Two Month Checkup

Unwaxed at two months.

I consider May 10, my mustache birthday. Based upon whisker length, that is when I believe that the tips of my hairs would have emerged, had I been starting from a clean-shaven face.  So that makes today its two-month birthday and here is how two months of growth looks on me - without any product.

Without product, you can see that I have a pretty strong wave on both sides but still lack the length to make curls.  I try to emphasize width by pulling the tips outward - but even when doing this, the wave quickly pops back. This is also what I consider to be the messy stage where the center hairs tend naturally hang down in front of my mouth rather than staying combed to the sides.  Using product to keep it to the sides helps - somewhat, but does not solve the problem.  Even though it is trending toward messy, I still consider it awesome.

My mustache is living a double life:  no product in it during the day at my office job; with product at night at my restaurant job.  I like the natural look and don't mind  fussing with it during the day.  At night, however, I am waiting tables and cannot be touching it since I am handling plates of guests' food, don't have the time to regularly check it, and changes in environment between the kitchen and dining areas really require me to use product.  Besides, at a restaurant, guests expect a more formal look which using products gives.

Regardless of my location, I get a lot of comments:

• "You look like a pirate?"
• "You look like Buffalo Bill"
• "It's getting longer"
• "Do you do anything to make the ends point up or is it natural?"
• "I really like your stache"
• "Are you the villain in a melodrama?"

I am still loving the journey.  In a world of men with boring shaved faces, unremarkable trimmed mustaches, goatees, and full beards, and the occasional street-person look of an unkempt full beard, the handlebar mustache really stands out.  People like it.  They smile at me.  I smile back.  It is nice to be noticed.