Movember Mustache Guide: Pick a Style You Can Maintain
By URBANER Founder Lei-chun Ray LinShare
Quick answer: Shave clean on 31 October, leave the mustache area untouched for two weeks, make your first lip-line trim around 15 November, and choose a chevron unless you already know your growth supports something harder. A chevron is the only style that reaches a presentable state inside 30 days on most faces.
TL;DR
- Clean shave on 31 October so all growth starts even.
- Weeks 1-2: do not touch the mustache. Keep cheeks and neck tidy.
- Around 15 November: first lip-line trim, no length removed.
- Weeks 3-4: set length at 6-8 mm and define the corners.
- Pick a chevron unless you have grown a mustache before and know better.
What Movember is
Movember is an annual campaign in which men grow a mustache through November to raise awareness and funds for men's health, particularly prostate cancer, testicular cancer, mental health and suicide prevention. The rules are simple: start clean-shaven on 1 November and grow only a mustache for the month. If you want to register or donate, the campaign runs at movember.com; this guide is only about the grooming side.
The 30-day plan
| Dates | Length | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct | 0 mm | Shave the whole face clean so growth starts even |
| 1-7 Nov | 0-2 mm | Nothing to the mustache. Trim cheeks and neckline only. |
| 8-14 Nov | 2-4 mm | The itch peaks. Moisturise daily. Do not shave it off. |
| 15-21 Nov | 4-6 mm | First lip-line trim. Bare blade, no comb. |
| 22-30 Nov | 6-9 mm | Set the length, clean the corners, decide whether to keep it. |
The detailed week-by-week version is in how to grow a mustache: a 30-day timeline.
Which style can you actually finish in 30 days?
| Style | Achievable by 30 Nov? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chevron | Yes | The default. Works at 6-8 mm on most growth patterns. |
| Walrus | Usually | Needs thick growth, but length is achievable. |
| Horseshoe | Sometimes | Requires hair at the mouth corners that many men lack. |
| Handlebar | No | Needs 6-8 weeks before the ends are long enough to curl. |
| English | No | Same problem: length arrives in December, not November. |
| Pencil | Yes, but | Achievable quickly and unforgiving of any gap. |
If you want a handlebar for next year, start in mid-October. Matching a style to your face: mustache styles by face shape.
The two weeks that make people quit
Days 8 to 14 are the low point: long enough that colleagues notice, too short to have any shape, and itchy because short stiff hairs press against skin. The itch resolves on its own once hair grows past the follicle opening. A light daily moisturiser handles it; heavy balms sit on the hair rather than the skin and do nothing.
The trick for this period is to make everything else immaculate. A sharp neckline and clean cheeks turn a half-grown mustache into an obvious work in progress rather than neglect. Where to set the neckline.
Workplace-safe growing
- Keep the lip line clean from day 15. One sharp edge does most of the work.
- Keep the length even with a click-stop comb, not freehand scissors.
- Do not trim the top edge. A carved top line looks drawn on at short lengths.
- Tidy the neck every 2-3 days. It is the detail people notice on video calls.
What you need
Nothing for the first two weeks. From 15 November you need a narrow blade for the lip line: the battery Mustache Trimmer at $24.99, or the Precision Mustache Trimmer at $34.55 with rounded blade tips for working near the mouth corners. Both carry a 2-14 mm comb for the length work in week four.
1 December: keep it or shave it?
If you keep it, the maintenance is small: lip line every one to two days, length weekly, rinse the blade after every use. If you shave it off, do it in two stages, taking it to 2 mm first and looking at your face without a mustache before going to skin. Faces change more than people expect after a month.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start growing for Movember?
Shave clean on 31 October and start on 1 November. If you want a handlebar or English mustache, which need six to eight weeks, start in mid-October instead.
What is the best mustache style for Movember?
A chevron. It reaches a presentable state at 6-8 mm within 30 days on most growth patterns, needs no wax, and forgives uneven density.
Can I trim my mustache during Movember?
Yes. Growing does not mean neglecting. Keep the lip line, cheeks and neck clean from around day 15; just do not take length off the mustache itself before week four.
Why does my mustache itch in week two?
The cut ends of short, stiff hairs press against your skin. It peaks between days 8 and 14 and then stops as the hair lengthens and softens. A light moisturiser once a day is the fix.
How long is a mustache after 30 days?
About 9 mm. Facial hair grows roughly 0.3 mm a day, so a month gives enough length to shape a chevron but not enough for styles that need curling.