Lace Mustache & Beard

Fit and trim

• Pieces come trimmed close to the hair, for the most natural look.
• Beard: try it on without glue and check the lip line, mouth corners, the edge under your nose and near your ears. The lace must not go into your mouth or nostrils or get in the way when you talk. Where it does, trim the lace (not the hair) a little at a time and try it on again.
• The lace stretches a little; on a beard, a slight stretch can help fit the chin. Don't stretch it hard: it loses its shape.
• Trim only if needed, with sharp scissors, a little at a time. Cut between knots, never through them: hairs near a cut edge can come loose.
• Don't cut the small sewn folds on the chin: they give the beard its shape.
• Loose threads at the edge later? Trim it again. Need more lace for professional work, or a tighter fit? Message me (see Support).

Glue

• Less is more. A thin, tacky layer holds best. Extra glue adds shine, drying time and cleanup. Heavy beard: add a second thin layer at the chin, not one thick layer.
• The glue usually gets tacky in under a minute; a warm or damp room changes this.
• Waited too long and it's no longer sticky? Brush on a thin fresh layer.
• Extra hold under the nose: let a first thin layer dry, brush on a second thin layer, tap until tacky.
• Oily skin? Wipe it with alcohol or witch hazel first and let it dry. Sweat, skin oil, lotion and sunscreen weaken the hold.

Placing and tapping

• Check that both sides sit at the same height before you tap it in.
• Tap, don't push: pushing hard glues hair into the lace.
• A comb tip or toothpick reaches best between the hairs. Fingertips work too, gently; wipe the glue off them with alcohol. A scrap of nylon tights over the fingertip keeps it clean, so the hair is less likely to stick or get glue on it.
• Spirit gum starts to hold almost at once. In the first 30 seconds, tap down any spot that didn't stick.
• Beard: a helper makes it easier. Glue one small section at a time, before the glue dries.
• Done? Is the glue dry? Talk, laugh and make faces in the mirror. A spot lifts: a dot of glue on the skin under it, wait a little, then tap.

Eyebrows

• Glue only on the skin above and below your own brow, never on its hairs: removal would hurt.
• A thin line of glue under the brow, tap until tacky, tap it in; then a little glue above the brow.
• Remove with a barely wet brush, eyes closed: alcohol must not get into your eyes.

Styling and touch-ups

• Once the glue is set, you can comb the hair, trim it to length and add gel or wax.
• Hairs tickle your nose or lips? Trim them a little shorter.
• Long event? Take the glue with you. Check the edges now and then. Lifting edge: a dot of glue, tap. Extra shine: dab with a brush and a little remover.

Removing and cleaning: why it works this way

• Alcohol dissolves spirit gum; pulling tears the lace and the knots. A spot still holds? Add more alcohol and wait.
• Spray option: a small spray bottle of alcohol is handy for both jobs. Removing: spray lightly under the lace edge from the side, eyes closed. Cleaning: spray the lace.
• Soaking turns dried glue into gel. Rubbing smears it into the hair, stretches the lace and pulls knots out.
• Always dab from the hair side, toward the towel. From the lace side, the dissolved glue runs into the hair and dries stiff.
• Only a little glue left? Skip the soak. Lay the piece lace down on the towel and gently dab with a brush wet with alcohol.
• Old, thick glue: repeat the soak several times, or soak longer and lift the piece out to dab now and then. Never scrub.
• Small softened clumps: lift them out with a toothpick, gently. Never push the tip through the lace: it can damage the lace.
• Glue left on the lace dries hard and stiff. Thick old glue cracks and can tear the lace.

How long it lasts

It depends on care, cleaning and the glue you use. With gentle removal and cleaning after every use, a piece lasts a long time, often months. One rough removal, or glue left to dry on it, can ruin it.

If something goes wrong

Alcohol and removers

• Spirit gum is resin dissolved in alcohol. Alcohol dissolves it again; water doesn't.
• Use 95–99% alcohol, isopropyl or ethyl. Weaker alcohol has more water in it: the glue dissolves slowly, and you may want to rub. Don't. Some professionals use 91%, others only 99%: stronger is better.
• Skin and lace need different things. On skin, spirit gum remover is gentler; alcohol also works but dries more. On lace, remove spirit gum with alcohol only: many removers contain oil (for example mineral oil), and oil left in the lace weakens the next hold.

Cleaning: the details

• Dish: a pie tin, a deep plate or a food container. Keep the hair out of the alcohol; only the lace goes in. A small dish saves alcohol. Pour only a little and close the bottle: alcohol evaporates fast.
• Under the piece: paper towels work best. An old, smooth cotton cloth or microfiber works too; keep it only for this. Not a fluffy bath towel: its loops catch on the lace and don't soak up the glue well.
• Brush: soft, for example an old makeup brush. A toothbrush only if it is very soft, and gently: stiff bristles can loosen knots. Dab the bristles into the lace and move them gently. Move to a clean spot on the towel each time, so the gel isn't pressed back in. Natural bristles are best: strong solvents can damage plastic ones.
• Cotton balls and swabs work for some makers, but loose fibers can catch in the knots. A brush is safer on the lace. On skin, cotton is fine. For removing, a cotton swab wet with remover also works: roll it along the edge, and don't pull the lace with it.
• Smells of sweat? Spray the lace lightly with alcohol and let it air out.
• Done when the lace is soft and clear, with no shine and no white spots. Old spirit gum turns whitish.

Drying and storage

• Dry it completely, flat, in its natural shape. A piece keeps the shape it dries in: folds dry in and show under glue.
• Store it flat in a hard box. Beards: on a head or chin block (foam works). If you pin it, use as few pins as possible, and don't stretch the piece.
• Keep it dry, dust-free and away from heat. Not loose in a makeup bag.
• Long styles may need restyling after rain, damp air or storage, like real facial hair. The photo shows one style; you can restyle it your way.
• To set a shape: a little mustache wax, gel or hairspray. Pin the hair (not the lace) in shape on a block, spray it with hairspray and leave it overnight.
• Don't add layer after layer of hairspray. To refresh the style, put the piece on a block (not on your face) and spray the hair lightly with alcohol: it softens the old hairspray, so you can restyle.
• Experienced users can touch up the style with warm tongs, as with natural hair. For beginners this is risky for the piece.

Water and heat

• Most pieces are human hair; some are yak hair (the listing says which). Synthetic hair only on custom orders, and always heat-resistant. One reason I usually don't use synthetic hair: the chemicals in glues and removers damage it over time, so it isn't the best choice for mustaches and beards.
• The style is set with heat. Hot water, steam or a hot dryer can change its shape and texture; damp air relaxes it too. Got it wet? Air-dry it flat, no heat.
• Heat-resistant synthetic: the safe limit is usually 150–190 °C, depending on the fiber. No label, or not sure? Start low, around 100 °C, and test first on the hair tips or in a hidden spot.
• Clean with alcohol, not water. Water doesn't dissolve spirit gum, it makes the alcohol weaker, and long soaking can loosen knots.
• A real wash (food, makeup): rarely, and carefully, because it can undo the heat-set style. No experience restyling? Better avoid it. Otherwise: cold water only, a drop of mild shampoo, no rubbing. Pat dry, dry flat, restyle.

Unusual cases

• Other glues clean differently. Never assume alcohol works for every glue: see All-day wear.
• Switching glue? Clean every trace of the old one off the piece first.
• Glue in the hair is hard to fix, so try to avoid it. If it happens, soften it with alcohol (or remover) on a brush, then gently lift it out with a soft brush or comb.
• Old glue left for a long time: many rounds of cleaning. The piece may not fully recover. Last resort, if nothing else helped: soak the whole piece, hair included, in alcohol; lift it out now and then and work the glue off with a brush; then wash it gently in cold water with a drop of mild shampoo. The style will most likely come out and need restyling. But if the glue won't come off, you would throw the piece away anyway, so you have nothing to lose.
• Stretched or bent lace: air-dry it flat or on a block. It may not fully recover. For experienced users: cover the lace with micropore paper tape, roll small warm tongs over the tape, then peel the tape off gently.

Skin

• Patch-test every new glue, remover or skin product: inner forearm or behind the ear, 24 h. Some reactions show up later. If the spot turns red or itchy within 2 days, skip that product.
• Get allergies easily? Talk to your doctor first, and always do the patch test.
• Spirit gum contains natural resins (often rosin, also called colophony). Allergic to them? Check the label.
• Moisturize after removal if your skin is dry or sensitive.
• No lotion or sunscreen under the lace: it weakens the hold.