Men's Facial Hair Styling

Moustaches and beards have seen an increase in popularity in the last several years. While there are lots of goatees these days, you will see a great number of soul spots, small patches of hair in the center of the chin. Oh, and the ZZ Top beard is definitely out - though you have to wonder why it was ever "in" in the first place.

Men's facial hair styles come in a wide variety. Choosing the best facial hair style is actually more than just letting the hair on your upper lip grow out. And there are several things to consider before deciding on a facial hair style. Some things to consider are:

• Length of your mouth

• Size of your nose

• Fullness and size of your upper lip area

• Thickness of facial hair

• Texture of facial hair

• Color of facial hair

• Shape of jaw and chin lines

These things are important because, for example, you can grow a moustache to help balance a large, round face. You can disguise a soft jawline with a beard. You can also round out a square face or pointy chin with a beard. Facial hair is a great way to camouflage a wide variety of flaws, including acne scars. To help you decide what facial hair style is best for you, consult your hair stylist or barber. They are great resources and can be a big help.

Having facial hair does take time and effort. First you have to grow out the hair and endure the scruffy look for a while. Then you will have to shape and maintain your facial hair style with regular trimming. How often you have to trim depends on how fast your hair grows. Hair tends to grow a little faster in the winter, so be prepared to do your trimming more often. Invest in a good, high-quality trimmer for your moustache, beard, goatee or soul spot. You can also use a comb and scissors, but trimmers are generally a little faster.

Be prepared for your facial hair to grow in different directions. This means, especially if you have a beard, that you will most likely need to use a combination of trimmer and scissors techniques for facial hair maintenance. You may want to plan for quick trims with the trimmers during the week, with a longer session on a weekend morning for full trimming.

If you find you have bare patches in your moustache or beard, you can blend the hair using the trimmers blending attachment. You can also use colored eyebrow pencils that match the color of your facial hair to fill in any blank spots. Just be sure to use a waterproof pencil so that it doesn't run if you get sweaty during a work out. You can find eyebrow or facial hair colored pencils at beauty supply stores or online hair supply websites.

To make facial hair style work It is also very important to take care of every other grooming aspect as well. Your skin care, hair styling and your entire picture.

With so many celebrities sporting moustaches, beards, goatees and soul spots, facial hair has never been more popular. Don't grow your moustache or beard thinking you will not have to care for it. Facial hair does take time and care. Shampoo and condition it to keep it looking its best, but it is well worth the admiring looks you get.

Bilal Babic is co-founder of http://www.MensFlair.com