You might have gone through that moment when you’re in front of a mirror pondering whether to grow a mustache or not. On the other hand, you might be one of the many guys who got caught between shaving your mustache or just letting it stay where it is. Whichever you are, we’re here to help you ease your mustache dilemmas and problems. Ready?
The answer on whether you should shave your mustache or not really depends on you. If you want to get rid of your facial hair for some reason, then you should. But if you want to grow your mustache, can you also shave at all?
How to Shave Your Mustache
There are various ways on how to shave the hair on your upper lip:
Use a razor
As you start shaving your mustache, the first thing you need to do is apply shaving cream to the upper lip. After applying, use a clean razor to shave in the direction of the hair growth. To hold the skin tight and build a smoother shave, consider pulling the upper lip down when shaving.
Use hair removal cream
Using hair removal cream to shave off your mustache is pretty convenient. All you do is apply it to the hair, to the upper lip for as long as the instructions advise, and then rinse off.
These kinds of creams are simple, inexpensive, and fast ways to remove hair from your upper lip. However, these creams do not dissolve hair down to the root, so they have only a short-term effect.
Waxing
On sensitive areas, such as the upper lip, waxing may be painful, but it offers longer-lasting results as it eliminates the entire hair strand.
You should apply the hot wax to your upper lip hair and press down tightly with a cloth strip as it cools. Then, quickly take the strip away, which uproots the hair, leaving you a hair-free upper lip for several weeks.
How to Grow A Mustache
When you want to grow a mustache, it’s best to start with a clean shave, as it means all of your facial hair will be the same length when it begins to get longer. If you’re starting (and determined) to grow your mustache, you must start by shaving all your facial hair and work it from there.
Preparation is key
When you’ve decided to grow a mustache, you first need to prepare yourself. By preparing, we mean you need to research and decide what style of mustache you’re going to grow. There are several styles that you can choose from, but we’ll get to those later.
In the long run, if you want to find the one that fits your face, you’ll need to play with various styles. For matching mustache styles to face shapes, there are no hard and fast rules. Just go for the one that makes you look better than you did before you grew it.
The longer the patience, the better the mustache.
You’ll need a lot of patience to grow a mustache. Facial hair develops at an average rate of about 0.4 mm a day, so it may take several weeks before you can begin trimming it. If you find that your stubble barely grows past 6-8mm, it’s doubtful that your mustache will be anything other than a thin line on your upper lip.
Remember to not rush anything. You’ll get there – it’ll just take time.
How to maintain a mustache
Once you’ve grown your mustache, it’s just a matter of maintaining it. You can trim your mustache once a week. If you´re feeling extra healthy, opt to put some beard oil in it.
Get the right tools and products.
Well, you won’t be able to maintain and groom your mustache if you don’t have the right tools and right products.
In order to avoid bulking, a trimmer is your tool for the job. It’ll help you retain your preferred length and snip off the top rows of hair. Snipping the strays from above your lip is also effective, or simply shaving anything off above the upper lip part. In particular, get a trimmer with interchangeable heads that is designed for mustaches.
Aside from a trimmer, you should also have mustache scissors. This will help you spot-check any strays or snip a straight line across your lip.
There is also this thing called mustache wax. If you’re serious with your ‘stache, you must get some of this stuff. Mustache wax will help you lock your desired style in place with little effort.
Get ready for the attention
Yes! Once you’ve already grown a mustache, styled it the way that suits your face, and then groomed it accordingly, people will start noticing you. You’ll surely steal some glances from your friends or random strangers in the supermarket.
Mustache Styles
It’s time to decide what mustache style you’re going to grow and style. We’ve written down all the classic styles to choose from below.
The Original Mustache
A trimmed mustache that sits just above your upper lip is the most classic of all the mustache styles. This style is plain, clean, and easy on the eye, so keep it trimmed regularly.
The Handlebar Mustache
The handlebar mustache might be a little too hard to be pull off on your first go, and you’ll need a high degree of confidence if you want to style your mustache like this. To do it, you’ll need a styling wax to curl both ends, twisting them upward into a spiral shape. Remember only to apply enough wax so it won’t appear greasy.
The Pencil Mustache
The pencil mustache is simply a thinner version of the original. It’s basically a super-thin hair strip that’s meant to outline the upper lip. You’ll need to trim your mustache every other day to maintain this style.
The Chevron Mustache
This mustache style is intended to cover the entire top lip and its ends point downwards. For a smarter look, you’ll need to grow crisp edges and keep them trimmed frequently.
The Bottom Line
Shaving your mustache completely or growing and styling it has its own perks. But whether you shave it or you grow it, we’re sure that you’ll look great. Have you decided which style is for you yet? Don’t forget to let us see how it goes.
