A man with a salt-and-pepper short boxed beard standing in a bathroom.

How to Achieve the Short Boxed Beard

What is a Short Boxed Beard?

The Short Boxed Beard (sometimes called a corporate beard) is a neatly trimmed alternative to Full Beard, minus volume or thickness. It’s closely cropped, neatly groomed, and follows your beard’s natural shape. Complements angular, oval, heart-shaped or round faces. Never goes out of style.

How to Achieve the Short Boxed Beard Step-by-Step

1. Start with a Clean Face

Wash and dry your face before you trim. Then use a styling comb to brush your facial hair in the direction of hair growth.

2. Trim away Strays

Shave away the stray whiskers from the less dense areas of your cheeks. This will highlight cheekbones and other bone structure before you begin to define the sloping contours from your sideburns.

3. Define Beard Shape

Using the natural borders of your beard growth as a guide, use your Wahl beard trimmer to create a sloping border from your sideburn to the mustache. The key is to remove as few whiskers as possible to keep regular maintenance to a minimum.

4. Match Both Sides

Repeat the last step on the other side of your face. Try to maintain a balance between both sides of your face so the beard appears symmetrical.

5. Perfect Beard Neckline

To create a lower border and a smooth, well-defined beard on your neckline, measure 1 to 2 inches (or two finger widths) beneath your jawbone and remove any hair below that line with your trimmer. Ensure you finish with a smooth, natural-looking line by trimming along the neckline under the jawline and along the border at the sides. Short and neat is your goal, blending away the strong line.

6. Maintain Your Beard

Use your trimmer 2 to 3 times a week to maintain the borders and length. The color and density of your beard will determine its ideal length. Trimming to a 1/4 inch is a good start. Dark beards tend to look fuller than lighter whiskers. If your beard is blonde or red, allow it to grow a little longer to appear full and filled-in.