Are you looking to upgrade your beard game with an amazing 3mm beard?
If you answered yes, you’re in the right place!
In fact, the 3mm beard is one of the most popular short beard styles and millions of men wear it!
After growing this site for several years now and experimenting with beards for over a decade, I’m experienced enough to offer some helpful insights for the 3mm beard.
After reading this article, I’m hoping that you’ll avoid some of the pitfalls and mistakes I’ve made, wear the 3mm beard properly and look fantastic. Are you ready?
Let’s dive in!
What Is The 3mm Beard?
First things first, let’s make sure we are all on the same page.
The 3mm beard is simply a beard style that require you to have a beard that is 3mm long. This can be achieved either by trimming your longer beard down to 3mm or growing a beard from scratch up to 3mm and then maintaining it at this point.
The term 3mm beard is actually very generic, to be honest.
There is a variety of different beard styles you can wear and all can be 3mm long! (Obviously, I will give you examples later on)
For now, keep in mind that the 3mm beard (or 0.12 inch beard) is very versatile, millions of men wear it and makes you look both masculine and professional.
Who Is The 3mm Beard For?
The 3mm beard is perfect for those who wanna rock a beard but don’t like the detailed daily grooming routine that a long beard requires.
The 3mm beard is also amazing for men with patchy beards. You know, when you have a patchy beard, up to a certain extend, the longer the beard is the more visible the patches are.
This stops only when your beard is way too long and can cover the patches but again it doesn’t look good if you have many patchy areas.
A shorter beard makes these patchy areas less visible because the contrast is lower.
The final group of men that may like sporting a 3mm beard is men that want to look professional and well-groomed at all times.
Long beards can look professional in some cases but stubble beard always is. So, if you wanna wear your suit and look sexy just wear the 3mm stubble! Trust me.
Benefits Of The 3mm Beard
We already discussed most of this style’s benefits but let’s summarize them in this section.
So, the main benefits of the 3mm beard are:
- It is a low-maintainance beard style
- It is professional
- Awesome choice for guys with patchy beards
- Cost-effective style (requires very few grooming products)
- Enhances facial features
The first benefit of the 3mm beard is its low maintainance requirements. This makes it very time-effective. I think that if you oil your beard once a day and brush it for a minute to let it breathe and remove dead cells you will be fine.
Having said that, you understand you don’t have to detangle your beard, brush it for extended periods of time, style it, braid it, straighten it and so on.
This saves you so much time, doesn’t it?
The fact that you avoid the lengthy grooming routine also means you save money on these products. No beard wax, no beard straightener, no beard balm, no beard scissors, nothing!
You got my point, right?
Another benefit of the 3mm beard is that it enhances your facial features. A well-groomed 3mm beard can help define your jawline and cheekbones and makes your face look more angular. It can also make your face look slimmer and more symmetrical.
No need to talk again about the professionalism aspect and the fact that it creates the illusion of a thicker beard. I have discussed these above.
Awesome 3mm Beard Styles To Choose From
- The Full 3mm Beard
- The Goatee 3mm Beard
- The Van Dyke Beard
- The Beardstache
The full 3mm beard is very straightforward. You just need to trim your beard with 3mm guard evenly. You can create a neckline but that’s up to you. I don’t like necklines if the beard style is very short. I like the natural style. More manly, more masculine.
If you want to keep it simple, choose this style and you will not regret it.
The second style I highly recommend is the goatee style. The goatee style is a style that only requires facial hair on a man’s chin and optionally mustache. That’s the perfect style if you are not able to grow much facial hair on the sides.
Goatees have stood the test of time and millions of men wear them worldwide. Not my favorite but definitely an amazing option.
If you want to learn more about goatees and how to grow one you can read my full guide on goatee styles here.
The 3rd option I recommend you try is the Van dyke beard! The Van dyke goatee is just a unique variation of the traditional goatee.
Their main differences are two. The first difference is that the Van dyke beard has a disconnected mustache from the rest of the hair on the chin.
Their second difference is that the mustache is a bit longer and more prominent than the rest of the goatee. Some men even make their mustache handlebar.
This makes them very stylish and unique. You can try this style and see what which version fits you the best. If you don’t try different styles you aint gonna know if you like them or not!
Last but not least, I have a very special recommendation. That’s my favorite beard style. The beardstache. This is a modern and stylish stubble beard style that combines stubble beard with a relatively longer mustache.
To grow a 3mm beardstache you need to grow your beard 3mm long and then grow your mustache visibly longer than that. This may be 5mm.
This style is stunning and I see more and more men choosing. Also, women love men wearing this sexy style.
How To Grow A 3mm Beard Like A Pro
Obviously, the first step to grow and trim a 3mm beard is to choose which style you want to create. The four styles above are all awesome and definitely one of them will suit you.
After you ‘ve chosen your style, it is time to create it!
If you are clean-shaven, unfortunately, you have to let your beard grow to 3mm. Don’t worry you will be there in no time. At the end of the day, it is just hair.
On the other hand, if you have a longer beard you will need to trim it down to 3mm.
HERE pay attention! Some beard trimmers’ guard numbers correspond to mm and others to inches. What I mean by that is that Philips’ guard number 3 is not the same as Wahl’ guard number 3.
To get one of these styles, you should follow specific steps and I have created articles on all of them. In the section above I have links to everything (goatee, Van dyke, beardstache)
How Long Does It Take To Grow A 3mm Beard?
If we consider the average beard growth rate of 0.5 inches (12.7mm) per month, it should take around one week for facial hair to grow to a length of 3mm.
Keep in mind that the length of time it takes to grow a 3mm beard varies from person to person.
The time your beard needs to grow 3mm depends on genetics, age, and diet. It’s important to be patient and let your beard grow naturally, without trying to force it.
Additionally, it’s important to take care of your beard by using beard oil or balm to keep it healthy and nourished.
1mm Beard vs 3mm Beard
The 1mm beard is the shortest beard. This style is suitable for guys that don’t like much facial hair or their profession doesn’t allow them growing noticable beards.
You can experiment with the 1mm stubble because it is very short and safe but if I were you, I would definitely choose the 3mm beard.
The 1mm beard is nowhere near my likes, to be honest.
Having said that, you should wear the beard style that makes YOU feel confident no matter what other people think (including me).
3mm Beard vs 6mm Beard
Now we have a real debate.
The 6mm beard is 1mm longer than heavy stubble. It is something between heavy stubble and short beard.
This style is known to be the most attractive for women.
Women, interestingly, do not prefer men with very long or very short beards. Heavy stubble seems to be the sweet spot.
The 6mm beard is definitely an option you should seriously consider. In theory, it looks better than the 3mm beard.
However, it also has its drawbacks. The 6mm beard style requires more maintainance and effort than the 3mm beard. Also, if you have patchy areas the 6mm beard will make them very visible (unless you choose a goatee style).
One of the main advantages of a 3mm beard is that it can suit a wide range of facial shapes and styles. It can also be easier to maintain than a shorter beard, as it doesn’t require as frequent trims. Additionally, a 3mm beard can help to hide any imperfections or blemishes on your skin.
All in all, if I had to choose one I would be between the 3mm beardstache (mustache 5mm long) or the 6mm full beard. I would try both for 2 weeks each and then make my choice but that’s a tough one. That’s a really tough one.
2mm Beard Vs 3mm Beard
When it comes to facial hair, there are endless options for men to choose from. However, two of the most popular and versatile choices are the 2mm beard and the 3mm beard.
The 2mm beard is also known as light stubble. The only difference between the two styles is the length of the beard.
I think that the only benefit of the 2mm beard compared to the 3mm beard is that it helps men with thinner facial hair not to show their patchy areas.
On the other hand, the 3mm beard makes you look for masculine and badass. The 3mm beard offers a slightly longer length and a more defined appearance. This style is often preferred by men who want a bit more coverage and volume without committing to a full beard.
Both styles require the same level of maintainance (low).
All in all, if I had to choose from these two styles, I’d choose the 3mm beard.
Best Trimmers For Getting The 3mm Beard
It would be an omission by me, if I didn’t help you choose the right trimmer to create this amazing style. That’s why I have chosen and reviewed the best beard trimmers for achieving this specific style.
When it comes to choosing a hair clipper, these are the factors that you want to keep in mind.
- Corded Or Cordless
- How Strong The Clipper Is(Motor)
- Weight and Handle
- Variety Of Guards
- Maintainance Requirements
These are the most important parameters when we choose hair clippers.
Now, let’s see the best of them.
#1 Best On The Market – Panasonic ER-GP80 K Professional Hair Clipper
#2 Runner-up – Wahl Peanut Cordless Clipper/Trimmer
#3 Our Top Budget Option – Philips Series 5000 Norelco Electric Cordless
All of these tools are tested by us and they are very well-known and successful. We would never recommend anything that is not extremely valuable to YOU.
To Sum Things Up- The 3mm Beard
In conclusion, growing and maintaining a 3mm beard can be a great way to add some style and personality to your appearance.
When choosing a trimmer, consider factors such as versatility, precision, and battery life.
By following the tips you learned in this article and using the right tools, I am confident you can easily achieve and maintain a 3mm beard that suits your unique style and preferences.
And that’s really it for today’s article. I hope you found it interesting and helpful!
As always, if you have any questions or you just wanna share your thoughts leave your comment below and we will be more than happy to get back to you.
Until next time,
Stay safe,
Tasos
Tasos Moulios is the founder of Beardlong. He loves trying different beard and hair styles and blogs about them. The tips he shares come from his own experience and love for what he does.