There are both pros and cons to having a big mustache that should be explored prior to deciding to grow or eliminate the facial hair. Pros in growing and wearing a big mustache are that the mustache may be able to hide certain facial disfigurements, such as a cleft pallet or bad teeth. Other pros to a big mustache is the ice-breaking tendency and easy conversation that the feature promotes. Cons to the growth can be interference while eating, extended grooming time and problems with an employer's dress and appearance code.
For those individuals who do not mind standing out in a crowd, there are definite pros to wearing a big mustache. Taking home the first prize in a big mustache contest is a pro for those people who have a competitive side. Another pro to wearing a large mustache is the tendency to draw attention from strangers. While this can also be seen as a con, it provides an opening to strike up conversation with a person who may otherwise wish to remain quiet. The best pro is the amount of self-confidence that a big mustache gives the wearer; by creating a type of shield to hide behind, the wearer is often more relaxed and open to speaking and functioning in the public eye.
Increased grooming supply costs and the extra time required to groom oneself are often seen as cons to any style or type of mustache. Additional care must be taken when trimming a big mustache as well as when shaving to assure no damage to facial features occurs. Other cons are found when seeking new employment. Many employers do not allow excessive facial hair to be worn by their employees. Protocol often dictates the removal of a mustache when a new employment opportunity begins. Depending on the size of the mustache, another con might be in the lack of authority or respect others give to the wearer of the mustache.
Other pros to wearing a big mustache are the warming traits the facial hair offers to the mouth region of the face when in cold climates; however, this can also be seen as a con when ice begins to form on the hair from exhaled breath. It often requires a special type of extroverted person to wear a big mustache due to some occasional ridicule and joking by the not-always-kind public. Conversely, some people in society look on people with larger-than-average mustache growth as being extremely intelligent and wise, which also can be both a pro as well as a con, depending on the circumstances.