21 Exquisite Mexican Mustache Styles (Definitive Guide)

Looking like a real bandido or as tough as Danny Trejo requires a strong Mexican mustache.

This mustache style does make a person look rugged, but it also gives them a strong look that not many facial hair types can.

However, there are ways of getting the exact Mexican mustache that will make you look as confident as Pancho Villa and less like a back character from one of Robert Rodriguez’s movies.

The road toward getting a perfect Mexican mustache is not easy and requires a lot of patience, growing, and exact grooming.

Luckily, we are no strangers to creating this famous mustache style.

It actually does not hurt combining it with a little bit of chin hair.

Combining it with a flawless beard will only make things much more attractive.

The article that follows will tell you exactly how you can create a correct Mexican mustache that really works for you.

Most Popular Mexican Mustache Styles

Full Mexican Handlebar

The handlebar mustache style is as versatile as it is popular. It goes well on a bold head as it does on modern hairstyles. It also works well in combination with a clean shaved face, stubble, or a full-grown beard.

What you need to do is let your mustache grow long and semi-thick, way beyond the point of your lip. Then use your choice of the beard comb to curl it upwards, just like the handlebars of a bike as its name suggests.

This one is very suitable for men who can’t grow a thick mustache.

Exaggerated Mexican Handlebar

The exaggerated handlebar is, as its name suggests, the superlative form of the traditional handlebar mustache. It is longer and thicker but differs from the traditional one as it starts thick and goes thinner towards the end as it curls upwards.

To curl it up correctly, you will need to use some gel or beard oil. This look is quite bold and will look unique compared to most of the styles you see today.

But it goes with a variety of face shapes and can look good on a man who has a round face and on a person with a straight face.

Mexican Pencil Mustache

A pencil mustache is quite stylish and has been in use for decades. It is perfect for men who can’t grow thick mustaches and also breathes elegance and confidence.

What you need to do is leave a small, thin strip on your stash area without it exceeding the lip line. A lot of grooming is required and you might need to trim it down daily to keep it nice and fresh. So think about investing in a quality beard balm if you want to sport this one.

Full Horseshoe Mexican Mustache

The full horseshoe mustache is perfect for a manly man. It looks best on people with angular or square jaws. Think about Hulk Hogan, for instance, or Metallica’s James Hetfield.

It is pretty simple to create. You need to grow a long thick beard, shave the cheeks and the chin. Leave the mustache long, so it goes all the way to your chin end and keeps the soul patch as well. The more the stash covers your lips, the better it looks.

Subtle Horseshoe Mustache

If you are still trying out the horseshoe stash and don’t want to go all excessive and make a full one, starting with a subtle version is entirely satisfactory. You don’t need to go so much overboard as with the full horseshoe, as this version is not so full and is a bit thinner.

While creating a subtle horseshoe is somewhat similar to the full one, the end part differs. You don’t need to let it grow to your chin and you don’t need to keep the end parts so thin.

Instead, the splits at the end are thicker and finish off just at the end of the oral cavity. It also adds a slight twist right at the end to make it distinctive.

Sectioned Mexican Style Mustache

The sectioned Mexican mustache is a gentleman’s mustache. You often see it on well-groomed men that carry a dose of seriousness to them. It requires very little maintenance but does need quite a lot of grooming.

To grow it, you also need to shave off the beard from your cheeks and chin and keep the mustache at an inch length. You can do that with your scissors.

A perfect shape at both sides of the philtrum needs to be maintained. The edges also need to go a bit further away from the lips but not allow them to go too far.

Mexican Gentleman Mustache

For a perfect Diego Luna look, try out the Gentleman mustache. It even goes well with a patchy beard and makes you look immensely younger. You need to keep the mustache short of creating this look, but they don’t have to be uniform.

The edges need to rest on the sides of your lips. The center top along the philtrum needs to be trimmed down a bit, similar to the pencil mustache. Grow the beard as freely as you wish as it is what gives this style a youthful look.

Mexican Cowboy Mustache

We suggest settling down on a Cowboy mustache if you don’t have the time for so much grooming. It is a very durable style that involves a chin strap beard that cowboys used to sport back in the day.

But this one needs to be more cluttered and less groomed, which makes one a Mexican style.

Classic Mexican Mustache

You can never go wrong with a classic Mexican-style stash. Go as bushy and as thick as possible, but don’t go overboard and allow it to cover your entire upper lip. It also looks good if you support it by adding a slight stubble.

What marks the classic look so good is that it can go with a variety of hairstyles. It goes best with a parted and short hairstyle.

Walrus Mexican Mustache

The walrus mustache is basically what it looks like when a classic one goes out of hand. In this case, the mustache needs to go all-out bushy and thick to the point that it covers your entire mouth, the same as with a walrus.

It also doesn’t get any simpler to create. You only need to grow the beard and the stash as long and as bushy as possible. Shave off the rest and leave the mustache, allowing it to dominate your face. It does require patience to grow and careful grooming.

Mexican Zappa Mustache

The Zappa-style Mexican mustache does resemble the one that the famed American musician used to wear, except it is a lot thinner.

It is supposed to create an elegant and clean look and it does need regular maintenance. You also need to leave a soul patch under your lip while the mustache should be connected with the nose. Adding a shadow beard also looks good.

Mexican Scraggy Mustache

The Scraggy mustache is a famous Mexican style mustache design that was made popular by native actor Cantinflas.

He was the originator of this unique look and created it by keeping the ends of mustaches far away from each other but keeping them disconnected in the middle. The edges don’t go far beyond the lip while being trimmed inward with a pointed shape towards the nose.

Mexican Chevron Mustache

The Chevron mustache has an irregular triangle shape, with its length going beyond the lips. It has bases on both sides of the lips and one at the bottom of the nose.

The mustache needs to be thick and uniform without any protruding hairs. You can keep a stubble, but it looks best with a completely shaved beard.

Mexican Paint Brush Mustache

A very stylish mustache look, the paintbrush mustache comes with a thick uniform length that goes from the nose to the upper lip, except for the edges. Instead, the edges are shaped around the lips.

This is a thick mustache style, but it shouldn’t cover your upper lip. It needs to go with a clean-shaven beard.

Mexican Mustaches and Different Beard Styles

Van Dyke Mustache and Beard

The traditional Van Dyke combines a mustache and a goatee in a T-shape style. But a Mexican one has the mustache trimmed very short except over the edges. The edges are also twisted upward into a curl.

The beard needs to be completely shaven except for the soul patch and the width of your goatee. But the goatee needs to be long and hanging downward.

Handlebar With Full Beard

A handlebar mustache is a very versatile style. So versatile that it can easily be combined with a full beard. You can grow your beard for about four months and make sure that you groom and shape it properly during that period.

Use scissors to shape it properly and make sure that it covers your entire chin and neck. The mustache needs to be thick and long.
As for the hairstyle, keep it uniform. But the mustache needs to be kept perfect.

Be sure to use some beard wax or oil to shape it as best as you can.

Horseshoe Mustache With Soul Patch

If you want an instant tough-guy look, a horseshoe mustache is a way to go. But you can toughen things up by adding a soul patch.
Let the beard grow and shave everything except the mustache that goes all the way down to your chin.

Keep the soul patch, though, as it adds a subtle yet appealing twist on the traditional horseshoe style.

Long Goatee and Classic Mexican Mustache

A classic Mexican mustache is very easy to grow and also creates a youthful look for the wearer. However, it does not combine well with other facial hair styles, except the goatee. To do this properly, you have to leave the chin and shave off the rest of your beard.

The goatee can be left extended, but you shouldn’t connect it to the goatee. The classic mustache look has to be kept, but you can have fun with the goatee as you can keep it long or short, depending on your liking.

Perfectly Trimmed Mustache and Beard

When you balance the beard and the mustache, you know that you have attained a good look. You do need to let both the mustache and beard grow for at least five months. After which, you can start grooming.

Make sure to shave the beard on your cheeks and let it grow sharply. Shape the beard and the mustache with scissors. Be sure that the edges blend along with the beard and don’t need to add any curls.

Mutton Chops Beard

The mutton chops beard is considered a classic look for Mexican cowboys. Guys like to combine the mutton chops with some shoulder-length hair.

But make sure that the chin hair is trimmed all the way. The cheek hair needs to be cut into a strap and connect the sideburns, mustache, and cheek hair.

Mustache and Ginger Beard

A handlebar mustache combined with a thick and full beard looks good. The edges need to be pointed and curled to express a very masculine look. If you combine everything with a taper fade comb-over, you will get an incredible look.

What Is a Mexican Mustache

There is a common misconception that people from Mexico cannot grow facial hair. But the existence of a Mexican mustache style dismantles this theory with great success.

The thing is that people from Mexico have started to grow facial hair and wear it in all kinds of exciting styles, allowing for the misconception to be created.

When defining a Mexican mustache, you need to think of a thick and bushy type of mustache that partially or completely covers your upper lip. It usually curls downwards but does not go all the way to your chin.

The Mexican mustache has evolved over the years and today, we have some innovative types which add a modern twist to the traditional thick mustache.

Benefits of Growing Mexican Mustaches

Having a mustache comes with many benefits, but the main one when it comes to a Mexican Mustache is having a unique look that stands out. There are a lot of quirky mustache styles these days.

Some people use the best mustache wax to set theirs in all manner of shapes and sizes. But if you want to look unique, you have to take risks and try out a style that not many people wear.

The main advantage of a Mexican mustache is that, although popular, you rarely see it worn by men. You can stick out from the crowd if you manage to grow a perfect one.

Also, a Mexican mustache looks much manlier than other thinner types. If you want to get that classic, rough, Tom Selleck type of look, the Mexican mustache will get you there.

As mentioned, it can be a bit difficult to define a true Mexican mustache. A lot of people mistake it for a handlebar mustache or a horseshoe mustache.

But the case with the former is that the end tips of a mustache are curled upwards, while the case with the latter is that the ends go down and also need to include a soul patch.

When defining a Mexican mustache, think the bushier, the more Mexican it is. But everyone will tell you that this mustache style is challenging to maintain, even when using a beard oil with natural sealants.

It can also be a bit uncomfortable, especially when it gets bushy. Fortunately, there have been a lot of variations created over the years that made growing and wearing a Mexican-style mustache a lot easier.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Unique style.
• A type of mustache style that is growing in popularity.
• Makes you look manlier.
• Helps you stand out from the rest.

Cons

• Takes a bit longer to grow.
• Not all men can grow a thick one.
• Very difficult to maintain.
• Can be a bit uncomfortable and feel heavy on your face.

How to Grow Mexican Mustache

Growing a Mexican mustache does require a few pointers to grow properly. It starts the same way as with any other type of mustache but ends a little bit differently.

Step 1 – Start by growing your beard

Since you need to grow it thick, you need to be patient to get a full mustache. Decide on a particular one that you wish to try.

Step 2 – Shave off the excess facial hair

Get rid of the hair on your cheeks and the jawline. Leave only the thick and bushy mustache.

Step 3 – Use a pair of scissors to trim the mustache

But not too much; you need to keep it full and bushy. After you are done, take a look at yourself in a mirror, take a sip from your mustache mug with the unique design, and if you get a lot of your drink on your mustaches, that means that you did it correctly.

How to Maintain Your Mexican Mustache

Step 1 – Be sure to trim the mustache regularly

You don’t have to do it every day, but a few times a week should work.

Step 2 – Don’t let the hair on the other parts of your face grow too much

Your mustache is not going to look good. Use a premium beard moisturizer to help your mustache look fuller.

Step 3 – Wash and comb the mustache regularly

Comb the mustache, so it does not get too busy and starts to grow in all manner of unwanted directions.

Do’s and Don’ts

To attain a perfect Mexican mustache, you have to avoid some Don’ts and adopt the Do’s.

Do’s

• You can use a mustache comb as often as possible.
• There are some advantages of a beard conditioner, don’t forget about them.
• Wash and condition your face and mustache as often as possible.
• Groom and trim the mustache a few times a week.

Don’ts

• Better not use an electric razor to trim your mustache.
• Try not to touch your mustache too often.

FAQ

What is a Mexican mustache called?

A Mexican mustache is called such because it originates from Mexico and is the style that people from the North American country wear. It may also be referred to as the Handlebar mustache or a curled one.

Do Mexicans grow facial hair fast?

It depends from person to person. Some can grow a full bushy beard quite fast, while others take a bit more time.

Can Mexicans grow a full beard?

Yes, they can. There are a lot of Mexicans that can grow a huge bushy beard. It just depends from person to person.

Will Mexican mustache and beard styles suit you?

It doesn’t hurt to try. You only need to grow one and stylize it in a Mexican manner. If you don’t like it, you can always shave everything and try a different style.

What celebrities grow a Mexican mustache?

Among many famous actors that sport a Mexican mustache, we can highlight Danny Trejo, David Harbour and Tom Selleck.

Conclusion

A Mexican mustache can be quite an attractive addition to your style. There are many quirky types of mustaches out there and a lot of them gain immense attention. Why not stand out with one of your own?

The bushier, the better, the longer, the more interesting, the thicker, the more Mexican it is. It wouldn’t hurt trying it.