How to Cut, Shape, and Style Your Mustache

Learn to line up your 'stache and maintain facial hair like a boss

Co-authored by Timmy Yanchun and Luke Smith, MFA

Last Updated: December 26, 2022 References

You’re proud of your mustache, and you should be! But as a proud stache owner, it’s important that you trim and groom your stache so that it’s the best mustache it can be. All it takes is a little time, the right products, and some TLC. We’ll show you how to trim, groom, and style your stache into 5 suave, go-to looks so that you and your facial hair are always on-point.

Things You Should Know

Shampoo and condition your mustache, then dry and comb through it to make the hairs soft and straight for trimming.
Use a pair of trimming scissors or an electric trimmer to cut your mustache along the line of your top lip (or according to your preferred style), then shave the area immediately above your mustache to clean it up.
Comb your mustache upward so that the hairs stand up, and trim the ends of the hairs in order to adjust the volume and thickness of your mustache.
Apply lotion and beard oil to your trimmed mustache to lock in moisture and make your facial hair soft and shiny.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Trimming

1
Shampoo and condition your mustache. Use beard shampoo and conditioner for best results, but your regular shampoo and conditioner will do just fine.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Timmy Yanchun
Professional Barber
Expert Interview. 22 January 2020.} Apply a small dab of shampoo and work it through your mustache, then rinse your mustache with warm water or a damp towel. Repeat this process with the conditioner, then dry your mustache completely with a towel.
- This softens your hair follicles and makes them easier to cut. The easier they are to cut, the more precise your trim will be.
2
Comb through your mustache with a beard comb. Combing helps straighten your facial hair so you can trim it evenly.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Timmy Yanchun
Professional Barber
Expert Interview. 22 January 2020.} Use a smaller comb meant for facial hair, and comb in downward strokes. Be sure your mustache is dry while you do this so you get a more accurate feel for the length of your facial hair.
- A wet or damp mustache tends to look longer than it is during normal, everyday wear, and so you may end up cutting off too much. By trimming it while it’s dry, you’ll be able to see how it looks most of the time, when it’s not wet.
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3
Cut along your top lip with trimming scissors or an electric trimmer. Keep your face expressionless as you trim so you get an even cut all the way across. Hold the trimming scissors parallel to your lips and make small cuts following your lip line. Work from the outside of your mustache towards the center. Once you reach the center from one side, start from the end of your mustache on the opposite side.^{[3]
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- Cutting along the top of your lip line is standard, but alter your mustache length according to the style you’re aiming to achieve.
- If you're using an electric trimmer, gently press the edge of the trimmer to the top of your lip line and pull it away.
- Note that this method makes for a standard, classic mustache—alter your trimming length and volume to achieve different styles.
4
Trim the top of your mustache to make a clean line. Shave any mustache hairs growing too high on your cheeks—imagine a line extending at a 45-degree angle down from your nostrils, and remove any hairs above that line. Use short strokes with your razor, pulling up and away from the rest of your mustache.^{[4]
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- Opt to keep more hairs at the top of your mustache if you’re going for a fuller look, but still tidy up the area around your nose and cheeks.
- Trim the area where your mustache meets your nose—the hairs in this area tend to look like unruly nose hairs if left untrimmed!
5
Reduce the volume of your mustache with a comb and scissors. Comb up and away from your mustache so the ends of your facial hair extend past the comb's teeth. Use your scissors or electric trimmers to trim the hair. This helps control the length and bulk of your mustache.^{[5]
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- Start by trimming only a little at a time. You can always trim more off, but you have to wait for it to grow back if you cut too much.
- Some electric trimmers come with guides that will work as a replacement for a comb. Start on the longer settings first and work your way to a shorter length. Avoid using electric clippers without a guard or comb since you could easily cut off too much hair.^{[6]
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  Expert Source
  
  Timmy Yanchun
  Professional Barber
  Expert Interview. 22 January 2020.}
6
Clean up any hairs you missed with your scissors. Comb your mustache downward again to straighten it, and look for any long hairs that you missed the first time. Turn your head to the side and check if any hair sticks out more than the others. Use your scissors to trim them back to their desired length.^{[7]
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- Scissors work best here, since you’re making small, precise cuts to single hairs.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Grooming

1
Trim your mustache weekly. Unusually long or sporadically grown hairs can ruin the tidy look of your stache, so trim it back into shape about once a week.^{[8]
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Research source} Weekly trimmings are much easier and quicker once you’ve shaped and styled your mustache for the first time. Just shave around your mustache, and use trimming scissors or an electric razor to keep the length in check.
2
Use a facial scrub in the shower to remove dead skin cells. Your mustache, while sharp and stylish, can play host to some buildup that can encourage acne or irritated skin if not addressed. Every few days, scrub your face with an exfoliating facial scrub in order to clear up and revitalize your stache.^{[9]
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3
Shampoo and condition your mustache every couple of days. Your facial hair, like the hair on top of your head, needs plenty of washing and moisturizing. While you're in the shower and shampooing and conditioning your head, take some of that product and slather it onto your face, too. This will keep your mustache clean, soft, and shiny.^{[10]
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4
Moisturize and apply beard oil often. There’s no tried-and-true schedule for moisturizing—rub some lotion and beard oil into your mustache whenever your skin or stache begins to feel dry, whether that’s once a day, or once every few hours. Massage the beard oil from your roots to the tips of the follicles, then comb through it to distribute it evenly.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Timmy Yanchun
Professional Barber
Expert Interview. 22 January 2020.}

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Mustache Styles

1
Handlebar mustache: To trim a handlebar mustache, trim your stache along your lip line, and leave the ends a bit longer. Lift the ends, and shave the area below the corner of your mouth. Then, curl the ends of your mustache between your fingers, so that they extend out and slightly upwards (and trim again for length, if desired), then apply a dab of mustache wax so that the shape holds.^{[12]
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- Additionally, comb the wax through your mustache, from the center to the ends, to ensure even distribution.
2
Horseshoe mustache: To achieve this style, trim your mustache slightly below the lip line, so that it covers your top lip some. Then, shave the rest of your facial hair, keeping 2 sections about .5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm) wide that extend downward on either side of your mouth, framing your chin. Use an electric razor to even out the length of the hairs, then tidy it up with a precision razor.^{[13]
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- Your horseshoe mustache can extend as far down as you like. Classic styles often go all the way down to the jawline, while more modern styles stop midway between the lower lip and the jaw. When trimming for the latter style, leave the end of your mustache slightly longer.
3
Chevron mustache: The chevron mustache is a full but tidy mustache rocked by icons like Freddie Mercury. Trim your mustache so that the bottom covers your top lip some (without getting into your mouth). Then, keep the top of your mustache high and close to your nose. Finally, let the ends extend about 0.5–1 in (1.3–2.5 cm) past the corners of your mouth.^{[14]
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Research source} Keep the stache long and full, and apply plenty of beard oil.
4
The Van Dyke: The Van Dyke is a timeless style that combines a modest mustache with a slight beard. To style it, simply trim a classic or handlebar mustache, then shave your beard into a goatee—that is, shave so that your beard covers only your chin, extending no further than the corners of your mouth.^{[15]
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- Also pair the Van Dyke with some short stubble or 5-o’-clock shadow, for a sensible, rugged look.
5
Pencil mustache: A pencil mustache is a thin, clean style that recalls old-timey movie stars like Clark Gable. It’s easy to style: simply trim your mustache just above your lip line, then trim the top low, leaving a bit of bare skin between the ‘stache and the bottom of your nose. Then, trim the mustache so that it’s about as wide as your mouth, and ensure it’s of equal width from tip to tip. Finally, use an electric razor to buzz it short.^{[16]
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Community Q&A

Question

Can I trim the hair above my lip as soon as it gets longer than the space above my lip? Will the hair in the middle grow out to make the handlebar longer/fuller?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

You can grow your mustache hair longer or trim it as soon as it passes over your lip. If you want a handlebar mustache, use mustache wax and a small comb to move your hair to the side to make it look fuller.
Question

What do I need to use to keep my mustache in shape?

Community Answer

You could use an eyebrow shaper. It should work on a mustache also.
Question

Can I use a beard trimmer for my mustache?

Community Answer

Yes, but you must be careful when doing so.