Horseshoe moustache
The Moustache With Arms
A horseshoe moustache is a full moustache with the ends extended down past the corners of the mouth toward the jaw, forming an upside-down U. The cheeks and chin are shaved, so the shape stands alone on the face.
At a glance
- Also known as
- biker moustache
- What it is
- Moustache with the ends run down to the jaw.
- Length
- Medium, one to three inches
- Growing time
- 6 to 10 weeks
- Trim how often
- Every 1 to 2 days
- Best face shapes
- Vierkant
- Moustache
- Yes
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The two arms running down to the jaw need their edges cut in, and the cheeks between them kept bare.
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The variations
The same shape, worn differently. What changes is length, density and how much you take off at the edges.
Will it suit your face?
Where a style puts weight, and where it takes it away, is what decides whether it suits you. The table below is the short version.
| Ovaal | Ideal | No shape to correct, so anything from a pencil to a handlebar sits well. |
|---|---|---|
| Rond | Works | Go wider than the mouth rather than heavier, so it does not add bulk. |
| Vierkant | Ideal | A strong jaw carries a heavy moustache without looking top-loaded. |
| Langwerpig | Ideal | Horizontal weight across the lip breaks up the length. |
| Heart | Works | Draws the eye down from a broad forehead. |
| Diamant | Works | Adds width across the middle of the face. |
How to cut one, in four steps
- Grow it out6 to 10 weeks. No trimming at all in that time, including the hairs hanging over your lip.
- Set the shapeComb it down and flat, then cut to your outline. Never cut it wet, it dries shorter than you cut it.
- Clear the lipTrim along the top lip line so it does not end up in your mouth. Scissors give more control than a trimmer here.
- Wax and trainWarm the wax between your fingers first, work it in from the centre out, then shape the ends.
Full detail, tools and the common mistakes are in the guide below.
What makes it a horseshoe
The arms. A chevron stops at the corners of the mouth. A horseshoe moustache carries on downward on both sides, usually to the jawline, sometimes a little past it.
Width matters as much as length. The arms are the same thickness as the moustache above them, forming one continuous band. That is what separates it from a Fu Manchu, where the hanging sections are thin strands rather than a broad band.
Nothing else on the face is grown. No chin hair, no soul patch, no beard. The horseshoe is a moustache, not a partial beard, however much of the lower face it covers.
Who it suits
This facial hair style adds strong vertical lines either side of the mouth alongside horizontal weight above it.
Square. The best fit. A strong jaw balances the weight of the arms.
Oval. Works.
Round. Helpful, since the downward arms lengthen and narrow the face.
Long or oblong. The one to be careful with. Vertical arms on a long face stretch it.
Density is the requirement. The arms are broad, and thin facial hair leaves them looking sparse where the moustache above looks fine. If your growth is fine, a Fu Manchu achieves a similar outline with far less bulk.
Growing it
Four to six months.
Grow the moustache and the area around the corners of the mouth. The arms come from hair that most men shave without thinking, so the first thing to change is simply leaving it alone.
Keep the cheeks, chin and neck shaved throughout. The horseshoe reads as intentional only when everything around it is bare.
The awkward stage is months two to three, when the arms are started but nowhere near the jaw. Trim the lip line and wait.
Cutting it
Trim the lip line with scissors so the moustache stays clear of your mouth. This is the only frequent cut.
Set the width of the arms with a trimmer, keeping them the same thickness as the moustache. Consistent width is the whole shape.
Decide where the arms stop. At the jawline is standard. Past it is bolder and harder to keep even.
Shave everything else with a razor. Between the arms, the chin stays bare, and that gap is what makes the horseshoe read.
Check both arms match in length and width. Do one, then copy it.
Keeping it
Every one to two days for the shaving, less often for the moustache itself.
The bare chin between the arms is the part that gives the style away. Let stubble in and the horseshoe starts looking like a poorly grown beard.
A little moustache wax helps if the arms want to sit outward rather than flat, though this style needs far less than a handlebar. Beard oil keeps the arms conditioned and encourages healthy hair growth at the ends, which are the oldest hair on your face.
What goes wrong
The arms are different lengths. Measure against your jaw, not by eye.
The arms get thin. Over-trimming narrows them until the style reads as a Fu Manchu.
The chin is not kept shaved. The single fastest way to lose the shape.
It is trimmed too early. The arms take months. Cutting them at week eight resets you.
Questions we get asked
How long does it take to grow a horseshoe moustache?
Four to six months. The moustache comes quickly; the arms are what take the time.
What is the difference between a horseshoe and a Fu Manchu?
Width. A horseshoe has broad arms the same thickness as the moustache. A Fu Manchu is narrow throughout with thin hanging ends.
What is the difference between a horseshoe and a chin curtain?
A chin curtain is a beard following the jaw with no moustache. A horseshoe is a moustache with arms and a bare chin. They are close to opposites.
Do you need wax?
Only a little, and only if the arms will not lie flat. Far less than a handlebar needs.
Can you grow one with fine facial hair?
It is difficult, since the arms need bulk. A Fu Manchu gives a similar outline with much less density required.
Is a horseshoe moustache high maintenance?
The moustache is not. The shaving around it is, because the bare chin between the arms has to stay bare.
Other moustaches
Same shape, different length or moustache.
If this one is too much work
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