Some men prefer to keep their faces clean by shaving, while others prefer to grow mustaches or beards and spend a lot of time with their upkeep.
In India, Ram Singh Chauhan spends a lot of time preparing to go out, mainly because of his 14-foot-long mustache.
Currently the Guinness title holder for the longest mustache in the world, Chauhan, 58, takes pride in his facial hair, and he treats it like a baby.
He started growing out his mustache back in 1982 when a friend who had a seven-foot-long mustache told him, “Ram Singh, it’ll be good if you grow your mustache too.”
True enough, growing it brought him a lot of luck because Chauhan has appeared in many Bollywood films as well as the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy.”
He also used it as an instrument of peace when he did a show for Indians and Pakistanis.
“I have even done a show on the India-Pakistan border. It was like reuniting both sides,” he said.
Initially, his wife couldn’t get used to her husband’s obsession over his mustache, but now she treats it as another family member.
For Chauhan, growing his mustache is not just about being vain, or having a title, but he considers it a part of himself.
“Growing a mustache is like taking care of a baby — you really need to nurture it. The mustache is the symbol of pride and respect. In ancient India, a mustache meant everything. It is priceless. It’s a man thing.”