Tried growing out your Mustache for Movember only to be filled with patchiness, disappointment, and despair?

Don’t worry…we still think you are awesome!

Today we are going to cover all things mustache.

This means everything from common growth patterns in mustaches (and where patches occur), solutions to make your mustache appear fuller, and we are going to throw in some pro-tips that other avid beardsmen have come to rely on over the years.

So with that, here is our list of the 9 essential things you MUST know BEFORE you try to take any actions to fight a patchy mustache:

1. First And Foremost, It’s Best To Let Your Mustache Grow

No duh right?

I mean, why would you be even reading this article in the first place if you haven’t tried this already?

While this may SEEM obvious, it’s worth stressing right off the bat.

Many men often think you should have a full Tom Selleck style mustache within the first couple of weeks – but the reality is this guys:

That simply won’t happen.

If you have a Patchy Mustache, you should give it a couple of months to grow before you fully evaluate whether or not it truly is patchy.

Secondly:

And this is incredibly important for the men out there with some Nordic or Irish ancestors:

If you have lighter Hair color (i.e. light brown or blonde), some of the areas on your mustache may just be extremely light in color (nearly translucent) making it appear like its patchy.

For most men, these hairs tend to darken as they grow longer.

Therefore, you will want to follow the advice above and let it just simply grow out for a couple of months before you completely rule out your mustache thickness.

2. No Mustache In The Middle?  No Problem!

Seriously, don’t take that little patch in the center of your upper lip too seriously.

Take a minute to Google the following actors (can’t show images of them due to copyright reasons):

• Jonny Depp
• Kit Herrigton
• Leonardo DiCaprio
• James Franco

…and countless others.

All of the men above are missing a spot in their mustache directly under their nose.

The point that we are trying to stress here – is that it’s completely NORMAL to have this patch and that you shouldn’t feel self-conscious about it one bit.

While having a few million bucks in the bank would probably make up for this odd patch of mustache, rest assured that its nothing to fret over and normal!

3. Shaving Your Mustache Won’t Make It Thicker

Seriously, if there was one misnomer about shaving that I wish to see completely gone by the day I die is this notion that if you shave your hair it will grow back thicker.

As a bald man, I can fully attest to the fact that every time I shave my head…I am still bald.

The same goes for your mustache too!

So, if you find yourself wondering after a few weeks of growth if the mustache will grow back thicker, the answer is this:

It won’t.

Give your mustache more time (again at least a couple of months) to fully see how the growth is coming along.

Setting your growth back to day 0 isn’t going to help with a patchy mustache.

4. Supplements Or Minoxidil MAY Work

In the past couple of years, TONS of hair growth vitamins have hit the marketplace.

Nearly always loaded up with Biotin (Vitamin B7), this vitamin is largely responsible for the growth of your hair and nails.

So, if you are looking for a boost it MAY work.

But we want to caution why it LIKELY WON’T work for you:

If you take a multi-vitamin daily, it likely already contains this essential vitamin in the capsule.  Therefore, taking additional Vitamin B7 isn’t likely going to yield any marked increases in either mustache or beard growth.

Secondly, if you have a protein rich diet that regularly includes beef, nuts, eggs, beans, etc. then you are likely already getting this essential vitamin in your regular diet – again making the ingestion of additional supplements likely not necessary and a waste of money.

While we would all love to think that a magic pill can make a mustache and beard growth thick, it’s the genetics that are having a larger play here.

However, if there was a single solution that may work well for a patchy beard, it’s going to be the application of Minoxidil.

The same active ingredient that’s found in Rogaine (wait – isn’t that for your hair?!), has been proven to help SOME men regrow their hair.

Yes, Minoxidil was originally designed to be applied to your scalp and not your face.

While we aren’t qualified to lend medical advice to our readers, we do at least want to pique your interest and check out some convincing videos on YouTube or Beard Forums (i.e. Jefffs Beard Board) as some men have gotten pretty good results when applying Minoxidil daily to a patchy mustache.

Again, we are not a doctor and the above shouldn’t be taken as medical advice.

5. As You Get Older Your Mustache Will Likely Fill Out

If you skew a bit to the younger side, then a reason why your mustache may be a bit patchy is that it simply hasn’t fully matured.

Majority of men aren’t just given a full beard the moment they hit puberty.

Instead, their hair begins to grow in patches at first, and then gradually fills out over several years.

While we would love to give you a solid answer and say that 25 years old is the mark when you should expect the end of any new hairs forming on your mustache, this simply won’t be true.

Men’s facial hair grows in at varying rates, and just like we were eluding to above, genetics has a large role to play in how your mustache is going to grow in.

Therefore, look to the men in your family to see how their beard filled in over the years (as this may give you some indications on what to expect).

6. Mustaches Tend To Take Longer To Grow For Some Men

Oddly enough, for some men, their beards tend to grow in at a rate much quicker than their mustache.

And this offset can be especially pronounced when you are growing a patchy mustache as well!

Therefore, we would recommend that after about a month of growth on your beard, that you head to the barbershop to tend to your facial hair and scale it back.

This will not only keep the hair on your cheeks and chin in line with the length of your mustache, but it will also give you a more uniform appearance that might make you turn a few heads.

7. Oh No!  Now The Mustache Isn’t Growing Evenly

Let’s face it guys:

Hair is a part of our body and just simply doesn’t always act how we want.

Instead it goes off and does whatever it wants (i.e. like growing really long on freckles/moles for some reason).

The same holds true for your mustache.

Just like we covered above, beards and mustaches may grow in at different rates.  But also the very hairs along your mustache may also grow in at different rates as well too!

What is a man to do?

Either one of two options:

Get yourself a beard trimmer where you can set the length to your preference and go to town on your mustache, or simply have the barber clean up the lines the next time you go get your hair cut (better choice).

While this will help to get the hairs all at the same length, it will also reduce the appearance of any visible patches on your mustache.

8. Brushes Can Work Wonders

While a good mustache comb isn’t anything to sneeze at, when dealing with patches, a beard or mustache brush can be your friend, here’s why:

When you use a brush designed for the naturally rugged and thick whiskers on your face, you have much more control on training it.

Yes, that’s right – you can train your mustache hairs.

No not, in a cheesy P.T. Barnum way, but rather like this:

When you use a thick bristled boars hair brush regularly, you can actually alter the way the beard hairs grow in.

So, if you have a mustache that has some wispy hairs that curl into your mouth (which is incredibly annoying when eating food), you can brush your mustache to the side.

After a few weeks, the hairs will naturally start to grow in this direction.

As a man with a patchy mustache, you can see where this is going.

When using a beard specific brush, you can get your hairs to cover up those stray patches to give you a much better look.

Don’t worry, it won’t look like your way out of touch Uncle with the comb over, no, this light cover-up on your mustache will look great – even in stiff winds…

…but the secret is that you MUS use this product too…

9.  Mustache Wax To The Rescue

Mustache wax doesn’t get enough love in the men’s grooming world.

I don’t know why.

It’s truly the life saver of anyone with a bit of a patchy mustache or one who wants a bit of style control throughout the day.

Largely made from beeswax (plus a few conditioners), mustache wax is perfect for getting even the most stubborn of whiskers in check.

Therefore, if you follow the advice from above, you should have a relatively kempt mustache that retains its hold no matter if its humid or dry during the day.

Check out our in-depth comparison of some of the best mustache waxes we loved.

Sounding Off On A Patchy Mustache

Patchy or full, thick or thin, the most important thing to remember when growing out and handling your mustache is to embrace it.

A mustache gives you character and makes you YOU.

Even with a slightly sparse mustache, rocking facial hair is something fun we can do as men and adds a layer of style to our overall ensemble!