How to grow and trim a short beard

Before you can think about how to style a beard of any kind, you’ll have to first grow out your facial hair. Patience here is vital – it might be extremely tempting to grab your razor to shave it all off at some point in the journey. That might be because you're in the itchy stage, you feel like it’s taking too long to grow or you don’t feel like you’re looking your best. But if you want to grow a boxed beard, you have to push past this stage.

And so to the inevitable question: how long does it take to grow a short beard? Well, there are a lot of factors to take into account – from your genetics to your lifestyle. Yes, even the quality of your sleep and diet can influence the speed of your facial hair growth. The same factors also apply to its thickness, so don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes you longer than some of your peers.

With those caveats out the way, here’s an answer for most people. It generally takes around 4 to 6 weeks to grow a beard that can be worked into a specific short style.

Once your beard grows into something substantial, brushing it with a non-plastic beard comb will help straighten and give volume to your beard. A well-made wooden comb will prevent hair static and hair-pulling pain. Using a beard comb also helps to optimise your blood circulation, directing it towards the hair follicles and stimulating growth.

Here’s a pro tip. It might seem unnatural at first, but brushing from bottom to top is actually the best way to make your beard appear full and gapless. Another thing: don’t brush your beard while it’s wet – this weakens the hair follicle and create knots, and you don’t want to have to deal with those! Once you have a strong, workable beard, you can move on to shaping your short beard.

Not all of our hairs grow at the exact same rate – even if it would make our lives a lot easier if they did. While some lucky men can pull off the more rugged look that comes with freely developing beards, the neat short beard look requires a little more TLC. This is why it’s important to learn how to trim a short beard.

Before actually getting to define your beard’s edges, you’ll want to make it less bushy so that it’s easier to work on. You could use a pair of scissors, but in today’s world there are far more precise options for an even trim. The safest and quickest way to trim your short beard well is to use a quality beard trimmer. Once you’ve picked one from our range, simply select your preferred millimetre length and work it on your beard to achieve a harmonious length.

Whatever your chosen short beard style, neat edges are key to a striking look. To create the perfect style with clean lines, your Braun trimmer will be your best ally. The crucial element of the whole operation is symmetry. Achieve an even look by clipping rogue hairs above your top line, which connects the sideburns to your moustache. Then, tidy up the sideburns so they are the same on both sides of your face. Next, move on to your neckline, which stops right above your Adam’s apple – it’s the trickiest area to trim due to its shape. For more precision and a clearer view of what you’re doing, remove the trimmer guard and proceed with care.

Now that you’ve successfully trimmed your short beard, the only step left will be to keep it that way. Washing your facial hair around twice a week with a bespoke beard wash will help remove dirt without stripping the precious natural oils away. Remember, the skin on your face is different from that on your scalp – a specially created beard oil or beard moisturiser applied after washing will help keep it looking its best. Beard moisturiser can also help prevent flaky skin and an itchy beard, so use it whenever you feel like you need it.

A range of short beards exists, from the French beard style to the elaborate mini triangle beard. But there is really something to be said about the short boxed beard, a mature, and sophisticated look that instantly commands respect. Once you’ve grown and prepared your beard for styling, there are two types of boxed short beard style for you to choose from: low and high. Although both styles feature strong sideburns, the main difference between them is where you shave in your cheek line. Remember – both of these styles can work to bring out the bone structure of your face, so choose the one that makes most sense for you.