Movember is upon us, and during this time, men all over the world attempt to grow moustaches in an effort to raise awareness about men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and suicide.
Now, with us nearing the middle of the month, you may be battling to turn that facial stubble into a fully-grown beard or moustache. If that’s the case, we have a few tips on how you can grow a full moustache and encourage conversations around men’s health issues.
Movember Moustache Hacks
1. Shave It Down
Before things start to get hairy, it’s important that you set the foundation for your moustache. Therefore, you should do a completely clean shave in order to create an environment in which your moustache can grow healthily.
So when you visit your barber, make sure you ask for the full-wet shave experience, which includes hot water, face steaming, and blades.
2. Choose the right style for your face shape
Not everyone can pull off a Freddie Mercury or Tom Selleck moustache so it’s important that you consider your face shape when choosing a moustache style.
If you have a square and fuller face, or a prominent nose, then you can opt for a heavier, longer moustache. If you have an oval and narrower face, then it would be best to go for a medium width style with a slightly triangular shape.
3. Stay active
If you really want to stimulate the hair follicles, then staying active would be a great way to do so. This is because exercising gets your blood pumping, which then helps to stimulate hair follicle growth.
4. Get your beauty rest
Sleep is essential for a lot of things, including the health of your ‘stache. According to a study published in PNAS, lack of sleep, or poor sleep patterns, can affect hair growth.
With that said, make sure that you’re getting at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night so that your body can better rest and regenerate itself. If you’re battling with getting enough sleep, perhaps you could look into using essential oils?
5. Eat foods rich in B vitamins
The right foods can help to kickstart the hair growth that you’re looking for.
Foods rich in B vitamins, particularly vitamins B1, B7 (biotin), B6, and B12, are excellent for hair growth. These foods include salmon, nuts, oats, seeds, legumes, mushrooms, and cauliflower.
6. Manage your stress levels
According to a study published in the journal, stress doesn’t only affect hair growth, but it may also trigger hair loss. After the year we’ve had, a balding moustache is the last thing you want to deal with.
So, if you want to combat high-stress levels, try mediation, yoga, or other forms of stress-relieving techniques.
7. Regularly cleanse your face
A clean canvas can help to stimulate hair growth so it’s important that you keep your face clean. Be sure to wash your face twice a day, using a gentle cleanser. Don’t forget to exfoliate your face as removing dead skin cells can also help to stimulate hair growth.
In regards to product use, make sure to opt for products that are non-comedogenic, so as not to clog your pores as clogged pores can affect the growth of facial hair.
Photo by Frank Marino on Unsplash
8. Exfoliate to prevent ingrown hairs
Ingrown hairs are hairs that are blocked from growing from growing properly as a result of clogged pores.
To keep your pores from getting clogged, it’s best to regularly exfoliate your face as this will help to remove any dead skin cells and thus reduce the risk of ingrown hairs.
9. Wash your moustache with shampoo
Admit it – you don’t wash your beard or moustache as often as you should, and when you do, you use bar soap 0 which only serves to dry out your facial hair and irritate your skin.
When it comes to shampooing your moustache, opt for a quality nourishing, sulfate-free moustache shampoo that helps moisturize your moustache and keep it from becoming brittle.
10. Condition your ‘stache weekly
Conditioning your moustache will help to lock in moisture, keep it soft and help prevent split ends.
Castor oil, or any other beard oil on the market, can be used as a conditioning treatment, helping to keep your moustache soft, as well as provide a fuller and shiny look.
11. Use the right grooming tools
The right tools can help to protect the health of your moustache. To keep your moustache happy, you’ll need small trimming scissors, a mini comb, as well as a precision razor to help with the trimming.
12. Comb It Out
A comb not only makes trimming easier, but it also helps to remove any loose hairs and keep the moustache looking neat and clean.
13. Happy Trimming
A good trim will help to keep your appearance clean clean. It’s important not to trim a wet moustache as doing so may cause you to trim more hair than you wanted to.
14. Wax it up
Even if you’re going for a natural look, using moustache wax can help to give your moustache some much-needs definition.
If you’re aiming for an up-wards twirl, rub the wax between your thumb and index finger and twirl the ends of your moustache.
What about split ends?
Split ends happen when the hair is dry or damaged. Unfortunately, the only way to deal with split ends is by cutting them off.
To do this, trim the dry or damaged hair on your moustache. Moving forward, make sure to keep your moustache moisturized and to drink enough water.
