Tips for my tips

[Romeolima]

So I'm nearly three months into growing my handlebar and it's starting to look rather good, compliments from strangers and so on.

However I am struggling to control the tips, I have trimmed them twice now, just because I don't want wildly eccentric bars and also to allow the hairs from the middle to catch up. The hairs from the middle are now about half way to the tips and the whole thing is starting to hold together quite well with wax.

The problem is this, the tips tend to "split" so that I end up with two tips!

I'm using a Vaseline based wax made by a small scale UK supplier which seems rather good, although I have ordered some Coconut oil based wax to try (I intend to make my own wax once I've tried a few).

Is it a case of just more wax or have I perhaps got the dimensions of the moustache wrong, ie the lower tip formed from hairs that could/should be shaved away?

 

[nomex]

It could be a case of either. IME, my tips would split when I smiled or talked because I did not shave below the upper lip on the corners of my mouth. This time I made sure to shave so that I did not have any hair below my upper lip. Now I can talk, move my upper lip from side to side, and laugh without splitting my tips and looking like a catfish.

I also use a two part waxing process in the morning: I use a beeswax product immediately after I shave and moisturize my face so that my moustache has a little bit of hydration, and shape the handlebar. I then put my tin of Firehouse Wacky Tacky in my pocket and go to work. After a couple hours, my tin has warmed up and I can overlay that onto my moustache which has relaxed in shape after a bike ride to work and is in need of a touch-up. I may have to reapply later in the day, but I find I have to re-shape every hour or so without re applying wax.

That's how my moustache treats me.

 

[Pepin]

What beeswax product do you use?

 

[strop]

A lot of us use something else for the tips. After the beeswax base, I'll use various products, but the hardest hold for me is Brother's Love. Actually Pinaud works well for me for this purpose. Many swear by a hair/spiking gel called Got2beGlued, but I'm not a fan.

 

[Romeolima]

Thanks gents.

Nomex - I'm pretty sure I've got the top lip thing sorted as to comply with Queen Regulations it must only be on the top lip, and to be fair I have trimmed a little further up, although I do still have some wispy whiskers at the bottom, hence the question.

Regarding other products perhaps I need to look into something for the tips. I have just tried a new wax this morning so we'll see how we go.

 

[Romeolima]

So after much deliberation I took the plunge and took the scissors to my moustache last night.

I decided that it was the shape that was the main problem and although it was firmly on my upper lip before the hairs tend to grow downwards and the shaping was too extreme for those at the bottom. So I re cut the lip line to sort, I also trimmed the ends down again allowing the centre hairs to catch up.

As I said before I'm not going for curls just a defined shape as opposed to a standard moustache. Can only just grasp my extremities at the moment.

Picture below, apologies for the poor quality, selfies not really my thing, right as you look at it has been trimmed, left was as before.

 

[nomex]

What beeswax product do you use?

"It's a Black Thang" beeswax that I purchased at Wally World in 2003 (?) when I actually had use for pomade. I left it at my parent's place and recently found it a few months ago. I did see it for sale at Wally World and possible at Walgreen's a few months ago. Sometimes I will just seal in some moisture with Aquaphor that I have.

Romeolima, did you trim after you posted your photo in the BOMB thread? Your BOMB thread handlebar looks great!

strop, I was using Firehouse Wacky Tack exclusively for a year. Have you used it? I'm wondering how Brother's Love compares. I was also looking at Canyouhandlebar's two part set.

 

[Romeolima]

Romeolima, did you trim after you posted your photo in the BOMB thread? Your BOMB thread handlebar looks great!

Thanks, no the BOMB thread one was taken today. It holds it's shape much better now its been trimmed.

 

[strop]

"It's a Black Thang" beeswax that I purchased at Wally World in 2003 (?) when I actually had use for pomade. I left it at my parent's place and recently found it a few months ago. I did see it for sale at Wally World and possible at Walgreen's a few months ago. Sometimes I will just seal in some moisture with Aquaphor that I have.

Romeolima, did you trim after you posted your photo in the BOMB thread? Your BOMB thread handlebar looks great!

strop, I was using Firehouse Wacky Tack exclusively for a year. Have you used it? I'm wondering how Brother's Love compares. I was also looking at Canyouhandlebar's two part set.

Sorry I missed this. I've used the Firehouse Light but not the WT. The regular stays pliable yet still holds. The Brother's Love is a thick clear gel that dries very hard and stiff. Not pliable at all.

 

[nomex]

I have just received Lockhart's and Mr. Natty's Twizzle.

Mr. Natty's works well but is twice as much as Firehouse Wacky Tacky. I find that it holds a bit better than Wacky Tacky. I tried Lockhart's this morning and it has held my problem side very well. Usually after a couple hours, my handlebar mustache looks like a lazy question mark. I will try Mr. Natty's again tomorrow, as I applied it over my usual beeswax base. Tomorrow I will try it by itself like I did with Lockhart's. Both Natty and Lockhart's remain pliable.

 

[strop]

Can you post a pic of the open tins?

 

[nomex]

Me? Sure:



So the Lockhart's is maroon and the Wacky Tacky is brown. Lockhart's and Twizzle hold firmer and is a little harder to put on than my than the "Hold Standard" Firehouse Wacky Tacky.

Mr. Twizzle and Lockhart's have held fine in the Houston humidity and 80 degree temperature thus far. I also ride my bicycle to work rain or shine, so I will update when I have to go through a downpour.

 

[strop]

Thanks! I would be concerned about using any of these in my white hair. Anything with a yellow tint, yellows my hair and I would be afraid the others would add color as well.

 

[nomex]

Mark, I'll check with a napkin when I get home to see if the Natty will leave a yellowish residue. It looks like you may have to stick with Brother's Love clear wax. I intend to try some of that out in the future.

 

[Pepin]

Thanks! I would be concerned about using any of these in my white hair. Anything with a yellow tint, yellows my hair and I would be afraid the others would add color as well.

I use the Firehouse Tacky regularly (about 1/2 way through a tin), while it is brown in colour it has not changed the colour of my grey mustache.

 

[strop]

I use the Firehouse Tacky regularly (about 1/2 way through a tin), while it is brown in colour it has not changed the colour of my grey mustache.

That's encouraging. I may have to give it a try after all. If nothing else, I can buy white beeswax and make my own!

 

[nomex]

My Lockhart's is apparently one of their other scents. I think it's supposed to be Cocoa Vanilla? I saw the other green colored tin with a white was that was probably their Peppermint. I do know that when I applied some Wacky Tacky just now and wiped my thumb, it left a brownish residue. The Mr. Natty Twizzle will leave a slight yellowish residue.

 

[Romeolima]

So I'm nearly two months further along in my moustache journey and have been through several phases of giving up, but I'm still persevering.

I seem to have two problems, one is just caused by the way my whiskers grow, a bit wiry and unruly, some have an almost 90 degree bend halfway along. This can generally be tamed with wax but I'm not sure it bodes well for a well kept moustache.

Secondly is again dealing with the tips, so as I said I'm not growing out long curls just a defined shape working from the centre of the mouth. I have trimmed the ends to allow the centre hairs to catch up, which they are doing, however herein lies my new problem.

The tips are getting very thick, so more and more hairs now reach the tips and the are more like blunt lumps of hair than fine tips.

I realise this is a styling problem but having had close cropped hair for 15 years or more I have little or no regard for styling hair!

Do I need to thin it out somehow?

 

[Nic314]

I'm a fairly new handlebarer myself, but I've gotten a lot of good advice from other forums and YouTube videos. The biggest thing is be patient... the way the hairs train will change as they grow. I'm 4 months in, and haven't trimmed a hair. It leads to some frustrating phases, but you've got to push though those phases. Every time I think my 'stache isn't looking as good as I like, I give it a week or two and the issues I was worried about start working themselves out. You've also got to remember that you stare at your own face in the mirror, and most other people don't notice every stray or unruly hair like we do ourselves.

Some experienced growers gave me this advice: before you ever trim, count the number of weeks you've been growing and give yourself that many days of hating what you see before you cut. This will help you avoid making rash decisions.

Push on and don't trim!!!

Growing a handlebar is a journey, even though it has its frustrating moments, enjoy the ride. Happy growing!

 

[nomex]

I have a few unruly hairs that only act up when I curl the ends. If I sleep with wax in my moustache, I wake up to a nice curl on both ends. Those wiry unruly ones I've been tempted to trim, but I just deal with it. I think I will start scissor trimming (if I need) from now on, since I'm at the point where I need a slip of the razor will set me back a few months. It's much easier to gather the hairs and take away one or two this way.