Stubble Vs Clean-Shaven: Which One Women Prefer?

What should I go for? The stubble beard or the clean-shaven look?

If you are wondering which one you should choose, this article is for you!

The stubble vs clean-shaven dilemma comes very often as a question that we often receive from our readers.

In short, a stubble beard is a masculine style that women scientifically love. It gives more depth and a V-shaped face which should be your goal. On the other hand, a clean-shaven look makes you look younger and fresh but needs daily shaving.

Both styles are very successful and millions of men choose them.

In this article, we will discuss everything that is there to know about a stubble beard and a clean-shaven look, definitions, pros, and cons, famous people that prefer them, best styles, and more!

Once you have finished reading, we trust you’ll make up your mind.

Let us begin.

What Is A Stubble: The 3 Types of Stubble Beard

stubble beard

A stubble can be described as a beard that falls somewhere between a clean-shaven and short beard. This means that you are neither clean-shaven nor do you have the lengths of a full beard.

There are three kinds of Stubble Beard. These are the following:

Heavy Stubble Beard

Similar to the 10-day stubble beard, this is the longest of the stubble beards. It takes ten days to grow, and it has a length of 4-5mm (1/8 inch).

Medium Stubble Beard

This is a beard that takes approximately 3-5 days to grow. It is sometimes also called the 3-day beard.

Light Stubble Beard

This is one to two-days old hair growth on your face, which is barely visible. It is similar to the 5 o’clock shadow look.

Read Also: How To Get Rid Of The 5 O’Clock Shadow

What Is Clean-Shaven And What It Means For You

what is clean-shaven

Clean-shaven looks have been historically associated with freshness, brightness, the openness of nature, and youthful energy.

If you cultivate a clean-shaven look, the chances are that the above qualities might be associated with you too, but then we are firm believers of the old saying.

Do not judge a book by its cover. Keeping that in mind will serve you well, too, and we leave it to you how you want to interpret your clean-shaven looks.

So, beard or no beard? Let’s compare them in detail!

Pros And Cons Of Stubble

Pros and Cons of Stubble

Let us look at the pros and cons of a stubble beard.

A zero effort look to keep

Stubble hair, due to the nature of its length, takes quite a bit of time to grow back. It will take anywhere between five days to two weeks to grow back. 

This means that you don’t have to bother with shaving or rigorous maintenance routines for those days.

The best part is that you can be up and running to any place in a matter of minutes. You just need to wash your face, dress up, and you’re ready.

A look for all seasons

The stubble beard is suitable for all kinds of weather. They also go along with all kinds of clothes or hairstyles.

Save money

Less shaving means less money on new blades. This means you can save up for other grooming products.

Women love the stubble

Scientific studies conducted by different Universities prove that. A large number of women were shown photos of men in different beard styles and the majority of them found men in a stubble beard to be the most attractive.

Read Also: The Beardstache Style

Cons of the stubble

Perception about the stubble beard

Many people tend to associate the stubble with laziness and lack of personal hygiene.

This being an issue of perception, it might lead you to not being able to wear the stubble beard on all occasions.

Beard trimmer beside you always

Not strictly a con, but if you are keen on a short stubble beard, you’ll find that upkeep for that requires you to shave every 2-3 days to keep the hair to desired lengths.

Having said that, a trimmer is a good long-term investment when you look at it from a cost vs. utility analysis.

Some employers might have an issue with the look

Many organizations with a 9-to-5 schedule are known to frown upon the stubble beard, and the chances are that they would prefer either a clean-shaven look or a full beard.

Read Also: Should You Shave Your Beard For An Interview?

Pros And Cons Of The Clean-Shaven Look

pros and cons of clean-shaven look

Pros of the clean-shaven look

The benefits of the clean-shaven look are many and significant as well.

Shaving removes dead skin cells

One of the side effects of a lot of facial hair growth is that it becomes difficult for the skin to shed dead cells. The dead cells then end up sticking to the skin, and your skin becomes dry and dull.

As dead cells cluster on your skin, additional problems such as itchiness, rashes, and dandruff start to occur.

Shaving the beard helps to pull out not only hair follicles but also the dead skin cells.

Shaving opens clogged pores

The pores on our skin let the skin breathe. Sweat and the natural oil produced by the body known as sebum make their way out through these pores. So, the pores need to open in order for us to have healthy skin.

When we don’t shave or take care of our beards, the pores can get closed due to the accumulation of dirt and dust, among other things. The accompanying result is diseases and skin ailments.

A clean-shaven look ensures that your skin remains healthy and clean.

Easier to manage

Maintenance of facial hair is a different beast altogether compared to growing one.

Facial hair has a different maintenance routine.  For example, you can’t use the same shampoo for your hair and your face. The products that you use on your facial hair are different from the ones for your hair.

If you feel that you don’t have the necessary time and patience required for your beard care, you’re better off keeping a clean-shaven look.

Allows moisture into your skin

The skin needs water to stay hydrated and healthy. However, when facial hair covers your face, it becomes difficult for the water to enter your skin.  The result is skin that is hydrated and dry with conditions such as itchiness, cracks, wrinkles, and flakiness.

 Keeping a clean-shaven look helps in smoothening the skin and helps it to easily absorb nutrients and water from moisturizers that you apply on your face.

It makes you look younger

Most people will agree when we say that a clean-shaven face gives you a younger look than your actual age. The benefits of shaving discussed above lead to facial skin that is clearer, healthier, and smoother.

Not all women like facial hair

Not every woman fantasizes about planting a kiss on your lips and getting her mouth entangled in hair.

Yes, not the prettiest thought! To avoid this from becoming a reality, many women will prefer men who have a clean-shaven look.

Hey, we are not judging, but it’s the human mind. Not everyone thinks alike.

Clean-shaven translates to cleaner and fresher looking men for many women.

Cons of the clean-shaven look

Nothing is absolutely flawless, and the same holds true for the clean-shaven look too.

You might be seen as a babyface

One of the biggest downsides of a clean-shaven face is that you might be perceived as immature or a babyface by certain women.

There is no variety in your looks

A clean-shaven face also looks the same 365 days a year, whereas when you have a beard, you can try different styles and cultivate variety in your looks.

While this is not really a deal-breaker for most women, clean-shaven can translate to plain and boring for many women.

It can be detrimental for those with sensitive skin

Repeatedly shaving the skin to keep it hair-free might not be the best option for people with sensitive skin. This can lead to rashes and outbreaks of pimples, redness, and soreness on the skin.

Do Women Prefer Men With Beard? Stubble Vs Clean-Shaven

beard or no beard

Multiple studies conducted by scientists at the University of New South Wales, Australia, and the University of Northumbria in the US studied the effects of facial hair on their perceptions of attractiveness and masculinity.

More than 100 women were shown photos of smiling men with different beard styles and clean-shaven looks. The respondents were asked to rate these photos based on how attractive they looked.

The survey results found that men with stubble were found to be most attractive to women.

So, there you have it. Facial hair is indeed attractive for women as it is seen as an unconscious indicator of maturity and masculinity.

Best Stubble Styles

The 5’O clock shadow

This stubble beard style is also known as the 1-day-beard. A 5 o’clock shadow beard will usually be 1 to 1,5mm in length, which takes around one day to grow and hence the name because we tend to shave early in the morning.

Simple yet eye-catching, this is the perfect stubble beard to outgrow your clean-shaven look.

The Classic Heavy Stubble

heavy stubble

The name itself tells you that this is the original heavy stubble look with hair covering the jawline, mustache, and cheeks.

Pay attention to the neckline and cheek lines to keep them clean and well-defined.

Simple yet elegant, this is a style that will never let you down.

The Patchy Stubble Beard

keanu reeves heavy stubble

Yes, even if you have patchy beard growth, you can still wear a stubble beard.

The key to successfully carrying off this style is to grow your mustache and soul patch heavier than the hair on your cheeks so that the focus is on the former. Keep your cheek beard well-trimmed for maximum effect.

Read Also: Keanu Reeves Patchy Beard Style

The Lazy Stubble 

As if the stubble itself being called lazy was not enough, you also have the lazy stubble that lets you cultivate the lazy look.

In this, you let the stubble grow beyond 10-day lengths but make sure that the neckline and edges are kept trimmed and clean.

Celebs that wear Stubble Beard

Some celebrities that have successfully carried off the Stubble Beard look are Jason Statham, Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Chris Pattinson & Jon Hamm.

Read Also: David Beckham Beard Styles

jon hamm beard

Celebs that are clean-shaven

Celebrities that look great in their clean-shaven avatars are Chris Evans, Drake, Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Prince William, and Bradley Cooper.

While the celebrities on this list have carried off different styles of beards in the past, we feel that they have looked their best in their clean-shaven avatar.

Conclusion

So, stubble vs clean-shaven – At the end of the day, the choice will be yours to make. Whatever you choose, make sure that you carry it off elegantly and in style.

If you ask our opinion, we clearly prefer the stubble look. This doesn’t mean that this look is definitely the best for you.

You may have a very patchy, scraggly beard or you may simply look amazing with the clean-shaven look. But, in most cases men look better with stubble beard look better than with the clean-shaven look.

We tried to compare clean-shaven vs beard in the best way possible and be as objective as we could so that you can form your own opinion and decide which is best for YOU. Not for everybody else.

You are different than anyone else. Don’t forget this.

And that’s it for today…I hope you found our article easy to read and helpful.

If you have any other queries about the stubble beard or the clean-shaven look, please feel free to comment below or write to us.

Are you ready to choose your styletoday, stay consistent, confident and look amazing?

Take action!

Until next time,

Stay safe,

Tasos

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