Men (and some women) have sported facial hair for millennia. We now place more emphasis than ever on the way that we groom and style our facial hair. There are now whole magazines and web pages dedicated to mustache styles. Some people spend hours each day making their mustache look amazing. In order to get you into the mustache mindset, here are 10 fascinating facts about mustaches for you to digest.
#1: World’s Longest Mustache
The longest mustache ever measured by the Guinness Book of Records was 4.29 meters (14ft) in length. The mustache was sported by Indian national Ram Singh Chauhan. Ram Singh Chauhan must tie up his mustache whenever he goes out, or else it trails along the floor.
#2: Beard & Mustache Competitions
Every two years there is a World Beard and Mustache Championship. Mustache and beard wearers are able to compete in various different categories which are judged by preeminent facial hair wearers and the world governing body for Beards and Mustaches. The next competition will be held in Texas in 2017.
#3: Good For You
One study from the University of Southern Queensland in Australia has suggested that having a mustache may actually have health benefits. Depending on the length and thickness of the mustache, it could actually reduce sun exposure in the area by a third! This could help to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
#4: Pop History
The Beatles reignited the mustache trend with their album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band. All of the members of The Beatles sported a mustache on the album cover, in homage to the mustache that George Harrison had grown in order to disguise himself on a visit to India. As part of the promo for the album, fans were given fake mustaches to wear.
#5: Mustache Crockery
Victorian men often used wax to style their mustaches, but this wax could easily melt into hot food or drinks. Inventors during this time period scrambled to come up with solutions to this problem. Mustache cups and mustache spoons were invented to try to protect the mustache from rising steam. Alternative inventions sought to prevent melted mustache wax from dripping into the hot food and spoiling it.
#6: Military Rules
Mustachioed men in the American military must follow specific regulations about the size and shape of their mustache. Rules state that the mustache must not go past the “upper lip line, extend sideways beyond a vertical line drawn upward from the corners of the mouth…or extend above a parallel line at the lowest portion of the nose”. Military men must also ensure that all of their facial hair is “neatly trimmed, tapered and tidy”.
Every year men are encouraged to grow a mustache in November to support a variety of different men’s health charities and men’s health issues. The month is colloquially known as Movember. It first began in 2004 in Australia, but it has since gone global. Hundreds of thousands of men now take part. Movember raises both money and awareness.
A poll which appeared in a 2008 British newspaper showed that the majority of readers thought that a mustache made the wearer look gentlemanly and sophisticated. 61 percent of respondents in the poll agreed that a mustache helped to give guys a really refined look. Unfortunately, 39 percent of people suggested that mustaches made men look like fools!
#9: Mustachioed Leaders
There have only ever been 4 American Presidents who have sported a mustache (for a significant period) during their time in office. All of these presidents served before 1909. These presidents were Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland and William H Taft. However, the mustache is a far more popular accessory for presidents and heads of state in other countries.
#10: Hands Off!
The average man with a mustache is thought to touch his facial hair around 760 times per day with his hands. If the average man gets a full 8 hours of sleep per night, then this means that he touches his mustache 47.5 times every waking hour. That is almost once a minute!
Do our facts make you more inclined to grow a mustache? It can be a big decision if you have never had one before. If you need a little bit more persuading, you should check out some of our amazing lists of beards and mustache styles.