HOW TO GET HAIRY FOR MOVEMBER
Tips and tricks on growing a beard in November—and maintaining it.
Movember 2019 is here, which means it’s time to kick that facial hair growth into high gear! If you’re beardy already, keep up the good work. And if not, did you miss the memo? “Movember draws attention to facial hair and creates awareness to the possibilities that men actually have with beards, mustaches and specific grooming products,” says Patrick Butler, Technical Director/Education for Floyd’s 99 Barbershop.
Butler, who has been in the industry for 25 years—six with Floyd’s 99—is a hands-on pro when it comes to cutting techniques and men’s grooming. His current role allows him to dominate a job that he loves, which, today, entails some trade secrets on how to win Movember.
Whether you’re loving life in straight Chewbacca mode, or are seeking tips to grow the ultimate face fur, Butler has served up the tricks you'll need leading into Movember—a reason to get beardy, in the name of tackling prostate and testicular cancer, along with mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
CLEAN YOUR FACE
No, this isn’t your mom screaming, “Don’t forget to wash your face!”
Although growing hair isn’t magic, you can help ensure the conditions are right for good growth.
“Proper cleansing of the face is key,” says Butler. “Making sure you are cleansing your face on a regular basis allows you to remove any buildup of dead skin cells. You need to create a clear path for the hair to grow through,” says Butler.
And, even as you start to see stubble or a short length, you should to continue to cleanse, and apply a balm to condition the beard—now things are getting serious…
DEFAULT TO 'STACHE
Remember that Movember doesn’t discriminate. If you live in a city that’s hot AF, default to a light stubble or a stylish ‘stache, instead.
“The mustache is coming on strong,” Butler says. “There are a variety of ways to look sharp with a ‘stache.” You can grow out the ends on the corner of your mouth—but make sure to score some mustache wax, so you can take it up right with some definition.
Another strong style right now is the ‘70s ‘stache (looks like your old Uncle Rick ranks high on the cool meter after all).
If you’ve still got cold feet surrounding Movember, man up and get some winter boots, dude.
Or, come visit Butler in Denver (or one of his proteges around the country), and one of them will hook you up with a proper consult and trim.