Post date: July 21, 2023 | Adventure
The Complete Handlebar Mustache Guide
The stats are in! A handlebar mustache is arguably one of the most popular styles you can rock right now when it comes to facial hair. Unlike full beards, mustaches tend to go in and out of fashion much more quickly and “fickly” from decade to decade.
Not only that, but the same style of mustache that was a hit in the 80s is likely not going to be the same style of mustache that is a hit now. Mustaches tend to have a diversity to them that is unmatched by most other forms of facial hair such as goatees and beards. And because of that diversity, mustaches change in terms of fashionability much more often.
However, as of 2023, there’s been a HUGE trend towards classic-styled mustaches and mustaches in general! It’s becoming more acceptable to rock different types of mustaches and facial hair without care for the “trendiest” option, which is an awesome thing for any man’s style.
So, today, we want to give you guys a complete guide on the ins and outs of handlebar mustaches, one of the most popular styles, and how you can go about growing and shaping one of your own!
Before we start, if you’re curious how to get a handlebar mustache of your own, there’s an absolutely critical part of the process that you can’t ignore: Mustache Wax.
It’s simply not possible to train and keep your mustache hairs in the classic handlebar shape without using some kind of strong holding product like mustache wax. For that, we’d recommend Volt’s all-natural sculpting wax with the included wooden scooping spatula to help you get the perfect amount of wax and make sure none goes to waste.
With that, let’s go!
What is A Handlebar Mustache?
Typically, handlebar mustaches are a pretty universal image. They are defined by Wikipedia as “mustaches with a particularly lengthy and upwardly curved extremities (sides).” And we’d agree with that definition, although we would like to add that most handlebar mustaches contain some kind of thin taper towards the end of those extremities.
Handlebar mustaches became popular in the United States around the later half of the 19th century due to prominent and legendary figures like classic wild west heroes including Wyatt Earp.
In 19th century Europe, the handlebar mustache was often worn by soldiers to indicate affiliation with military and imperial forces, hence the namesake of the classic “imperial” handlebar mustache, which we’ll talk about later.
Generally, handlebar mustaches are simply mustaches with grown out elongated sides which have been swept up and curled or pointed with some kind of styling wax or hair product.
Types of Handlebar Mustaches
When you hear the term “handlebar mustache” chances are you think of the imperial handlebar mustache. After all, that is the one that people typically associate with the classic handlebar.
However, it may blow your mind to know that there are a multitude of different styles of handlebar mustaches out there from an array of different cultures.
Imperial Handlebar Mustache
For example, probably the most popular style of handlebar is called the imperial handlebar mustache characterized by tapered, thin sides and a clean, short cut look.
English Handlebar Mustache
However, there are other types of handlebars to consider if the imperial is not quite your style, for example, the english handlebar in which the tapered ends stick straight out horizontally instead of curled into loops on the ends.
Hungarian Handlebar Mustache
And of course, there are more options for handlebar mustache, like the Hungarian handlebar mustache, which tends to be bigger and bushier with a slightly smaller upwards curve from the center to the ends than the imperial handlebar has.
After taking a look at the different types of handlebar mustaches out there, feel free to choose the one that you feel best suits your style and what you’d enjoy wearing.
How To Grow A Handlebar Mustache
Growing and getting a handlebar mustache is a fairly simple process. The key is to not trim or cut the sides of your mustache for long enough to allow them to grow out enough to style how you wish.
Of course, depending on the style of handlebar mustache you choose, this may be easier or more difficult. The hungarian handlebar, being typically larger, requires more time for growth whereas the english and imperial handlebar don’t require quite as much hair towards the sides of the mustache.
Once you’ve grown out your mustache an appropriate amount for you and your style, all you have to do is grab your favorite mustache wax, like Volt’s Sculpt Mustache Wax, and scoop out a pea-sized portion. Rub and melt the wax between your fingertips to prepare it for applying to your mustache.
Once the mustache wax is good and melted, simply pinch the ends of your mustache with your pointer finger and thumb, and begin to lightly twist the hairs together to give you that classic tapered mustache look. Once the hairs are well-combined and tapered with the wax, just curl (or straighten) the sides of the ‘stache into the desired shape for you!
That’s really all there is to it! If you’re looking for some of the best mustache wax around, then definitely check out Volt’s Sculpt Mustache Wax, the 100% natural (and recyclably packaged) mustache wax!
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