Research shows that mustaches are most common in societies where there are a surplus of men in the mating market (think: polygamous cultures). In other words, mustaches are shaped in part by sexual dynamics, but not best understood as a means of attracting a mate.
By the 18th century, moustaches were seen to signify soldiers, and were commonly used to tell the difference between military men and mere civilians. And, since the days of King James I, the luscious handlebar had been enjoying a well-brushed, if aristocratic, heyday.
A moustache in most cultures across the globe is preferred and also taken as a sign of 'manliness' over the clean-shaven-baby-face look! Facial hairs are just a sign but not a foolproof method to denote maturity, nevertheless, women feel secure when a man with a moustache is around them.
Men who wear the mustache are deemed confident and empowered. Beard scholar Allan Peterkin suggests that the mustache also signifies virility and male potency, where hair loss in men can convey the opposite effect.
As such, all mustaches can be understood as gestures of what researchers call “performative masculinity.” They mean something. What they mean depends largely on cultural or individual feelings about manhood and masculinity. This is why today mustaches are often considered to be creepy.
Spurred by a shift away from clean-shaven looks and pop culture influences ranging from indie bands to “Top Gun,” mustaches have been following beards into the mainstream. Data from Gillette estimates that 12.5 million U.S. men, or 9.6% of the U.S. male population, were wearing mustaches as of September 2022.
5. Mustaches Equal Maturity. For 33.9 percent of women, mustaches make a man look more mature. For 22.3 percent, a mustache makes a guy look masculine and for 26.4 percent it makes them look sexy… as evidenced by Pedro Pascal.
1960s–1980s – protest becomes culture
Being without a moustache and beard may have set off a strong masculine jawline – in theory if not in reality – but by the later 1960s a generation of men had had enough.
Movember is an annual event involving the growing of moustaches during the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, such as prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide. It is a portmanteau of the Australian-English diminutive word for moustache, "mo", and "November".
Only 6.44 percent of women preferred mustaches alone, while 43.27 percent preferred a beard alone.
Lose the Beard
Another arguably less scientific survey published in The Daily Mail two years later found that a full beard can add—wait for it—up to 10 years to a man's actual age, while a mustache adds five and a goatee four. Message? You shave, you save—a few precious years anyway.
A new study found that women perceive men with facial hair to be more attractive as well as physically and socially dominant. Women tend to associate more masculine faces with physical strength, social assertiveness, and formidability.
Most mustache work well on a square face. They draw the eye to the center and away from the outer edges. If you're lucky enough to have an oval face, almost anything goes.
After judging a number of pictures featuring men with varying degrees of facial hair, the vast majority of women found full-bearded men to be the top dogs in the mix. Women saw men with full beards to be the most healthy, and the best suited to parenting.
Possibly the most bizarre trend of the 2010s, the moustache marvel first appeared around 2012, and thankfully, was short-lived. Popular among teenagers and young adults, the Hollister and Abercombie brands took the world by storm.
The classic moustache is the style you should go for in 2023 if a no-fuss look is your goal. Versatile and manly, it can work on any occasion or with any attire, as its appearance is very general and not pinned on a certain lifestyle or movement.
These moustache styles are named for their resemblance to the handlebars of a bicycle. It is also known as a spaghetti moustache, because of its stereotypical association with Italian men. The Handlebar Club humorously describes the style as "a hirsute appendage of the upper lip and with graspable extremities".
For male faces, researchers have found that a square jawline and an oval-shaped face were the most attractive. This is especially true if they were paired with blue eyes, medium-thick eyebrows, brown hair, average lips, straight eyebrows and a straight, slim nose.
A new study shows that facial hair says a lot about a man and that attractiveness peaks at the "heavy stubble" phase. Researchers photographed 10 men at four stages of beard growth: clean shaven, 5-day "light" stubble, 10-day "heavy" stubble (shown), and fully bearded.
Anyway, according to a survey of men with facial hair, the No. 1 reason they grow beards, stubble and mustaches is for self-expression. They also said it makes them feel more attractive and masculine. But what would it take for them go clean shaven?
One of the most important characteristics that most women seek is modesty. Outspokenness, charity, and honesty are further feminine appeal traits that are always observed, along with humility. Nothing appeals to a woman more than a man with a great sense of self.
Beards are often said to increase the perception of aggressiveness in men. That is to say, men with beards are considered more aggressive, dominant, and generally given a more “manly” persona.
Another study found that men with beards may be seen as more masculine, mature and as having a higher social status. These traits are clearly important contributors to the overall sense of attractiveness.
To keep your skin from adding years to your looks, wear sunscreen, moisturizer, and lip balm daily. Retinoids can help you slough off old skin cells. You can find them in many over-the-counter products or get a stronger version by prescription from a dermatologist.
Facial hair in males does not always appear in a specific order during puberty and varies but may follow this process: During puberty, the first facial hair to appear tends to grow at the corners of the upper lip (age 11–15). It then spreads to form a moustache over the entire upper lip (age 16–17).