movember, grooming man stands next to wall showing off his moustache. Image: Unsplash
We all know (and love) the incredible work done by Movember but it bears reiterating that beyond the fun of experimenting with often ludicrous facial hair, it has saved the lives of millions of men in the face of mental health issues, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.
For those of you who go down the comedic mo’ route, we salute your silliness. But this is GQ after all and if you want some face fur that actually adds to your allure, you’ve come to the right place.
Like any other hair on your person, a moustache requires three things: consideration as to the kind of hair you sprout (density, texture and so on), the aesthetics of the style you gravitate towards and the gear required to make the most of the previous two elements.
But know this, a moustache needs love. Not a whole lot but a loose regime of trimming, cleansing and styling.
Unless of course you’re going for the “is Joaquin Phoenix homeless” look, in which case – you do you. Here are our top moustache-growing tips to see you right this Movember and beyond.
You know your body best. In other words, your imagination might be writing Tom Selleck fantasy cheques that your wispy Justin Bieber whisps just can’t cash. That’s the bad news. The good news is that even with Bieber sparsity, you can still rock the lock just as he does.
The above, of course, is not to say you can’t grab some inspiration. In fact, Hollywood's most well-groomed gents can be a massive resource. Think about the person people tell you you resemble. Aside from giving your ego a boost, pop his name into Google and then add the word “moustache”.
Because chances are, he’s given it a crack at some point and since there’s an obvious similarity between you, you can gain some semblance of how you might look with a similar effort. Or one that’s completely different if his effort didn’t quite work.
Brad Pitt, above, is a great place to start, but more recent teen heart-throbs like Joe Keery, Dacre Montgomery and Zac Efron have also grown memorable efforts over the years.
For the first week or so, it’s going to itch like a mossie bite between the shoulder blades or your nuts in the tropics. Persevere in the name of charity. As it grows out, the less irritating it should become.
And if not, throw on a bit of your hair conditioner next time you’re in the shower, leave it in place for a few minutes and rinse away for a softer finish. You may also want to throw in a weekly exfoliation to guard against ingrown hairs.
Once you’ve got something substantial(ish) to work with, it’s time to start shaping and trimming. Some specialist kit is required and most electric shavers already come with a pop-up attachment or head for just this task.
If none is within reach, a decent trimmer – look for precision-ground high-carbon steel blades, adjustable comb settings and close trim attachment – won’t set you back more than $20.
In terms of technique, proceed slowly and gently. You can always take off more but a nude gash in the middle of an an otherwise hirsute field is never a good look. Zone in on the edge and let the blades do the work, there’s no need to move it around too much.
The hair on your top lip will be generally coarser than that on your head and if anyone is going to be coming into contact with it, you may want to do them a favour by softening it. It will also help keeping things trim and tidy.
You have two options here. The first is oil. As in beard. You can go for a scented version but the real key here is moisturisation. Look a formula free of silicones and high in essential fatty acids.
Apply it super sparingly. Just a drop or two combed through and no more. No one wants to see a glistening top lip. Check out GQ's guide to the best beard oils you can buy here.
Alternatively, a moustache wax will keep natural styles softly in check or if you’re opting for one of the old-school twirly varieties, it’s also a go to.
As with everything you put on or near your body, it’s best to steer clear of petrochemicals. Instead, look for natural and organic ingredients like shea butter, coconut oil and beeswax.
Just like any other hair that you add product to, a build up can lead to flaky residue (aka mo-ruff). Needless to say, it’s not the go. Which means you need to maintain a cleansing, conditioning and exfoliating regimen.
Better still, since more people will be looking at your face now you have a moustache, it’s probably a good idea to do this from ear to ear and chin to forehead anyway.
[ Via GQ Australia]
Related Topics: