Initially, Bob Baker, 49 years old, living in Greene County, Virginia (USA) did not like to have a beard or mustache because it was very itchy, so he often shaved. However, in 2018, a colleague of Bob's challenged him to grow his beard for a year without trimming and he decided to take on this challenge.
"I bought soap, conditioner, and beard balm. By the end of 2019, I had a beautiful beard and mustache, about 18cm long," Bob shared.
However, Bob's wife did not like her husband to have a beard and mustache, so he constantly urged him to shave.
"I've been growing this beard for over a year. I want to try out the next national mustache competition and I'll shave it," Bob negotiated with his wife, because he wanted to see how far he could go.
Then the unexpected came. He took 1st place in the category of "handlebar mustache" in 2020.
"I was so shocked that I almost fell off my chair when I was announced to have won the contest. And I decided to continue growing this mustache," Bob said.
In 2021, he continued to take 2nd place in the "handlebar mustache" category. In November 2022, surpassing 200 competitors in all categories, Bob won 1st place.
"Now, styling mustache is my passion. I've really learned a lot since starting this journey four years ago," said Bob, proudly.
Now he set his sights on the World Beard and Mustache Championships in June in Germany.
Every morning, he would style the mustache the way he liked. Sometimes he styled it in the classic handlebars, sometimes the royal style...
Bob's TikTok channel currently has 1.3 million followers, who regularly watch his videos on how to take care of a mustache and cheer him on. Many people asked him to go eat, go shopping with him, some also took pictures with him.
"My mustache certainly piques a lot of curiosity but I don't mind. It helps me reach out and interact with people and shows them it’s not that difficult to have a big mustache and maintain, take care of it," Bob shared.
Many people wonder how Bob does not have food on his mustache and soup does not spill all over his face. Bob said he uses wax to style his mustache so it doesn't stick to his mouth and often uses a straw to drink water.
"I share my habits and hope you will be inspired by my passion. I want to say, be yourself, be authentic and let your passion flow," said Bob.
For Valentine's Day, Bob dyed his mustache pink and made it into a heart shape.
