The humble mustache isn’t to everyone’s taste and there are many men who aren’t a fan of keeping one, but there’s no denying the fact that mustaches have experienced a surge in popularity in recent times.
Celebrities have been sporting such a variety of mustache styles lately and truth be told, they have absolutely been rocking it!
If you are big on mustaches and are planning to take your facial hair game to a whole other, cooler level, now’s the time to do that! The best part is there are so many different types of mustache styles to choose from according to the shape of your face and your prominent facial features.
Not to mention, with November just around the corner, this is the ideal time for mustache growth.
However, there are many men who struggle with growing a proper mustache. If you are in the same boat, keep reading!
Tips for Growing A Mustache
Growing a mustache is a whole, long process that requires a lot of time, effort, care and patience. It’s not just about growing it, but what comes after is a whole other journey.
It requires choosing the right style, taking into consideration what would look good on you, patient trimming, using the right tools and products, and most importantly, keeping your mustache clean, neat, tidy, well-groomed, and nourished.
Some mustache styles are easy to achieve and don’t require a lot of grooming, but there are many popular ones that require a great deal of trimming, grooming, shaping, styling and aesthetic consideration.
To help you get started on your mustache journey, we’ve rounded up some key and important mustache growth tips that will help you achieve your preferred mustache style!
Choose A Mustache Style
Before we get to how to grow a mustache, the first thing you need to do is choose a mustache style. When it comes to mustache styles, Henry Cavill’s mustache from Mission Impossible is the one to beat. His mustache look was all the rage when the movie was released, and it’s still popular today!
The ideal way to go about it is to pick a style that you think will look best on you. A simple online search will show you a number of male celebrities sporting different mustache styles which you can explore in order to determine the one that’s best for you.
Consider the Shape of Your Face
When choosing a mustache style, one of the most important things you need to do is consider your face shape. There’s nothing more awkward than choosing the wrong mustache style for your face and ending up with an unflattering look.
First, figure out your face shape and specify your facial features. For instance, if you have very thin lips, it is best to go for a fuller mustache style.
In terms of face shape, if you have an oval or a square face, the classic chevron mustache is a great option to consider. For those with a round face, the horseshoe mustache is the one for you.
Grow A Beard First
Before you grow a mustache, it is best to grow a beard first for the first few weeks. This is simply because in the early stages when your nascent mustache starts making an appearance, it can look a little awkward and weird, especially if there’s no facial hair on the rest of your face.
So, proper beard growth is important to avoid the abrupt mustache transition phase. Once your mustache is thicker and fuller with enough hair to stand on its own, you can gradually trim your beard, keeping the length according to your preference.
Let the Mustache Grow
Once you have hair growing on your upper lip, the only thing you need to do here for proper mustache growth is to let it grow and be patient. It can take several weeks before you can finally use that trimmer because facial hair typically grows about 0.4mm a day which means patience is absolutely key here.
There’s a popularly held belief that trimming and shaving regularly can help grow facial hair faster, but truth be told, there’s nothing that can really make your beard grow faster.
So, sit back and relax, and let your mustache grow at its own pace!
Take Care In the Early Stages
It can take about 2-3 months for your mustache to emerge into prominence, however, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything at all.
Take good care in the early stages by keeping the beard well-groomed, neat and tidy. Once the mustache starts descending over the upper lip, make sure to remove all the strays with the help of a pair of clippers. Depending on the mustache style that you are going for, trim the hair accordingly in order to maintain a near, uniform appearance.
The idea here is that as the facial hair starts growing longer, notice the little changes and take appropriate action.
Track Your Progress
The process of mustache growth is like a marathon – the more amount of care and patience you put into it, the more you are likely going to be successful.
So, while you are waiting patiently, it is best to track the progress of your mustache growth stages either by measuring the length of the facial hair every now and then, or by taking pictures of it.
Keeping a track of the mustache growth timeline will help you learn and understand the growth patterns, and also determine if different seasons have a different impact on the growth of your facial hair.
Invest In Quality Tools
When growing out a mustache, it is essential that you invest in the right and quality tools such as a nice beard trimmer and pair of mustache scissors.
An electric trimmer with interchangeable heads is extremely useful when sculpting facial hair as it helps detail, customize, and shape your mustache accurately.
Scissors, on the other hand, will help spot-check your mustache for strays as well as snip it in a straight line across the lip if needed.
Trim and remove all unwanted facial hair which typically involves hair around the mouth, along and under the jaw, and on the cheeks.
Trim Your Mustache
Trimming your mustache correctly is the most important step once you’ve decided on a particular style. When trimming your mustache, you want to keep your hands as steady as possible because one wrong movement can lead to a facial hair disaster.
Follow the shape of your mouth when trimming and shaping the bottom of the ‘stache and make sure that the hair meets the top of your lip.
Comb your mustache once you are done trimming it to ensure that it’s trimmed evenly and perfectly from all sides.
Experiments with Different Mustache Styles
In case you haven’t decided on a mustache style, now’s the time to do that!
Once you achieve full mustache growth, you can experiment with different mustache styles to figure out which one suits you best. It all comes down to the way your facial hair grows, and areas where it’s most thick.
There are many different mustache styles that you can experiment with such as short styles like the pencil and boxcar mustache, and long styles like the selleck and walrus, for instance.
You can put your creativity to use here and even opt for different combo mustache styles.
Implement A Proper Mustache Grooming Regimen
Just like you follow a haircare and skincare routine, you must also adopt a proper grooming regimen for your mustache. Wash your face with a natural foaming cleanser every night before you go to bed and again every morning after you wake up.
This is essential to keep the facial hair well-groomed and clean, prevent breakouts and keep the skin healthy.
Note that facial hair typically tends to be very coarse which can lead to dryness, irritation, and itchiness so it’s best to include a beard shampoo and conditioner in your mustache grooming regimen.
You can also invest in a nice two-in-one shampoo and conditioner to keep your mustache and beard clean and well-conditioned.
Shape and Style Your Mustache
The process of mustache growth doesn’t end at acquiring your choice of mustache style, but includes many further steps as well. Keeping your mustache clean and dirt-free is one thing, but you also need to keep it in shape and style.
Beard comb, beard wax and beard oil are three key products you need to include in your facial hair care routine. Beard wax helps keep a mustache in place, in style and out of your mouth. Beard oil works as a conditioner and that softens and moisturizes beard hair, and a beard comb functions as a styling tool that keeps it free of knots and tangles.
How to Grow More Facial Hair
A common concern or question among most men is how to grow a mustache fast or how to make your beard grow faster.
Now, beard and mustache growth mainly has to do with genetics and your natural hair growth process. While there’s no magic ingredient or product that can grow your facial hair at a faster-than-normal rate, there are a few ways through which you can promote beard growth and achieve a thicker, fuller mustache.
The Right Hair Products
As mentioned earlier, beard and mustache products like shampoo, conditioner, beard oil and mustache wax can make a difference in your facial growth. Each of these hair products serves a particular function and can stimulate beard growth.
A Healthy Diet
Consider following a healthy diet by adding vitamins for facial hair growth such as vitamin C which is known for its hair boosting properties. Vitamin C is found in abundance in citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage, to name a few.
Vitamin B12 is another key element to add to your diet and some of its richest sources include dairy products, oranges, apples, bananas, spinach, potatoes, and more.
Protein-rich foods are also vital for facial hair growth such as eggs, pulses, cereals and dairy products. A protein-based diet will help maximize the growth potential of your facial hair.
Popular Mustache Styles to Try
When it comes to mustache styles, the options are literally endless! Some are absolutely classic and have stood the test of time while others keep making a comeback every now and then.
Mustaches might come across as super simple, but truth be told, they are more than just facial hair – they are a style statement and have the ability to take your style game to a whole other level.
If you are someone who’s big on experimenting with different mustache styles and prefer a unique look each time, there are many different options to consider and choose from.
Take a look at some of the most popular mustache styles that are in right now and must be tried this season!
The Chevron Mustache
The Chevron has to be one of the most classic mustache styles of all time, and the one name that comes to mind here is none other than Freddie Mercury. This mustache style partially covers the upper lip and has a slight upside down V-shape.
Pair your Chevron mustache with men’s long hairstyles such as the famous Timothée Chalamet’s hair look featuring wavy, luscious long locks, or you can even go for a short hairstyle inspired by Tom Shelleck!
The Walrus Mustache
Thick and voluminous, the Walrus mustache is another popular mustache style to sport this season. It’s quite big and bold so if you don’t mind a few heads turning your way, this one’s for you. However, note here that it requires proper mustache growth and thick hair so if you happen to be genetically lucky in the facial hair department, this one’s definitely for you!
This mustache gets its name based on how it looks like the whiskers of a walrus. It shares many similarities with the chevron mustache, except that it’s a bit wider and features a prominent split down the middle.
Needless to say, the walrus mustache requires a great degree of grooming and maintenance to keep it in its distinct shape, so if you are open to making the required efforts, give it a go!
The Pencil Mustache
If you don’t want to make a bold statement with your mustache, but still want to opt for a classic look, the pencil mustache is an excellent contender.
This mustache sits just above the top lip and features a very thin, short look. Some might even say it looks a little devilish! It gained significant popularity during the 1930s and 1940s and even though it became less popular with time, it never really went out of style.
The best part about the pencil mustache is it uses very little hair as compared to other mustaches which means you can grow it in a matter of 2 to 4 weeks, however, it does require a lot of grooming to choose wisely!
The Scruffy Mustache
For those looking for that characteristic manly rugged look might want to opt for the scruffy mustache. This mustache look is paired with a stubble beard and has been best sported by numerous celebrities such as Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr.
The scruffy beard and mustache combo is truly a modern, stylish look, but there’s no denying that it can be a little complicated to achieve it given how one wrong move can simply ruin its overall look and appearance.
When going for this mustache style, make sure to focus on symmetry in order to create an even look all across. Pair this look with the popular Peaky Blinders’ haircut which is a type of undercut haircut for men sported by none other than Arthur Shelby.
The Handlebar Mustache
This is another classic mustache style that is best described as fanciful and refined. It features thick and long hair with curled ends that are styled in an upwards manner towards the cheekbones.
The handlebar mustache is a street style favorite and looks absolutely cool and funky if styled correctly. This mustache does require a few months to grow out properly so if you have the time and patience to wait, go for it!
Make sure to curl the ends the way it’s supposed to be because that’s one of the most important features of the handlebar mustache that sets it apart from the other styles.
Conclusion
As long as you follow the tips and steps required for growing, trimming, styling, and grooming your mustache, you are good to go! When growing a mustache, always remember to give importance to, and take care of the rest of your face as well.
You want to keep the skin beneath the facial hair properly hydrated, moisturized and soft, considering how the area with facial hair has a tendency to become itchy and dry.
At the end of the day, proper mustache growth is all about patience, care, and consistency to not just get your choice of mustache, but also keep your facial hair looking resplendent!