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What Are the Pros and Cons of Having a Bushy Mustache?

Sherry Holetzky
Sherry Holetzky

Facial hair styles can be just as random or trendy as hair styles. A mustache can completely change a person’s appearance, often adding or subtracting years. Even if a clean shaven look is considered the style of the time, some men just prefer facial hair. A bushy mustache may be attractive on different types of faces and it may also be used to hide scars or other imperfections. On the other hand, such a mustache may also be somewhat difficult or time consuming to maintain.

There are pros and cons to having a bushy mustache. One of the pros is that a mustache is eye-catching. In a crowd, a man with a mustache will stand out. It will get you noticed. Some cultures also see facial hair as a sign of dignity, and find men with mustaches worthy of respect. In some areas, sporting a bushy mustache is also a way to be unique, instead of conforming to to mainstream appearances.

Man with hands on his hips
Man with hands on his hips

Perhaps the two most notable bushy mustache styles are the handlebar mustache and the “walrus.” While some men can pull off the handlebar mustache, others may not look particularly attractive with one. This style has also sometimes been related to villains, like Snidely Whiplash. Many people may also find the look outdated and it is sometimes used to portray an out of style character in films. The walrus mustache lives up to its name because it can make a man who wears one resemble that animal.

To get a better idea of how different a bushy mustache can make a person look, you can check out pictures of celebrities known for their mustaches, with and without them. A couple of good examples are Sam Elliott and Tom Selleck. Both of these gentlemen look very different without their trademark mustaches.

As there are pros, there are definitely cons associated with a bushy mustache. As noted, it may be considered less than stylish. Also, if it is not properly cleaned, trimmed, and combed, it can be very sloppy looking. A man can look dirty if his mustache is littered with crumbs after eating.

Maintaining a bushy mustache can be challenging, as it is sometimes difficult to keep it perfectly even. Facial hair does not always grow symmetrically. A man may also need to apply mustache wax to keep hair manageable and more controlled.

Discussion Comments

bluedolphin

I think that whether a man should have a mustache or not depends on how he will look with one. I've seen men with mustaches that looked quite nice and I've seen men with mustaches that looked quite bad. So it might be necessary to try it to actually know how it looks.

SteamLouis

I had a mustache for a while. At one point, it was quite thick and bushy. I have friends who really want a bushy mustache and beard. In fact, one has trouble growing facial hair and really admired me. But I don't think that there are many pros of having a bushy mustache. It did look nice on me, and it does attract attention. But I think the disadvantages, mainly the time and effort required to maintain it, is not worth it.

I had to use hair oil to keep it soft and shiny. I had to trim it and style it regularly so that it didn't look like one big mess. So I had to spend much more time on grooming.

The other disadvantage was that it's fairly difficult to eat without making a messy and without getting food particles stuck in a bushy mustache. I found myself very self-conscious that I might have a breadcrumb in there or something.

fify

My family is from the south of India and many men in our native place have bushy mustaches. It's sort of the norm there. In fact, like the article said, it's expected for respectable men to have a mustache. It's also seen as a sign of bravery, manhood and responsibility. So the whole concept is very different there. There are more pros to having a bushy mustache in South Indian culture. In American culture, having a mustache isn't a cultural thing. In fact, it's sometimes stereotyped and disapproved of. So if anything, it's sort of the opposite.

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      Man with hands on his hips