Spring has come again, and all sorts of new growth is sprouting; grass, flowers, and the long, mountain-man beards of professional baseball. What do you do if you want to keep the benefits of a beard but know you can’t sport Brian Wilson‘s look at work? The short boxed beard may be for you.
What Is a Short Boxed Beard?
The short boxed beard is a trimmed beard and mustache that covers the whole jawline and upper lip. It has similar coverage to the full beard but is kept trimmed down so it doesn’t get bushy.
Instead of letting the beard grow as high up on the cheeks as it will naturally, the short boxed beard is shaved down to within an inch or two of the jawbones from the top. It’s also shaved underneath from the neck to the base of the jaw to give good, solid lines.
The short-boxed beard is the one you probably imagine on a scientist or a professor. It’s the most professional option for fuller beard styles.
How Do You Make a Short-Boxed Beard?
To create a short boxed beard, you will need to trim and shape your beard to a specific length and style. Here are the general steps to follow:
- Start by growing out your beard to the desired length. A short boxed beard typically sits around 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length.
- Use clippers or scissors to trim the beard to the desired length. Use a guard on your clippers to ensure that the beard is cut to the same length all over.
- Using a comb, comb your beard to get it neat, and then use a trimmer to define the edge of your beard, following the natural lines of your face.
- To make the beard look more square shape, Use a razor or trimmer to create a straight line from the sideburns down to the bottom of the beard.
- Finally, use a trimmer or scissors to shape and trim any stray hairs to create a neat, clean look.
Note: It’s always a good idea to start with a longer length than you think you want and then trim down until you’re happy with the look. Also, it’s recommended to take it slow and make small adjustments as you work to achieve your desired look.
How Long Does it Take to Grow a Short Boxed Beard?
The time it takes to grow a short boxed beard can vary depending on a number of factors, including your individual rate of hair growth, genetics, and overall health. On average, most men will be able to grow a short boxed beard in about 4-6 weeks.
Hair growth is an ongoing process and everyone’s hair growth rate is different, some men may grow their beard faster or slower than others. Additionally, if you’re starting with patchy or uneven growth, it may take longer to achieve a full, even short boxed beard.
Be patient, as the hair will grow at its own pace. You can’t force your hair to grow faster, but you can maintain healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress. These things can help your hair grow in a healthy way.
Even though it might take some time to grow a short boxed beard, it doesn’t require much maintenance once it’s at the desired length, just regular trimming to keep the edges neat and tidy.
How to Maintain a Short Boxed Beard
Maintaining a boxed beard requires regular grooming and trimming to keep it looking neat and tidy. As your beard grows you may need to adjust your trimming and grooming routine to account for changes in length and shape. Check your beard every few days and trim any stray hairs as needed.
Following this regular grooming routine and patience is the key to maintaining a healthy, stylish boxed beard.
Tips for maintaining a boxed beard:
- Trim the beard regularly: Use clippers or scissors to trim the beard to the desired length, typically around 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length. Use a guard on the clippers to ensure that the beard is cut to the same length all over.
- Define the edges: Use a trimmer to define the edges of your beard, following the natural lines of your face. This will help keep the beard looking neat and clean.
- Create a straight line: Use a razor or trimmer to create a straight line from the sideburns down to the bottom of the beard. This will help to create the square shape of a boxed beard.
- Shape and trim stray hairs: Use scissors or a trimmer to shape and trim any stray hairs to create a neat, clean look.
- Moisturize: A good beard oil or balm can help to moisturize and nourish the hair, keeping it looking healthy and shiny.
- Brush and comb: Regularly brushing and combing your beard can help to distribute oils and keep it looking neat and tidy.
Short Boxed Beard Advantages
The short-boxed beard can really do a lot for a man’s face by adding definition to his jawline and calling attention to his chin. For men with angular or heart-shaped faces, a beard can add needed balance to the lower half of the face. For round or oval faces, the short boxed beard adds needed straight lines and hard angles. It also emphasizes the cheekbones, since they aren’t covered in hair. A short-boxed beard can also cover a weaker chin or jawline, giving a more masculine look to the face.
The short boxed beard is the most professional look for facial hair. It lacks the 1970s feel of just a mustache and is more formal than a Vandyke or goatee, which need about the same amount of maintenance. Think of it this way: the head of an ad agency’s design department probably has a goatee; the CEO probably has a short-boxed beard.
Short Boxed Beard Disadvantages
For men with square faces, the short boxed beard will make the face look bottom-heavy and hide rather than enhance a naturally strong jawline. For diamond-shaped faces, the short boxed beard will add even more emphasis to the cheekbones, making the face look unbalanced. Even with the right face shape for this beard, shaving can be tricky – it can only be used to enhance an existing jawline, not create one on a man with a thick neck or double chin.
Without a doubt, the biggest drawback of this beard style is the amount of maintenance it takes to stay sharp. Most guys try a beard because they want to spend less time on grooming in the morning, not more. Unlike those unruly baseball playoff beards, the short boxed beard has to be trimmed and, ideally, oiled to maintain the hair’s smooth appearance. Shaving above and below the line of the beard must happen every day or two and getting the line even on both sides can be a big challenge, especially for men who haven’t had a lot of experience shaping a beard before. Cutting too much above or below can give the dreaded “chinstrap” look.
Because maintaining the short boxed beard requires so much shaving over the sensitive skin of the neck and throat, it’s usually a bad beard style for guys with pseudo folliculitis barbae or other shaving sensitivity issues. For men with past acne problems, this beard style calls a lot more attention to scars on the cheeks.
All in all, the short boxed beard is a great way to get the advantages of using a beard to frame your face while still keeping a professional look, so long as you can keep up with the maintenance. If you can’t? The MLB postseason starts in October. Tell people you’re already working on your playoff beard.
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