It sounds simple enough. In many ways, it really is. But when it comes to maintaining perfect 1-day stubble, there’s just a little more to it.
Here’s everything you need to know.
There’s a risk.
The risk is coming across as a man who’s simply forgotten to shave. That’s not the look you want.
You want to come across as a man with effective and highly intentional 1-day stubble. There’s nothing accidental or lazy about it.
That’s what you’re about to learn, together with a whole lot more.
You need to know how long it is, what it looks like, how to maintain it, and why it works so well.
Let’s get to it.
How Long Is 1 Day Stubble?
1-day stubble is approximately 0.5mm – 1mm long.
This is the length of stubble that the average man can expect to have grown after one day of growth, presuming he starts from a clean-shaven face.
As always, I have to emphasize that this is an estimate. Some men may grow a tiny bit more, while other men might grow a tiny bit less.
But in general, 0.5mm-1mm is a pretty good bet.
It’s very short stubble.
What Does 1 Day Stubble Look Like?
The length is just about long enough to be noticeable. In fact, many men who have simply forgotten to shave for a day regularly rock this length without even knowing it.
But as I mentioned earlier, there’s a difference between this “accidental” stubble and glorious, intentional-looking 1-day stubble.
The key difference is maintenance.
1-day stubble that’s been properly groomed and maintained will look so much more impressive.
The beauty of it is that it’s so simple to achieve.
Essentially, it needs to be trimmed down to a 1-day stubble length (0.5 – 1mm). This way, the stubble hairs will be even in length and look tidier as a result.
In addition, neck stubble needs to be shaved. Neck stubble almost always looks untidy and is the mark of an accidental beard.
But before I get too ahead of myself here, let’s get right to the tutorial.
How To Maintain Perfect 1-Day Stubble
This is a simple, step-by-step tutorial on how to maintain this fantastic and versatile length of stubble.
The style it results in is classic stubble. In other words, nothing fancy. Just hair on the chin, cheeks, and mustache, with the borders well-defined.
1. Grow It Out For A Couple Of Days First
Remember, the best results are achieved when you trim down to your desired length. In this case, our desired length is 0.5-1mm.
In order to trim down to a certain length, you need to grow it longer than that length first.
Two or three days after shaving should do the trick.
After this length of time, you should have enough length to trim down from.
This is really only relevant for your first time doing this. After you’ve successfully trimmed down to a 1-day stubble length, you can simply follow the next steps on a daily basis.
2. Wash Your Face
Although this might seem too basic to include as a separate step, it’s importance can’t be underestimated.
Grooming stubble effectively is much simpler when you’ve got a clean face.
3. Trim Down To A 1-Day Stubble Length
You’ll be better off using a stubble trimmer here. A stubble trimmer is different to a regular beard trimmer because it’s able to trim down to very short lengths.
Plus, the increments between the lengths it trims down to are very small indeed. We’re talking increments of around 0.5mm usually.
This will give you so much control when trimming your stubble.
Having said that, if you’ve got a regular beard trimmer that can trim as short as 1mm, you’ll also be fine.
So, set your trimmer to your desired length (0.5mm-1mm) and start trimming.
Pull the skin a bit taut as you trim to avoid cuts and also to ensure you catch those trickier hairs. It’ll give you a more even trim.
In general, you’ll want to trim against the grain (i.e against the direction of hair growth). This produces the most even-looking trim in the shortest amount of time.
But given the wonderfully multi-directional nature of facial hair, you’ll really need to vary the angle of your trimmer in order to do this.
Once you’ve trimmed it all down and you’re happy with the result, it’s time to move on.
4. Shave The Neck Stubble
Be careful here.
You want to remove all that stubble crawling across your neck, but you want to do it the right way.
Essentially, you want to shave the stubble beneath the neckline.
The neckline is the border where your neck hair ends and your neck skin begins.
It should be well-defined and set at the correct height – not too high and not too low. It’s a U-shaped curve that roughly follows the angle of the jawline on either side.
Keeping the lowest point set around two finger-widths above the Adam’s Apple is a good rule of thumb to follow.
A neckline that’s too high will lead to an awkward double-chin appearance, particularly from a side-on view when your mouth is open.
Once you’ve visualized the rough outline,
Use the edge of the blade to sharpen up and define the neckline.
When shaving, try to shave with the grain as much as possible. In other words, in the direction of hair growth.
5. Moisturize
This is an essential part of most grooming routines, but it’s particularly important in areas you’ve shaved.
Moisture is a key antidote to the irritation caused by shaving.
Benefits Of 1-Day Stubble
Following the routine I’ve outlined above pretty much guarantees fantastic 1-day stubble.
But the question is, is it for you?
There’s a chance that very short stubble such as this may not do it for you.
You may be better off with medium stubble or even heavy stubble. After all, it’s longer, more noticeable, and potentially even a little more masculine.
Here are a few reasons why 1-day stubble may well be the facial hair length you want to adopt as your own.
1. The Shadowing Effect
The length we’re discussing is a little longer than the famous “5 o’clock shadow”.
A 5 o’clock shadow is formed 8-9 hours after a shave – hence the name.
After one whole day, you should have noticeably longer stubble than this. But still, the shadowing effect is definitely prominent.
What it refers to is the fact that the short stubble produces a subtle darkening effect on the lower portion of the face.
Interestingly, this adds definition to the facial features. The jawline and cheekbones look more pronounced and chiseled thanks to this gentle shadowing.
Longer stubble does still add definition to the facial structure. But after a certain length, facial hair starts to obscure facial features instead of subtly defining them.
2. It’s Versatility
It’s hard to deny that there are certain workplaces or professions where facial hair is unfortunately frowned upon or even banned.
Strict corporate workplaces come to mind.
But the beauty of 1-day stubble is that it’s incredibly versatile.
There are few, if any, contexts in which it would be considered inappropriate. It’s noticeable, but not obvious.
It definitely isn’t a defining feature of your face and won’t draw much attention at all.
The effects are subtle and understated. That’s the beauty of it.
3. It’s Not Itchy
The dreaded itch of facial hair usually kicks in when you reach heavy stubble or even a short beard.
After a day of growth, the stubble really isn’t long enough to feel uncomfortable at all.
In fact, you quite literally won’t even notice it’s there until you rub your fingers over it.
Leading on from that, however, it’s important to note that it can feel uncomfortable when rubbed against the faces of others.
Your partner will be the first to make you aware of this.
The shorter the stubble, the sharper it feels. As it grows longer, the edges round off and it’ll feel softer.
Sure, there are things you can do to soften stubble but when you’re dealing with very short stubble such as this, it isn’t easy.
This is just something to bear in mind, as it may be a potential downside to this stubble length.
But when it comes to your own itch, you shouldn’t feel much at all.
Conclusion
There you have it. Hopefully, everything you could ever want to know.
See how you like it. There aren’t really any excuses not to try it out. After all, it literally just takes a day to grow and a few minutes to shave off if you aren’t a fan.
Remember to maintain it properly and you should be golden.
Enjoy.
Ready Sleek founder. Obsessed with casual style and the minimalist approach to building a highly functional wardrobe. Also a fan of classic, vintage hairstyles.