Caring for stubble may seem effortless, but maintaining that rugged yet polished look takes some thoughtful grooming. Whether your style is sporting a five o’clock shadow or a heavier scruff, it's important to keep things neat and, importantly, the skin underneath healthy.
Stubble has become a go-to look for many men in 2024, offering the perfect balance between a clean shave and a full beard. Without proper care, stubble can quickly go from stylish to scruffy, leading to issues like itchiness, dryness, and ingrown hairs, as well as looking a little unkempt.
While work is involved, keeping on top of things isn't as hard as it may seem at first, and we've compiled some useful tips and things to consider to achieve perfect looking stubble.
How to look after stubble: Tools and products
The first thing to start off with is the tools, the actual means of keeping your stubble and face healthy. We've spent many hours finding the best beard trimmers and the standout in 2024 is the Philips BT9000 Prestige, which has a very premium feel, an attractive design, and cuts hair very well.
Anyone on a budget should check out the Philips OneBlade 360. The handy 5-in-1 adjustable comb makes caring for your stubble simple, and the design is pleasingly lightweight. Some might find the design a bit garish, but you can't fault how it works.
An honourable mention should go to the Braun Beard Trimmer 7, too, but beyond beard trimmers, we also recommend getting to know beard oils, exfoliators and moisturisers which can also be helpful for those with more stubble or sensitive skin.
How to look after stubble: Decide on stubble length
Once you've got your trimmer, you'll need to think about how long you want your stubble to be. Different lengths – short, medium, and heavy – will affect your overall look and style. If you have long hair, you might want longer stubble, and vice versa.
All trimmers will come with different sized razor lengths, starting very short in some cases and working up to 5mm and above. See how to choose a beard trimmer for shorter beards for buying advice to style your stubble
How to look after stubble: Trimming for neatness
Since stubble is by definition not a beard, you are likely going to want to be trimming for neatness with your beard trimmer. You could also use other tools, like scissors for detailed trimming, or clippers for longer facial hair.
How often you trim your stubble is also part of how neat you want it. Some people like to shave fresh everyday, while others prefer to wait a day, in some cases to protect the skin underneath.
Shaping the edges to create clean lines around the neckline and cheeks and give a polished look may work for some people, too.
How to look after stubble: Skincare
While it's tempting to just focus on the actual hair, skincare is really important and shouldn't go forgotten. Exfoliation helps prevent clogged pores and ingrown hairs, while moisturising keeps skin hydrated to prevent dryness or irritation.
As I mentioned above, beard oil can also be helpful, including for shorter stubble length, by keeping the skin nourished.
How to look after stubble: Managing itchiness and irritation
Given that shaving your stubble involves close contact between a razor and your skin, it's common to experience having dry skin, razor burn, and itchiness. For some people, these symptoms can accompany every shave.
Applying soothing products like aloe vera gel or aftershave balm might help avoid some of the worst, and we recommend changing up your shaving style or method (eg. using shaving cream) if you are experiencing ongoing issues.
In some cases, your skin might need a break and switching to a longer cycle between close shaves can be beneficial.
How to look after stubble: Hygiene and cleanliness
Along with regularly showering, washing your face and stubble to remove dirt, sweat, and oils that can accumulate is key to a happy face and facial hair.
Some people might use beard shampoos or gentle cleansers to keep stubble clean, and anyone with greasier skin should consider these options.