On growing a moustache

In only a handful of weeks my beloved moustache will be a year old. It has been an adventure that one cannot take lightly at all.

It all began on a simple holiday trip with friends to two African countries. We did not feel like shaving while traveling and so let our facial hair do as it wanted. Mine voted on the classic “Moustache and Goatee”, while my companions had theirs opt towards full beards.  

Once I had returned home my moustache had grown to a respectable length. People accepted that I had the moustache and beard, but after a while asked “When are you going to shave?” and “Where is this going?” 

Secretly I knew I wanted to be able to twirl the ends, so I put off trimming until eventually I needed to purchase actual Moustache Wax. The wax played a vital role in training the moustache to grow in the right direction. Normally the hair will grow straight  down and over one’s mouth and so wax is applied to direct the hair away from the centre (the cupid’s bow of the mouth) towards the edges. As it grew longer the shape became more evident, I was only able to get a proper twist with the ends turning up after 3 months. 

Subsequently as it grew the wax I was using became too weak to hold the shape properly. I feel this is due to a) there being an extensive amount of hair to support and b) the wax being too soft for Cape Town summer and becoming more of moustache oil. I switched products successfully for about 3 months and am now on my third which is working the best.

At present my beloved is around 16cm from end to end when uncurled. It would have been longer if I did not need to trim the ends once in a while to keep them even with each other.

I often have strangers compliment me on the form and structure, or they make silly remarks over Movember being over. I quite frankly believe that they are just not the type of person suited to having a handlebar moustache, hence are jealous. 

Oh, what about the beard? It was cover up for the moustache during Movember, I shaved it off in December. I don’t miss it.