1 Week Stubble: 7 Days To Bearded Glory

Good things come to those who wait. Sometimes, you really don’t need to wait all that long. Here’s what you need to know about 1 week stubble. 

After 7 days, stubble will have grown to 3 to 4 mm in most men. There’s enough there for it to no longer be called “light stubble”. But it’s still a length range that can be considered subtle, easy to work with, and easy to keep neat. 

The beauty of stubble is that it’s easy to experiment with. If one day you feel like growing it, it won’t take long. 

If you wake up one day and decide you want a change, trim it down or shave it off. Trust me, it’ll grow back before you know it. 

A week really isn’t that long to wait. 

What you’re about to learn is everything you need to know about this length of stubble. This includes what it looks like, its benefits, and how to maintain it. 

Let’s get to it. 

What Does 1 Week Stubble Look Like? 

Although the length can vary from one man to another, one-week stubble will usually look neat, suave, and sophisticated. 

But this is only if it’s maintained properly. 

The borders need to be well-defined, with a stubble neckline at the correct height, as well as neat, symmetrical cheek lines. 

Sticking to these basic grooming habits should ensure the stubble doesn’t look lazy or untidy. 

This will always be a risk, particularly when you’re working with stubble that isn’t short (like we are here). 

But after a week of growth, it’ll be easier to shape and style the stubble compared to a 5 o’clock shadow, for instance. 

If the neckline is at the correct height and nicely follows the angle of the jawline, 7-day stubble can really add definition to the jawline. 

It’s great for contouring the face. 

Plus, it’s great for adding a masculine edge to a face without having to commit to the maintenance requirements of a full beard. 

How Long Is 1 Week Stubble? 

It’s usually around 3 – 4mm in length. This would be the length you would expect to have grown after a week, although growth rate can vary greatly between men. 

Some men grow stubble faster, while others grow it slower. Don’t focus on it too much. 

Just have a reasonable expectation of what you can expect to see. 

A 3mm beard would usually be labeled “medium stubble”, while a 4mm beard would be called “heavy stubble”. 

So, after 7 days, you can expect your facial hair to be one or the other. 

There are some men who may have grown a 5mm stubble beard by this point, but it’s quite rare to have grown a full beard (i.e  >5mm) already. 

6 Benefits Of One Week Stubble

If you’re wondering whether this length of stubble is for you, this should convert you into a firm believer. 

It’s unlikely that all of these benefits will appeal to you, but there’s a good chance at least one will. 

1. It Doesn’t Take Long To Grow

This might sound obvious, but this benefit is way more valuable than you may initially think. 

Choosing one-week stubble as your length of choice will make experimenting so much easier. 

One of the main difficulties with growing longer facial hair lengths is that you’re constantly scared you’re going to mess something up. 

One awkward slip of the wrist and that trimmer is going to mow through weeks of growth. You then have to trim it all down and start from scratch. 

Nightmare. 

When you’re dealing with 1 week stubble, you can experiment with trimming, shaping, and styling without fear. 

Sure, you may mess something up now and again. But it’s no big deal. 

Simple shave it off and start again. You’ll be back at square one in 7 short days. 

2. It’s Pretty Easy To Maintain 

This medium / heavy stubble range is also convenient because it’s relatively easy to maintain. 

Yes, the borders will need to be well-defined and the neck stubble neatly shaved off. 

But you won’t need to trim it down as frequently as would have to if you were trying to maintain short stubble. 

For example, if you were trying to maintain a 0.5mm beard (5 o’clock shadow), realistically, you’d have to trim down every day. 

Even the growth of 1 millimeter would be obvious and take you outside of your desired stubble length range. 

But when we’re dealing with the medium or heavy stubble lengths that would have grown after 1 week, a millimeter here or there is no big deal. 

You’ve got a bit of breathing space and you could put off that stubble trim for another day or two. 

3. It’s Easy To Shape

After one week of solid growth, the stubble should be long enough to easily shape to your desire. 

The difficulty with shorter stubble lengths is that there’s not much there to work with. 

For example, trying to shape a 1mm or 2mm stubble beard is often difficult because it isn’t thick enough to sculpt effectively. 

It’s also quite difficult to visualize in the first place. 

But when you’ve got 3 – 4mm worth of stubble, you could shape it into something a little more complex and interesting. 

Why not try a stubble goatee or a stubble goatee with a chinstrap? 

You’ve got enough length there to experiment and have some fun with. 

If all you were looking to do was trim a classic stubble beard with hair on the chin, cheeks, and mustache, this doesn’t really make much of a difference. 

But if you were looking to sculpt it and try something a little more unique, 7-day stubble would be a great option. 

4. It Usually Isn’t Patchy

One week stubble usually isn’t quite long enough to look very patchy. 

Short stubble may be better in this department, however, because when facial hair is shorter the difference between thicker areas of growth and the bare patches are less obvious. 

But one week stubble is still short enough to benefit from this illusion. 

When facial hair becomes proper heavy stubble (i.e 5mm long) or treads into short beard territory (> 5mm long), patches tend to become a little more obvious. 

Staying within this medium stubble / bordering heavy stubble range is a great way to keep the stubble looking neat and even. 

5. It’s Softer Than Short Stubble

One of the best ways to soften stubble is simply to grow it out a little longer. 

A general principle to remember is that the shorter the facial hair, the sharper the edges. These edges round off as the hair gets longer. 

As a result, the edges feel softer to touch. 

Although one week stubble isn’t as soft as 5mm stubble or a short beard, it’s still softer than short stubble and doesn’t feel too abrasive or rough against the hand. 

This is particularly helpful if you’ve got a partner that just hates the feel of stubble against their cheeks. 

Growing out just a little longer may be all that’s necessary. 

If one week stubble is still too rough, you may need to try growing it out even more. 10-day stubble may be a better option. 

6. It’s Long Enough To Dye

Dyeing stubble is way more popular than you might think. 

Although the silver fox look and the salt and pepper beard is definitely trending as well, there are many men who want to dye and darken their stubble to reclaim some youth. 

The problem with dyeing stubble is that it’s difficult to do without staining the skin. 

It’s due to the facial hair being so short. 

After one week of growth, you may just have enough to work with. It would usually be best to wait until you’re in heavy stubble range (4-5mm) before you do it. 

If a week of growth is enough to push you into a 4mm beard, you’ve got a good chance. 

Maintenance Tips For One Week Stubble

These are basic stubble grooming habits that’ll serve you well when working with this length range. 

The main objective will always be to keep the stubble looking neat and intentional, as opposed to accidental. 

Stubble hasn’t developed the best of reputations over the years due to its association with lazy, untidy, unshaved men. 

But maintaining it and grooming it is the key to fighting back. Stubble can look very impressive when looked after properly. 

• It may sound weird, but brushing with a boar bristle beard brush can be particularly effective with heavier stubble lengths. You may find that after 7 days of growth it’s simply too short to gain any benefit from it. But brushing can often make stubble look neater, thicker, and less patchy. 
• Using beard oil on stubble is also a great way to keep it well-moisturized and smelling great. Don’t get fooled into believing that beard oil is only for the fully-bearded man. 
• Define the borders. I know I’ve mentioned this already, but it’s so important that it’s worth repeating. Keep the stubble neckline and cheek lines well-defined at all times. 

Conclusion

Patience is crucial when growing facial hair. Time will generally fix most bearded problems. 

You’ll have awkward phases you’ll eventually work your way through. But boy can it get frustrating sometimes. 

1 week stubble is great because you really don’t need much time to get the results you want. 

There isn’t much patience necessary. 

Hopefully, this article has helped you figure out whether it’s the stubble length for you. If it is, you now know how to maintain it in the most effective way possible as well. 

Enjoy.