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How To Trim A Handlebar Moustache

1.45 min read – 02:45 video
The handlebar moustache is the pinnacle of the moustache world, combining elegance and style with a vague hint of absurdity. It is not a necessity, but an art form, a slightly frivolous moustache style that pushes boundaries. Intrigued? Here’s how to grow, trim, shape and style a handlebar moustache in six simple steps.

How to trim a handlebar moustache

Growing a handlebar moustache is easy. To start, stop shaving your beard and moustache, simply keeping them clean and observing proper maintenance for a month, trimming around the lips and applying beard oil to keep hair soft.When you reach the point of full beard coverage (no patchiness), you’re ready to begin. Here’s how to trim a handlebar moustache for the first time.

What you will need

  • Water
  • Moustache wax
  • Moustache Trimmer
  • Precision Trimmer
  • Electric Shaver

1. Trim down your moustache

Using your usual moustache trimmer, bring down your overall moustache length to about 1/8 to 1/5 of an inch. Choose a longer setting for the whiskers around your mouth.

2. Define the handlebar shape for your moustache

Using a precision trimmer, start defining the shape of your handlebar moustache. Trim downward, following your lip line to the corner of your mouth. Leave a strip of hair about 5mm – 10mm wide.

3. Tidy up with a shaver around the handlebar moustache

Follow this up with an face shaver, being careful to keep it upright. Use it to create clean edges and tidy up any stray hairs around your handlebar moustache.

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What you need

OneBlade Pro

Face + Body

Trim, edge and shave any length of hair

Philips OneBlade Pro Face + Body trims, edges and shaves any length of hair. You get a blade for your face, and one with a skin guard for your body. Forget about using multiple tools. OneBlade does it all.

See all benefits

4. Finish creating the handlebar moustache style shape

Create a neat parting with rounded edges in the middle of your handlebar moustache. The shape should look somewhat like two old-school bike handlebars, as shown in the video below. You can use a comb and wax or (if your hair is too stubborn) a razor like a OneBlade.

5. Clean shave around your chin, cheeks and neck

Give yourself a clean shave on your cheeks and along your beard cheek line, beard neckline and chin, taking extra care around your moustache. Using a rotary shaver, move in a gentle, circular motion.

6. Style with wax for maximum impact

Your handlebar moustache is now complete. Use a moustache wax to create a unique styled look that will stay in place.

Styling, maintaining and trimming your handlebar moustache

 

The most important part of the styling is the wax. Waxing (applying wax, not painful depilation) will become part of your daily routine. Find a wax that works for you, and apply it liberally before leaving the house.

 

How to curl a handlebar moustache

 

Use wax by applying to your handlebar moustache with the thumb and forefinger, rolling the corners of the moustache out to a point. Over time the hair will continue to form the curl, but use wax for maximum effectiveness.

 

Trimming a handlebar moustache is a pleasure, not a chore. It should be undertaken every few days to ensure it retains its shape. Simply trim back any hairs that fall out of line and let the moustache fill out.

Pulling off the perfect handlebar moustache style


Handlebar moustaches get their name because they look a little like the gracefully upturned handlebars on a bicycle. Growing a handlebar moustache was a popular pastime and fashion statement in the 19th century, especially among cowboys in the Wild West. Clearly, you’ll need some serious flair to pull off the handlebar look, so don’t be afraid to consider new trousers, sharp shoes and maybe a pocket watch or pipe to complete the look.