Many things go into our idea of personal appearance and what it means to like the face we see staring back at us in the mirror. There are the aspects we can control (like how we treat others) and some we cannot (like how tall we are or the rest of our physical features). For many masculine folk, part of that personal appearance includes having and maintaining a well-grown and well-groomed beard and mustache.
Will My Mustache Ever Fill In?
Perhaps and perhaps not. Genetics play a strong determiner in how thick a person’s beard becomes. Age and ethnicity are also strong factors. Mustaches often continue to grow in thickness until the late 20s.
There are autoimmune conditions like alopecia areata where your body can attack its own hair follicles, causing the hair about your head – including your mustache – to fall out in patches. There are also certain skin conditions and medications that can affect the way a mustache grows in.
How Do You Fix a Patchy Mustache?
A problem many people make when growing facial hair is not giving their hair enough time to grow. Facial hair needs about 4-6 weeks without any major grooming and some people struggle with feeling scruffy for that long.
A proper diet is important for hair growth overall, so it is important to have a diet that includes protein, foods rich in biotin, vitamins A, C, and E, and plenty of water.
Before considering surgical options, there are a few options available to try and shore up a patchy mustache. Beard and mustache hair form after puberty and their growth is more influenced by hormones than scalp hair is. There are over-the-counter products like Minoxidil that are used to aid with hair growth – though these products are only approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on specific areas of the scalp. There is not currently any research on their effectiveness with mustaches specifically.
Can You Transplant Hair Into Your Mustache?
A mustache hair transplant is possible, and – in fact – is a procedure that is becoming more and more common. Common candidates for mustache transplants include people with bald spots, scarring due to injury, and transgender patients. The procedure is often performed using Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) as it is less invasive and leaves nearly dot-like scars typically minimally visible once healed at normal hair lengths. The newly transplanted hair will initially shed a few weeks after the procedure, but permanent growth should begin in about 3 to 4 months, with full results typically visible in 9 to 12 months. With modern techniques, the success rates are high and the results are long-lasting.
Patchy Mustache? RHRLI Can Help
RHRLI offers proven hair restoration, whether it is to address a changing hairline or fill in facial hair. We have a full range of surgical and non-surgical treatment options so we can customize a plan for your specific needs and goals. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.