Buzz Cuts With Mustaches: A Complete Men’s Guide

Buzz cuts ooze masculinity. That’s never been in question. But how do you take that which is supremely masculine and take that masculinity up a notch? Enter buzz cuts with mustaches. 

A mustache adorned atop the upper lip of a man can speak volumes. It can be sculpted in so many different ways; some powerful, some playful, and some subtle. 

The main benefit of combining a mustache with a buzz cut is that it adds flavor. A unique edge, some might call it. It can take the somewhat clinical and rigid buzz cut and supplement it with a whimsical touch. 

But growing a mustache does increase the maintenance requirement. One of the beauties of growing a buzz cut is just how easy it is to maintain. A mustache needs trimming, shaping, and grooming regularly for it to look and feel effective. 

Having said this, many men are choosing to adopt this style combination despite the additional effort. 

I wanted to show you some phenomenal examples of the style to give you some inspiration. If you were ever on the fence about this style, hopefully, you won’t be for much longer. 

You could also check out this article on my favorite buzz cut trimming and grooming tools of the year, if you were interested. 

Now, let’s get to the meat of it. 

What Is “The Buzz Cut With Mustache” Look

Before I bombard you with a series of awesome pictures of the style, I wanted to briefly explain what the components of it were. 

The term “buzz cut” actually refers to a variety of different styles that are all short and dependent on the use of a clipper. 

Although this isn’t exhaustive by any means, there are three “buzz cut” styles to know about. I mention this in all my buzz cut articles, because it’s crucially important to understand. 

An Induction Cut is when the hair is trimmed to an equal, short length in all directions. A Crew Cut is where the top is significantly longer than the short, buzzed sides. The top is usually longer at the front where it forms a pompadour. A Burr Cut is where the top is slightly longer than the sides, usually by just a few millimeters. 

These aren’t the only ones. In fact, each of them has its own variations. For instance, the “Ivy League” is a long Crew Cut, and the “butch cut” is a crew cut where the top is level and cut to the same length. 

Mustaches shouldn’t need much of an introduction, but again, it’s very important to understand that there are so many different styles. 

From Chevrons to Pencils and from Horseshoes to Handlebars, there are a huge range of possible mustaches to choose from. In fact, it often amazes me how so much can be done with such a small amount of hair. 

But this article isn’t going to teach you what all of the different mustache styles look like. 

The main point of this article is for you to be able to recognize and appreciate this style combination when you see it. To do this, you have to fully understand that the “buzz cut with mustache” style can take many, many different forms. There are many types of buzz cuts and many types of mustaches. 

That’s part of what makes this so much fun. 

7 Great Examples Of Buzz Cuts With Mustaches

This list is designed to motivate aspiring as well as veteran mustachioed men with details of what they could become with a buzz cut to go with it. 

1. Buzz Cut With A Disconnected Goatee

A disconnected goatee is a goatee variant. There is hair on the chin but not on the cheeks – hence the label of goatee. 

However, with a disconnected goatee style, the mustache and chin beard are not connected to each other. It’s perfect for men who find it difficult to actually make these two components connect in the first place. 

Simply trim and shave the adjoining hair and you’ve got yourself a fantastic and thoroughly intentional style. 

It works phenomenally well with a buzz cut, neatly framing the bottom of the face in the same way the buzz cut frames the top. The picture above is of an Induction Cut as the hair appears to be trimmed down to the same length in all dimensions. 

The mustache edges have been blunted, whereas with a Handlebar you’d want to keep them long enough to curl upward. 

A fine example – perfect for the patchy bearded men out there. 

2. Buzz Cut With A Handlebar Mustache

Let’s move swiftly on to talk about a similar-looking, yet entirely different beast. The Handlebar mustache is a wildly popular mustache style. 

It’s called a “Handlebar” because the edges of the mustache are curled up and outward. If you squint, this does make it resemble the handlebars of a mustache. 

The best thing about this style is that it is seriously attention-grabbing. It’s often the first area of the face the eye is drawn toward. 

This is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it adds zest and flavor to an otherwise straightforward and commonplace buzz cut. 

On the other hand, it loses some subtlety and at times can look ostentatious. 

You’ll need to grow the mustache edges out and it should be long enough to curl upward. You’ll also most likely need some additional product (eg. balm) to keep the mustache in place during the day. 

If you can tolerate the increased maintenance requirement, it’s certainly one to strongly consider. 

3. Buzz Cut With Horseshoe Mustache

Also known as a “biker’s mustache”, the Horseshoe is always an option for a man looking to make a particularly ferocious statement. 

The shape of the mustache resembles – well, a horseshoe. You could also call it an inverted U-shape. The mustache is thick, and the edges extend vertically downward toward the jawline. 

It grew very popular during the era of the legendary wrestler that brought it to prominence – Hulk Hogan. 

In order to effectively grow the mustache, you’ll need sufficient growth in the area between the corners of the upper lip and the chin. This is a notoriously patchy area for men. If this refers to you, it may not be the best option. 

But if you’re able to pull it off, it can look mighty impressive when coupled with a buzz cut. 

The picture above is a great example – a stern-looking Induction Cut coupled with a well-maintained Horseshoe. 

It’s also a great example of how an Induction Cut can look great for men with mild receding hairlines. 

4. Crew Cut With A Handlebar Mustache

Remember, a Crew Cut is simply a type of buzz cut in which the top is significantly longer than the short and buzzed down sides. 

What I love most about Crew Cuts is that the hair on top is long enough to style. This isn’t really an option with Induction Cuts, unless they’re unusually long. 

With a Crew Cut, you can spike, slick, or comb the hair on top to your desire. Of course, the longer the hair on top, the more versatility you have in this respect. 

A Crew Cut looks great with a wide range of mustaches. The picture I’m describing here is of a fairly traditional Crew Cut, with the hair on top graduating into a pompadour as it approaches the front. 

The Handlebar mustache is pretty well established in the picture, with the edges curled upward in quite an exaggerated manner. 

SIDE NOTE: It doesn’t apply to this picture, but Crew Cuts can also be great for men with receding hairlines. This effect is most impressive when the receding hairline is only mild, and the longer hair on top is able to partially cover up or camouflage the receding temples. 

5. Buzz Cut With A Full Goatee

A Full Goatee consists of a connected mustache and a chin beard that form a circle around the mouth. 

Although it fulfills the necessary criteria for a “goatee” – hair on the chin, but not on the cheeks – it doesn’t quite meet the traditional definition. Traditionally, a “goatee” consisted of a mere patch or tuft of hair on the chin only. 

But now, a Full Goatee is what most people think of when they hear the term “goatee”. Interesting. 

Goatees work great with buzz cuts. Here’s why: 

Buzz cuts are so short that they can be ultra-revealing, particularly of the shape of your head. When I first buzzed down my hair I was somewhat alarmed by what I saw – I’d never really pictured my actual head shape before. 

I couldn’t spike or slick back my hair to try and adjust for it. 

But growing a beard such as a goatee is great because it can be used to elongate the chin and make it look more prominent. This is particularly useful for men with round faces that want to make it look a little more oval shaped. 

Goatees are also great for men with patchy cheek hair, as they completely remove the need for cheek hair altogether. Simply shave off those sporadic areas of growth and enjoy your newfound goatee-dom. 

6. Buzz Cut With A Pencil Goatee

Not a huge amount more to say about this style. It’s a Full Goatee variant, with a connected chin beard and mustache. However, the beard is pencil-thin.  

In other words, the borders are sculpted narrow so that they look like they’ve been drawn on with a pencil.

It’s slick, it’s modern, and it’s urban. It can look fantastic with a short Induction Cut like in the picture above. 

However, as you’d expect, maintaining narrow goatee edges can take a little bit more time and effort. This is something to consider when making your decision. 

PRO TIP: As you can also see from the picture, buzz cuts can also look great with glasses. 

7. Buzz Cut With A Pencil Mustache

Ah, the Pencil Mustache. What a way to finish off. 

It pays homage to the Golden Era of Hollywood when it was worn by the most prominent stars to have ever adorned the Silver Screen. 

The picture above is of a cheery man with a fantastic Burr Cut. He’s also got a “single” Pencil Mustache, which consists of a single, pencil-thin strip of hair running above and along the upper lip. 

A “double” Pencil Mustache, which was the more popular option back in the Golden Era, consists of a strip that is parted with a tiny gap in the middle. 

This is yet another mustache that works well with a buzz cut. Certainly one to try if you’re drawn towards a more classic aesthetic. 

The mustache does need to be sculpted fairly intricately. Keeping it nice and narrow is crucial to the overall aesthetic, and this does come with a slightly increased shaving requirement. But it’s definitely easier than trying to maintain an entire pencil goatee. 

I do love how subtle it is. From far away, it’s so thin that you may not even notice it. But it’s great how such a simple strip of facial hair can have such a profound effect, with or without a buzz cut. 

Conclusion

There you have it. Some great examples of buzz cut styles with a number of mustache variants. 

I know, there are more. But this should be enough to help you recognize the look and inspire you to experiment with your own combinations. 

You may have noticed how in a few examples I wasn’t able to actually say why it works so well. This is something I try to do in my other style articles. 

But with the buzz cut and mustache style, the answer is often that it works because it just works. No fancy stuff – it just looks impressive. 

It’s sleek, stylish, and subtle. 

Have fun with it. Enjoy.