A fingerstache is a stylized version of a mustache that is drawn on the forefinger, allowing the person to position said finger above his or her upper lip for humorous effect. One may also hear them referred to as finger mustaches, depending on the region of the world.
While people have been drawing silly mustaches and other things on their fingers for quite some time, the popularization of the fingerstache is often traced to an Ohio tattoo artist, who started tattooing mustaches on the fingers of friends in 2003. His tattoos were originally designed as jokes, and because the skin on the fingers is less than ideal for tattooing, they were also essentially temporary, typically wearing away within weeks or months. Thanks to the ease of sharing pictures on the Internet, the fingerstache started traveling worldwide, and it became a fad.
Fingerstache aficionados can share pictures on social networking sites and sites specifically designed as an homage to the form, and some attend tongue-in-cheek conferences and competitions to meet up with fellow fans. Some sites even offer templates for the uninspired. While the fingerstache is largely silly, it can serve as a point of connection and icebreaker for strangers, as something about the sight of a grown adult showing one off is quite amusing.
Some purists insist that the only true form of the fingerstache is as a tattoo, but it is of course possible to create one with pens or markers. For people who are fans of frequently changing their style, pens are definitely the way to go, as the mustache can be updated on the fly. Penned fingerstaches are also convenient for the younger generation, and for people who want to be able to wash their hands off after a night of fingerstaching so that they can look respectable in the morning.
As a general rule, creating a fingerstache is quite easy, as all that is needed is a marker and a finger — or a tattoo artist and a finger, should a person choose to go with a semi-permanent one. Most people try to create the most ludicrous, elaborate, and silly mustaches possible, with complex handlebars, twirls, and other ornaments being crucial to a good design. Some people find that it helps to draw them as a group, throwing a fingerstache party of sorts, which allows people to inspire each other with their designs.
