After much deliberation (and with Movember as the perfect cover story) you have decided to grow out your moustache for the first time. Now, perhaps, you're researching the best way to go about it, instead of finishing that piece of work you know you should be doing. Either way, we're not going to waste your time. In this article we go deep on moustache theory so you'll know exactly what to do, and then you can get back to that other stuff.
Tip 1 - You may question everything. Be prepared
This is not a journey for the faint-hearted. Along the way you may experience mild embarrassment, social anxiety, itchiness, a delay in recognising your own reflection, and weird looks from your friends and family. It will definitely change the way you eat, and you'll probably never kiss quite the same way again. For a thin strip of hair only a few centimetres long, the moustache can have a massive impact on your identity.
But it's not all that bad. Your moustache will help add contrast to your face, changing your look. You can also have a lot of fun with it. You can twist it, twirl it, keep it thick like a bratwurst or thin like a pencil. It will give you a gentlemanly, yet rugged appeal.
Tip 2 - The first stage is rough but you can soften the blow
When you shave, the ends of the hair are cut so the shaft has sharp 90 degree angles. As the hair starts to grow out it is relatively stiff and wiry. Take these facts together and basically it means you’ve got sandpaper on your upper lip. It might not bother you but if you’re going in to snog that significant other, be mindful you don’t scratch their face off. If it gets too much to bear you can take the edge off with something that will soften the hair like a couple drops of quality beard oil.
Tip 3 - Getting through the awkward stage with some creativity
After about a week you’re going to get into that awkward mid phase. It doesn’t look like you’re in between shaves any more, but you don’t have a full moustache either. It might feel like you’re either too lazy to shave or you can’t grow a moustache properly but you’re doing it anyway. During this stage you could feel like it just isn’t worth it. Besides, it’s too weird seeing this shadowy tuft of hair under you nose anyway.
Never fear though. This is an oft travelled path whenever you adopt a new facial hair style. See all those guys out there with epic mo’s and beards? They went through this too. A couple weeks and it will be over. If this stage really bothers you, we’ve got a little hack that a lot of guys find useful. Rather than let the mo grow and shave the rest of your beard off, try growing out your whole beard at the same time. The stubble look is quite trendy now anyway (and according to science, women find this look the most attractive on a man). Once you’re past the awkward phase you can simply shave of the beard and voila, you’ve got yourself a moustache.
Bonus tip. If you do decide to grow the beard out, the difference between looking hipster versus looking homeless all comes down to clean lines. Make sure you shave that peach fuzz from the top of your cheeks and under your neck to give your beard a neat high contrast margin. A quality single blade razor (like cut throat or double edge safety razor) and a clear shave gel (that allows you to see what you’re shaving so you don’t remove too much) is perfect for this job.
Tip 4 – Getting around the eating and drinking problems
In the final stage, your moustache has fully grown out, perhaps to the point where it might even overhang from your top lip. This is where another common problem creeps in. Actually it’s more like two problems. The first is your moustache can get dragged into your mouth when you eat and drink. This quite literally sucks. As the hair goes into your mouth it tugs uncomfortably on the skin. What’s worse, it can happen with every bite and every sip.
There are two solutions to this. The first, if you like keeping the moustache long, is to apply some high hold moustache wax and part the hairs either side of your mouth from the mid point. This will train the hair horizontally across the top lip and not down into the mouth. We recommend an oil based wax because it won’t dissolve and wash into your stomach every time you have a drink. The other solution is to trim the moustache with trimming scissors or clippers. Using the top lip as your guide, we recommend trimming just what is above your lip and keep the edges longer if you want. That way you have the option to twirl your mo, or curl it downward or upward at the ends for a little more flare.
That other problem with moustaches generally is that food and beverages can get stuck in it pretty easily. You know, that froth on your cappuccino, or the head on your beer? Yeah they will create a white forthy mess that hangs onto your moustache and could instantly make you look a little odd. The ways around this are simple. As much as practical, avoid foods or drinks that do this (because frankly most don’t) and keep a napkin / handkerchief on the ready so you can perform a quick clean up between enjoying the tasty delight in front of you.
Boom, that’s it folks, our top tips for growing out the moustache. Have me missed anything? Maybe. Let us know in the comments down below if you have any to add and if it’s worthy we will update this post so future moustachioed men can get all the heads up they need to rock a hairy upper lip.
For more moustache and bearducation, why not head over to our BLOG ARCHIVE. Just enter your search term and we're bound to have something on it. Here are some other articles that might interest you:
1. Crazy interesting moustache facts
2. Answers to annoying moustache questions
3. How to style your moustache using mo wax
4. Growing a moustache? Do it right!
5. Moustaches and the military
6. How to create the stubble and stache look
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