# My husband shaved his mustache! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 7, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907 "2010-09-07T11:07:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/1 "2010-09-07T11:07:55Z")
This is about as mundane and pointless as it gets, folks, so if you want something more substantial, go to another forum or something. šŸ˜‰ I have been at least peripherally aware of my husbandā€™s existence since he was about 14; this would have been in middle school. He was one grade ahead of me. He stood out because he was a total geek (way before it was cool) and he had this incredible almost-black, super-thick, super-curly hair. When he was 15, he got a zit on his upper lip and every time he shaved, heā€™d cut it and it would bleed. So he stopped shaving his upper lip. By the time he was on the outer fringes of my group of friends in high school, heā€™d had a mustache for as long as I could remember. Heā€™s 50 now, and heā€™s been getting random silver/white hairs in his almost-black hair for years. But his 'stache has been graying at a much faster rate. Itā€™s been pretty much 50% gray/silver for a few years now. A couple of months ago, my sister mentioned to him that he might look younger if he shaved his mustache. My husband does not tend towards vanity _except_ when it comes to his hair and his eyes (which are gorgeous, which is why he wears contact lenses instead of glasses). We hadnā€™t seen each other in a week or two (not unusual for our schedules) and he didnā€™t tell me about shaving. When he walked into the hotel lobby, he was clean-shaven! Yikes. I made him kiss me right there in the lobby! I said ā€œDo you know how long itā€™s been since Iā€™ve kissed a guy who _didnā€™t_ have a mustache??ā€ Well, the answer is, about 25 years! He really _does_ look younger, I think. I like it. It still feels weird, though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/2 "2010-09-07T11:34:50Z")
1.) When I shaved my beard and moustache, one of my co-workers ca;lled Pepper Mill and _begged_ her to make me grow it back. Make of that what you will. 2.) If your facial hair turns gray before your head, you can color just your facial hair. This is such a common thing that they make hair coloring just for facial hair. Iā€™ve used it, and it works very well. So your husband can both look younger and retain his 'stache. 3.) Someone really ought to tell John Bolton about that stuff: > **[John Bolton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton)** > > John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United States National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019. > Bolton served as a United States Assistant Attorney General for President Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1989. He served in the State Department as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Af... ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/3 "2010-09-07T12:09:33Z")
I havenā€™t seen my upper lip since the 60s. I had a beard for about 20 years, and have since had a goatee or just a 'stache. I believe facial hair gives a face character, especially the eyes. And if a man has thin lips, it makes them look fuller. My facial hair is graying much faster than my head hair, which at age 64, still has only a few gray hairs. For a while I was dying the facial hair until I realized it looked very fake. So now I have a gray goatee/'stache with dark brown hair on the top. Neither my partner nor anyone else is complaining. ---
**Author:** ![Al\_Bundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e79b87/32.png) [@Al\_Bundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al_Bundy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/4 "2010-09-07T13:00:46Z")
Now that hubby looks 25 years younger, itā€™s up to you to do something. Chances are you donā€™t have a mustache, so that leaves tucks, lifts, injections and other enhancements that will be more expensive. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/5 "2010-09-07T13:04:20Z")
I havenā€™t shaved my upper lip since 1973. Seconding Just For Men Beard Color. Stuff works great, and much quicker than they would have you believe. One minute is enough to get rid of all the grey in my beard and 'stache. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/6 "2010-09-07T13:49:29Z")
:eek: My upper lip has been untouched since mid 70s. Thereā€™s absolutely nothing whatsoever that would make me shave it. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/7 "2010-09-07T13:56:00Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Now that hubby looks 25 years younger, itā€™s up to you to do something. Chances are you donā€™t have a mustache, so that leaves tucks, lifts, injections and other enhancements that will be more expensive. But if you _do_ have a 'stache, you might want to do something about it. šŸ™‚ I am not particularly in love with Himselfā€™s handlebar, but there are boundaries within every relationship which you know damned well you canā€™t cross. The mustache is sacrosanct. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/8 "2010-09-07T14:10:48Z")
> [@Al\_Bundy](#): > > Now that hubby looks 25 years younger, itā€™s up to you to do something. Chances are you donā€™t have a mustache, so that leaves tucks, lifts, injections and other enhancements that will be more expensive. Well, I already lost a significant amount of weight, does that count? Also, Iā€™m planning on dyeing my hair this week. šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/9 "2010-09-07T14:30:28Z")
I vandyked it for several weeks, but it aged me badly as it was actually [greyer](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4027/4663966153_480e63e09a.jpg) than my head. My notions of vanity donā€™t permit me to dye, and it was itchy as new growth is when it gets past a few mm. So voop, off it went. All to the good, really. My cat didnā€™t recognize me. ---
**Author:** ![Kickback\_Joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/cdc98d/32.png) [@Kickback\_Joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kickback_Joe)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/10 "2010-09-07T23:01:13Z")
I am sure my wife would have the same reaction as you did. We are coming up on our 20th wedding anniversary and she has never seen me without my mustache. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/11 "2010-09-07T23:12:42Z")
My brother shaved his mustache about a year ago. He and his wife had been married for 20 years and she had never seen him without one for as long as sheā€™s known him. The day that he shaved it, my younger niece (about 13 yrs old) told her older sister (about 18 yrs old) ā€œDad shaved his mustache!ā€ The older one says ā€œDad had a mustache?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/12 "2010-09-07T23:22:45Z")
Iā€™ve never seen my husband clean-shaven. Heā€™s had at least a mustache since he was middle-school aged, Iā€™m told, and now he sports a close-trimmed beard too. I think his face would look a little naked without some sort of facial hair. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/13 "2010-09-07T23:30:59Z")
> [@Kickback\_Joe](#): > > I am sure my wife would have the same reaction as you did. We are coming up on our 20th wedding anniversary and she has never seen me without my mustache. Yeah. Later that night, after we were in bed, I asked him to kiss me on the neck and shoulders, just because I couldnā€™t remember what it felt like to be kissed there by someone _without_ a mustache! As for all those who mention dye, he did talk to his hairdresser about it; she said that facial hair is much courser than the hair on your head, so the dye is much harsher. The only color that covers completely, according to Linda, is black. So in her opinion, heā€™d end up looking like Hitler! šŸ˜› ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/14 "2010-09-07T23:58:21Z")
Thatā€™s the idea. Not the Hitler part, the other. If you use JFMB and only leave it in for a minute, it gets rid of _most_ of the grey. That way the 'stache doesnā€™t look _obviously_ dyed. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/15 "2010-09-08T00:18:29Z")
I have _never_ shaved my upper lip. Ever. And I doubt I ever will. Iā€™ve had at least the ghost of a mustache since I was 13. The grey doesnā€™t bother me at all :). I think vanity might start kicking me a bit when I inevitably start to develop a bald spot ( not yet, but I seem to be accumulating more hair in the shower drain - Iā€™m sure it is just a matter of time. ). ---
**Author:** ![oddity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/da6949/32.png) [@oddity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oddity)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/16 "2010-09-08T00:27:07Z")
When I was 3 or so, my dad shaved off all his facial hair (full beard). Apparently I didnā€™t believe this strange, hairless man was my father and cried woefully. He grew it back. ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/17 "2010-09-08T11:40:16Z")
> [@norinew](#): > > Later that night, after we were in bed, I asked him to kiss me on the neck and shoulders, just because I couldnā€™t remember what it felt like to be kissed there by someone _without_ a mustache! Queue the music! I grew a mustache and beard (successfully) for the first time evar this summer. At 40, it took some realization that I couldnā€™t just let it all grow in, it looked scruffy and haggardā€¦but a little trimming here and there and it looks pretty good. I asked the wife about it and she didnā€™t really care one way or the otherā€¦itā€™s meā€¦with some additional hair. Evidently she doesnā€™t love me for my looks. šŸ˜› On the other hand, I turn the corner at work and the older middle-management lady said ā€œYou GREW A BEARD! It makes you look like a grown-up!ā€ Uh, thanksā€¦I think! ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/18 "2010-09-08T12:05:57Z")
At one point I shaved off my full beard, which I had had for over 20 years. I just left a moustache. Several people asked how I had grown the 'stache so quickly. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/19 "2010-09-08T12:56:02Z")
I far prefer clean shaven men. Especially for kissing. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907/20 "2010-09-08T13:16:35Z")
My husbandā€™s mustache is old enough to drive. Heā€™s had it since he was about 15 or 16. Heā€™s had the beard for quite a while, too. Iā€™ve told him that shaving the facial hair is grounds for divorce. Exception applies for chemo. He hasnā€™t started yet, but Iā€™m waiting. ā˜¹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-husband-shaved-his-mustache/552907.md?page=2)