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A guide to the many popular beardstache styles to choose from, plus grooming tips
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In the fascinating world of facial hair, the beardstache combines the handsome ruggedness of a short beard and the bold statement of a thick, prominent mustache. If you’ve been wondering how to get the increasingly popular style, look no further! In this article, we’ll walk you through exactly how to grow, style, and maintain your own beardstache (with tips from pro barber Tommy Yanchun), plus show you all the great and versatile styles you have to choose from. Keep reading to get the scoop on your new look!
Growing a Beardstache: Quick Steps
- Grow out your beard and mustache for 4 weeks without trimming.
- Wash, condition, and comb out your facial hair once it’s long enough to style.
- Buzz your beard to your desired length, keeping it shorter than your mustache.
- Trim or fade your sideburns into your beard.
- Shape your mustache by trimming the bottom edge along your lip line.
- Apply beard oil to moisturize your skin and facial hair.
- Use beard balm or mustache wax to style your mustache into the shape you want.
Steps
Section 3 of 6:
Growing & Styling a Beardstache
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Grow out your mustache and beard for 4 weeks without trimming. You might start to look a little too rugged during this phase, but that’s OK! The payoff is worth it. Just let your facial hair grow freely without trimming or shaping it. This lets your mustache grow longer and fuller (essential for a beardstache) while also giving you some flexibility in how long or short you want to trim your beard. [8] X Research source
- The exact timing here depends on how much hair you’re starting with and how long you want it to be. If you’re starting fresh-faced, 4 weeks is just long enough to grow enough hair for shaping and trimming.
- If you’ve already got some facial hair, you may not have to grow it out as long. And if you’re starting with a full beard and stache already, you don’t have to wait at all (unless you want your facial hair even longer).
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Grab a trimmer, a fine tooth comb, and your grooming supplies to trim. Once your mustache is the length you want it (or close to it), you’re ready to start defining the shape and lengths of your beardstache. You don’t need a lot of equipment for this—just a trusty trimmer with a variety of guard lengths and a fine tooth beard comb to tame your mustache are enough to get the look.
- The guards you need depend on how long you want your beard. A #2 or #3 is a great place to start, but you can go with a #1 for an even shorter or stubbly beard, or a larger size if you want to keep the beard longer and fuller-looking.
- You’ll also need some beard shampoo and conditioner to prep your facial hair for styling, plus some beard balm and/or oil to hydrate and style your new ‘stache (more on these later).
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Wash and comb your beard and mustache to prep for trimming. Doing a quick wash softens and cleans your facial hair, making it easier to trim and style—all you need is beard shampoo and conditioner . Yanchun says, “If you have a beard shampoo that's better, but if you have regular hair shampoo, that's fine. And also, condition the mustache to soften the hairs.”
- Once washed, Yanchun says, “Prepare your mustache before you trim it and make sure you comb it really well. I recommend a fine-tooth comb. Once you comb the mustache out, you’re ready to hit it with the trimmers or scissors (however you prefer trimming your mustache).”
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Trim your beard down to your desired length (minus the mustache). Grab your trimmers and buzz your entire beard so the hair is shorter than your mustache (if you’re still unsure how long you want your beard, start with a bigger guard size and work your way down until you find a length that works for you). The mustache is the focal point of a beardstache, so the bigger the difference in length, the more the mustache will pop. [9] X Research source
- If the beard and mustache are too close in length, you’ll end up with what looks like an ordinary beard.
- If you want a fuller beard but your mustache isn’t quite long enough to stand out yet, you can cheat a little by lowering your cheek lines slightly to create a bit of separation between the ‘stache and the beard.
- Define the edges of the beard for a polished and intentional look, or leave them alone for a more natural look. When it comes to the neckline, Yanchun recommends “not going all the way to the jawline. I say to always go between your jawline and the first wrinkle in your throat for the vast majority of guys.”
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Clean up your sideburns. How you trim your sideburns depends on your preferences and the lengths of your beard and hair—there’s no right or wrong choice. You might choose to have a blunt and disconnected sideburn (like you would if you had no beard) if your beard is on the very short or stubbly side, keep your sideburns the same length as your beard and connect them for short or medium beards, or even fade your sideburns into short, medium, or long beards.
- To fade your sideburns, grab an electric trimmer with a long guard and move upward from the edge of your beard into the sideburn (from about level with your mouth to the top of your ear). Repeat with gradually shorter guards and begin slightly higher each time so the shortest hair is at the top of the sideburn. [10] X Research source
- For example, if you have a long beard, you might go from a #12 to a #9 to a #6, while someone with a shorter beard could start smaller and use guards closer together (like a #4 to a #3 to a #2).
- Keeping the sideburns groomed and trimmed makes your beard look tighter in the cheek area—a good look for most guys.
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Shape and trim your mustache . Use a trimmer (or scissors if you prefer) and define the lower edge of your mustache. Cut at a 45-degree angle to round the edge (rather than jamming the edge of the trimmer straight into your face) and follow the shape of your lip line for a clean and symmetrical look. Comb as you go to catch any stragglers. [11] X Research source
- How low your mustache line is depends on your style preference. A good place to start is right at or slightly below your lip line, but if you’re going for a big and bold walrus ‘stache, for example, you’ll want it even lower.
- Leave the upper mustache line alone unless you spot some straggly hairs that are sticking out.
- Shape the corners of your mustache however you like—you might keep them slightly rounded for a classic chevron mustache, or as long as possible if you want to style it into a handlebar, for example.
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Apply beard oil or balm to moisturize and style your beardstache. Once everything is trimmed and shaped, rub a few drops of beard oil between your palms and rub it into your beard and mustache hair. Yanchun adds, “Massage the beard oil from the root of the hair to the tip. You want to get the entire shaft of the hair from where the hair grows out of your skin to the very tip...The oil is a moisturizer for your skin, so it's creating a protective barrier underneath the beard, so don't be afraid to get the beard oil on the skin underneath it.”
- If you have a longer beard or ‘stache that needs some styling, apply a beard balm or mustache wax to keep your beard looking tame and to finesse your mustache into the shape you want.
- Focus on skin moisturizers if you’re rocking a short stubble beardstache. Yanchun says, “You want to keep the skin under the stubble healthy, so make sure you exfoliate and don't worry about beard oils or anything like that. I would focus more on a facial moisturizer. I always recommend a quality SPF all over your face to avoid wrinkles and fine lines.”
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References
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://theruggedbros.com/blogs/news/rugged-beard-styles-we-re-loving-the-beardstache
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
- ↑ https://livebearded.com/blogs/do-better/how-to-fade-your-sideburns-into-your-beard
- ↑ https://thebeardclub.com/blogs/beard-culture/how-to-trim-a-mustache
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
- ↑ https://www.thebeardstruggle.com/blog/how-to-grow-a-beardstache-a-comprehensive-guide
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