Expert Tips for Trimming a Moustache
Whether you've grown a moustache to balance your facial shape, cover a scar or merely to make a style statement, proper grooming is a must to prevent an unkempt look. If you're a stylish man going for a particular look, you're likely to be unsatisfied with thoughtlessly scissoring away at your moustache. How you decide to groom and trim your moustache will depend on the shape of your face, your facial features and the style you're trying to achieve.
Trimming your moustache to suit your face shape and features should be your first consideration. Consider such issues as the length and width of your face, the size of your nose and lips and the thickness of your facial hair growth. For example, the best moustache to balance out a larger nose is a medium-sized or larger-sized moustache, which can be grown with a beard for further minimizing effect. Another example of a good moustache-face match is growing a straight, heavy moustache with downward-curving ends on a square face with pronounced features. Narrower faces with smaller facial features match well with narrower and/or smaller mustaches. When trying to determine how to best trim your moustache to suit your face, a good, basic rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a larger moustache minimizes larger facial features while smaller and more precise moustaches will help define and accent smaller facial features.
When you get ready to trim any length off of your moustache, remember to comb all the moustache hairs up and against the grain with a fine-toothed comb if you're using scissors. This will make for a more uniform cutting job. Since your moustache hairs will be growing in different directions, you'll have to cut them in different directions, occasionally cutting against the grain to prevent an uneven appearance. Holding the comb in your moustache with one hand while trimming the ends of the hair poking out between the comb teeth will help ensure an even cut. Those using an electric trimmer merely need to adjust it to the desired height setting and trim against the grain and from the sides. With both the manual and electric method, start in the middle of your moustache and trim from there to each side in order to better gauge symmetry as you're working.
After you've trimmed the length of your moustache, check both ends of the moustache to make sure they are of even length, the same way you would check the ends of sideburns for evenness. Further shaping from this point is best done with an electric trimmer with a variety of attachments. When shaping, start in the middle of your moustache and work out to the sides, as you did when trimming the length. If your goal is to create a more graceful-looking moustache, follow the curve of your upper lip with the trimmer and thin out the moustache hairs closest to your lip for a tapered look. Men wanting a more aggressive look may choose instead to make one straight cut along the bottom of the moustache.
Finish off by using a blender attachment, working away from the middle of your moustache out to the ends, and apply wax if desired for shaping longer moustache hairs.
