Wondering what actually helps a mustache come in, and what is just hype? Genetics significantly influence facial hair growth, but proper nutrition, exercise, and stress management improve the overall health your mustache growth depends on.
This guide separates the habits that genuinely help from the myths that do not.
Stages of Facial Hair Growth
Before we dive into the tips for growing a mustache faster, let’s take a quick look at the mustache growth cycle. The facial hair growth cycle has 4 stages:
- Anagen phase: This is the active growth phase where hair is actively growing.
- Catagen phase: This is a transitional phase where the hair follicle shrinks.
- Telogen phase: This is a resting phase where the hair follicle remains dormant before falling out and being replaced by new hair.
- Exogen Phase: This is the shedding stage, when the old hair detaches and falls out to make room for new growth. The terminal length refers to the maximum length your hair can reach before it stops growing. Regardless of continued care, it stops growing and begins shedding once it hits that terminal length. Each phase varies in duration based on genetics and other factors. On average, facial hair grows around 0.4mm per day, or roughly half an inch per month.
Factors that Affect Mustache Growth
Genetics
Your family’s genetic traits play a significant role in determining the thickness, color, and growth rate of your mustache. You may inherit similar facial hair characteristics from your parents or grandparents.
If the men in your family grow patchy or sparse facial hair — which is, on average, more common in some East Asian and Native American populations — a thick, full mustache is less likely. But just because the men in your family sport long, dense mustaches doesn’t guarantee you the same result, since mustache growth depends on several other factors too.
Hormones
Hormones drive facial-hair development, but your follicles’ genetic sensitivity decides what they do with it — which is why two men the same age can grow completely different mustaches.
Age
Facial hair growth rates vary with age. During puberty and early adulthood, most men experience faster facial hair growth. Growth may slow down as they get older.
Nutrition
A balanced diet promotes healthy hair growth. Foods rich in protein, zinc, and iron help keep your skin and the hair you grow healthy.
Hydration and Facial Hair Growth
Drinking enough water benefits overall health, which the hair you grow depends on. Staying hydrated supports the healthy skin your mustache grows from. Aim for at least 8 glasses of water daily.
Lifestyle
Daily habits like sleep quality, exercise, and stress levels all affect mustache growth speed. Less sleep, less movement, and more stress can put the brakes on your progress.
Sleep is crucial for healthy hair growth. Your body repairs cells, including hair follicles, while you sleep. Aim for 7 to 8 hours each night.
Skincare
Proper skincare reduces dry skin, split ends, and breakage. Keep the skin moisturized to maintain a healthy foundation for healthy mustache growth.
Giving Your Mustache Its Best Shot
Follow these habits to give your mustache its best shot:
1. Eat Healthy For Nutrition
Consume protein, biotin, and zinc from foods like lean meats, eggs, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.
2. Drink Water For Hydration
Staying hydrated supports healthy facial hair growth. It is the easiest habit on this list, so keep a glass within reach and sip steadily through the day.
3. Exercise Regularly
Physical activity boosts blood flow and circulation, supporting the overall health your facial hair depends on. Choose a suitable exercise routine like walking, swimming, or weightlifting.
4. Sleep Well
Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly to support healthy mustache growth. Your body repairs hair follicles during that downtime, so a well-rested body is a better-growing body.
5. Stay Calm
Managing stress pays dividends for both your overall health and mustache growth. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga, or burn off tension with enjoyable physical activities like jogging or swimming.
6. Trim the Splits and Condition
Trim the ends of your mustache to maintain a neat appearance and prevent uneven growth. Use sharp, high-quality grooming tools for precise, even cuts.
7. Take Care of Your Skin
Treat both your mustache and the skin underneath it. A quality beard oil or beard balm will moisturize, nourish, and protect your facial hair and the skin beneath it.
Natural Extras: What Helps and What Is Hype
Here are the popular natural extras, and what the evidence really says about each:
Essential Oils
Create a blend of rosemary, peppermint, and eucalyptus essential oils and apply it to the area where your mustache grows. These oils nourish the skin beneath, though none of them has human evidence for boosting facial hair growth.
Some of the best oils for this purpose include:
- Rosemary oil: The best-studied of the group, with early scalp-hair research, but no facial-hair evidence yet.
- Peppermint oil: A fresh scent and a pleasant tingle. Enjoy it as aromatherapy, not a growth treatment.
- Lavender oil: A pleasant conditioner, though the hair-growth evidence is limited to early lab studies.
To use essential oils, dilute them with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil or jojoba oil) and apply them directly to the mustache area.
Castor Oil
Castor oil is a popular folk conditioner: it softens and adds shine, but there is no evidence it grows facial hair. It contains ricinoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that can help keep the skin under your mustache comfortable.
To use castor oil, apply a small amount to the mustache area and massage it in for a few minutes before rinsing off.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has plenty of benefits for hair, including facial hair. It moisturizes and soothes the skin, creating the kind of healthy follicle environment where growth can actually thrive.
To use it, apply a small amount of aloe vera gel to the mustache area and leave it on for at least 30 minutes before rinsing off.
Onion Juice
Onion juice contains sulfur, but there is no good evidence it boosts facial hair growth. To use it for facial hair growth, blend an onion and strain out the juice.
Apply it to the mustache area and leave it on for at least 15 minutes before rinsing off.
Massage Your Mustache Area
Gently massaging the skin around your mustache improves blood circulation, though there is no solid evidence this speeds up facial hair growth. Regular massage sessions also help relax the facial muscles and give you a genuinely satisfying grooming ritual at the same time.
Beard Grooming and Maintenance
Maintain your mustache properly for faster growth.
- Wash your mustache twice a week with a gentle shampoo.
- Work beard oil or balm into your mustache regularly. You can even make mustache wax at home to moisturize and condition the hair.
- Use a beard brush or beard comb to detangle and style the hair.
- Shape your mustache with sharp scissors to avoid ingrown hairs.
Follow the tips in this guide and you will be well on your way to healthy mustache growth. Try out different beard styles and design tricks to make your mustache look extra cool.
