Here are just a few things to consider:
    • If your facial hair comes in patchy, don't pick a style that requires thick hair growth on parts of your face where you can't grow any. For example, if you grow hair around your mouth, nose, and chin, but you have a hard time growing hair on your cheeks, don't pick a style like the "All-over" above — you're probably better off with a "Faux-tee" or a "Peach Fuzz."
    • If you have facial hair that's close to the color of your skin, be prepared to grow a little extra if you'd like your stubble to "stand out."
  3. Consider how your stubble will pair with your hair. When you're picking out a stubble style, don't forget about the hair on your head! In general, the more hair you have overall (head + face), the "shaggier" the impression you'll give. Use this to your advantage as you pick your stubble style and ensure that the look you choose is the one you want.
    • For instance, if you have a long hairdo and long stubble, you can give yourself a very "Old Testament" vibe. This can be a good look for some, but not for all!
    • On the other hand, if your hairline is receding, you may be able to get away with growing thicker stubble than you normally would — simply put, this can "balance out" the amount of hair on your face.
  4. For best results, pick up some stubble-shaping tools. Before you find yourself with stubble that you have no way of maintaining, get yourself the tools you need to stay looking great. Below is a small selection of supplies frequently recommended for stubble maintenance — you may not need all of them:
    • Adjustable beard trimmer
    • Stubble trimmer/mini foil shaver
    • Safety razors
    • Exfoliating, moisturizing skin lotion
    • Shaving gel

Growing Your Stubble

  1. Take a few days' break from shaving. Growing a good layer of stubble is just as much about what you don't do than about what you do. If you're clean shaven, start by simply not shaving! Depending on the speed at which your hair grows, you should start seeing stubble form within about one to three days.
    • If you currently have a beard and you want to switch to stubble, give yourself a clean shave, then wait for your hair to grow. Alternatively, you can use a very short setting on your beard trimmer to go directly from a beard to an All-over stubble style.
  2. Wait until your stubble grows to the ideal length. This step will be different for everyone — some people may only need to wait a day to get to the amount of stubble they want, while others may need to take a week or more. This also depends on the style of stubble you've chosen. For example, all other things being equal, the "Wilderness" stubble style described above will take longer to grow than the "Peach Fuzz" style. Be patient — the average beard grows about 1/2 inch per month.
    • Keep in mind that, for many people, certain patches of hair on the face grow faster than others. If this is the case for you, you'll want to wait until the fasting-growing patch of hair on your face is the right length. In other words, don't wait for your slow-growing patches to "catch up" to the fast-growing ones before you go to the next step.
  3. Shave the hair off of your neck. Once you've got your stubble to just the right length, it's time to shape it. Again, there's no "right" way to do this, but if you don't have any special opinion on the matter, use the short steps below to give yourself a "clean" look and a well-defined chin. If you're going for a "shaggier" look, you don't have to trim your neck hair, but don't let the hair on your neck get longer or more prominent than the hair on your face.
    • Use a stubble trimmer, a mini foil shaver, or a safety razor to shave a line under your chin. Unless you're going for a "chinstrap" look, this should be a few inches behind your natural chin line — to about where the bottom of the chin meets your neck.
    • Shave the hair on the neck below your new stubble line. Take care around the Adam's apple to avoid cuts.
    • Give your neck a final review to ensure it's looking good. Your neck itself should be clean-shaven and tidy, while your stubble should wrap around the bottom of your chin all the way to your sideburns (or, if you don't have any, where they would be) with a straight, clean line.
  4. If desired, shape the hair under your cheekbones. Now, if you'd like to, it's time to shape the top of your beard. Again, for shaggier stubble styles, this isn't necessary, but it won't hurt either. There are generally two ways to do this:
    • Use a stubble trimmer or a safety razor to shave a straight line from the bottoms of your sideburns to the outer edges of your mustache.
    • Shave a curved line in a downward "oval" pattern so that your beard connects with the edges of your mustache.
  5. Finish with a refreshing face wash. When you're satisfied with your stubble, remove stray hairs from your face and leave yourself feeling great with a cold water rinse. This will also close your pores and soothe your skin, which is nice if you have delicate skin that is irritated by shaving.
    • You may also want to use a gentle non-scented lotion at this point to moisturize your skin and keep it feeling soft. Refrain if you cut yourself shaving — lotion in a cut can seriously sting.

Maintaining Great-Looking Stubble

  1. Keep your stubble the correct length with an adjustable shaver. The tricky thing about wearing stubble is that you can't simply let it be — you have to trim it about as frequently as you'd shave your face to stay clean-shaven. Otherwise, you'll eventually grow a beard! Use an adjustable beard trimmer or stubble trimmer set to the same length as your stubble to keep it looking just right.
    • If different patches of your facial hair grow at different rates, this is extra important. If you followed the instructions above, you started your stubble when the fastest-growing patch of your facial hair was the correct length. This means that you need to keep your fast-growing patch to a reasonable length while the rest of your hair "catches up." If you don't do this, by the time all of you hair is the correct length, part of your beard may be beard-length, giving you an uneven appearance.
  2. Keep your lines well-defined (or don't!) In addition to controlling the length of your stubble, you'll want to keep the lines that mark the top and bottom of the stubble clean unless you're deliberately going for a "rough" look. This is fairly easy: just use a safety razor or a trimmer set to its closest setting to re-shave the lines on your cheeks and beneath your chin, taking care not to shave any of your stubble off by accident.
    • As mentioned above, if you're going for a more unkempt look, you can let the lines that define your stubble get a little blurry. However, you'll still probably want to keep hair off of your neck and cheekbones.
  3. Exfoliate to keep your beard and skin healthy. You don't necessarily need to use any product on your stubble to keep it looking good (especially if it's on the shorter side.) However, a little exfoliating action on the face is always a good option to consider, as this removes dead skin cells, leaving the skin under your stubble brighter and clearer. In addition, exfoliation lifts the hairs of your beard, making them slightly easier to shave.
    • To exfoliate, use a mild, micro-bead free rub — micro-beads, the tiny plastic beads in many exfoliating products, are known to pollute local water supplies after they're washed down the drain.
    • You can also try exfoliating your facial skin with a mild brush while you bathe. Don't scrub so hard or so long that your skin becomes sore. Not only will this hurt — it will also leave your skin irritated, flaky, and vulnerable to infection.
  4. Err on the side of cooler water when bathing. Piping hot showers can feel great on cold mornings, but if you can stand it, try to turn the temperature down to mildly warm. Hot water can strip your skin of its vital oils, leaving your skin delicate and dried-out. If you have stubble (particularly thick stubble), this can be especially bad, as it can give you a condition a little like "facial dandruff" where tiny flakes of skin fall off of your face when you rub your stubble.
    • A moisturizing lotion can help with dry skin underneath your stubble. Try applying it once in the morning and once before you go to bed for lasting softness and smoothness.

Tips

  • Even though some boys begin growing facial hair in their early teens, there are many, many communities where it is considered unacceptable for young men to grow facial hair before adulthood. If you're below the age of adulthood and you're not sure whether it's a good idea for you to grow stubble, ask your parent or guardian.
  • In general, the older you are, the thicker facial hair it's considered acceptable for you to grow (however, there are many exceptions to this rule.) For instance, while a 17 year old may be able to get away with some light stubble, a full beard may draw looks.
  • Note that sometimes, even adults have good reasons not to grow facial hair. For instance, in many nations' militaries, growing facial hair without permission can be met with harsh punishment.
Теги:
Information
Users of Guests are not allowed to comment this publication.