A Gap in the Middle of Your Moustache: Styles That Work With It
A gap in the middle of a moustache, directly under the nose, is very common. It sits over the philtrum, the groove above the top lip, where many men simply grow fewer or weaker hairs. You have three good options: grow the moustache longer so the hairs either side comb across and cover it; choose a style that makes the split look deliberate, such as a handlebar or a moustache parted in the middle; or keep facial hair short enough, as stubble or a short boxed beard, that the gap barely reads. What rarely works is trimming everything to the length of the sparse middle, which just makes the gap more obvious.
Why the gap appears
Hair follicles above the lip are not spread evenly. The philtrum, the vertical dip between the nose and the upper lip, often has fewer follicles, finer hairs, or hairs growing in two directions that part naturally down the centre. Men with a deep philtrum can also see a gap simply because the groove casts a shadow and the hairs either side lean away from it.
It is usually genetic and often more noticeable in your twenties, when facial hair is still filling in. Many men find the area thickens over several years. A gap that has always been there is normal. A patch that appears suddenly, where there was hair before, is different; the NHS explains causes such as alopecia areata on its hair loss page, and it is worth mentioning to your GP.
Option 1: grow it out and comb across
The most effective way to cover a gap is length. Once the hairs either side reach a centimetre or so, they can be combed inwards and down, meeting in the middle. This is the approach behind a full chevron or a walrus style.
- Leave the moustache untrimmed for six to eight weeks, apart from hairs going into your mouth.
- Comb it daily, from the centre outwards first to untangle, then from the outer edges inwards and down to train the hairs towards the middle.
- Use a small amount of moustache wax or balm to hold the hairs in place over the gap.
- When trimming, trim only along the lip line. Do not shorten the sides, because their length is what closes the gap.
Getting through the scruffy weeks takes patience. Our guide on growing a moustache through the awkward first weeks helps.
Option 2: make the split part of the style
Some moustache styles part in the middle anyway, so a natural gap reads as intentional rather than sparse.
| Style | How it uses the gap | Upkeep |
|---|---|---|
| Handlebar | Hair is swept outwards from the centre, so a parting is expected | Daily wax, length needed |
| English moustache | Long, narrow, combed out to each side from a central part | Daily wax |
| Centre-parted chevron | Full moustache with a deliberate small part | Light trim every two weeks |
| Pencil moustache, split | Thin line either side with a clean gap under the nose | Frequent precise trimming |
The key with all of these is a clean, even parting. A crisp, symmetrical gap looks like a choice. A ragged one looks like missing hair. For a broader look at shapes, see moustache styles from the chevron to the horseshoe.
Option 3: keep it short and part of a beard
At stubble length, or in a short boxed beard, a small gap is barely visible because the eye reads the whole face rather than the centre of the lip. A full beard also draws attention away from the moustache entirely. If you are not attached to a statement moustache, this is the lowest-effort route. Keep the moustache slightly longer than the cheeks so it looks full, and trim the lip line neatly.
Trimming mistakes that make the gap worse
- Trimming the whole moustache to match the sparse middle. Everything gets shorter and the gap becomes the most visible feature.
- Trimming straight down the centre. Taking a pair of scissors to “tidy” the middle widens the parting.
- Overusing a trimmer guard. A guard cuts everything to one length. Moustaches over a gap need different lengths in different places, which scissors handle better.
- Combing only downwards. Hairs either side of a gap tend to grow outwards. Comb them inwards to cover it.
Our guide on trimming a moustache so it sits above the lip covers the basic technique.
What a barber can do
Every visit at Highgate Cuts starts with an assessment: the barber looks at how your moustache grows, the direction of the hairs either side of the gap and what you want, then recommends a shape. In practice, that might mean leaving the sides longer while tidying the lip line, setting a clean symmetrical parting, or blending the moustache into a beard so the gap stops being the focus. They can also show you which way to comb and how much wax to use, which saves a lot of trial and error at home. Moustache shaping is part of the beard work we offer; see the Highgate Cuts barber page.
A note on growth products
Plenty of products claim to fill gaps in facial hair. Oils and balms can make existing hair softer and easier to train, but they do not create new follicles. Anything marketed as a treatment for hair growth is a question for your GP or a pharmacist, not your barber. The styling approaches above work with the hair you have.
Questions we get asked
Is a gap in the middle of the moustache normal?
Yes. It is one of the most common facial hair patterns and is usually down to genetics and the shape of the philtrum.
Will the gap fill in with age?
For many men facial hair thickens through their twenties and into their thirties, so it may reduce. For others it stays.
How long do I need to grow it to cover the gap?
Usually six to ten weeks without trimming the sides, depending on how fast your hair grows.
How much is moustache shaping?
Prices are not published yet. Please see the barber menu or email us.
For more on what we do, visit beard and moustache shaping in Highgate.
Book with The Highgate House
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The Highgate House, Archway Road, Highgate, London N6.
