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Data report · Updated October 2026

DIY haircut statistics: about 1 in 3 American men usually cut their hair at home

How many men skip the barber, who they are, and what the pandemic changed.

In a March 2024 YouGov poll, 24% of American men said they always have their hair cut at home and another 12% said usually, compared with 13% and 8% of women[1]. A 2022 Attest survey put the share of men cutting their hair at home at 45%[2].

Man buzzing his own hair with clippers at home
Illustrative image. The data and charts come from the sources listed in this report.

  • 36%

    US men who always or usually get their hair cut at home (2024)[1]

  • 45%

    US men who cut their hair at home, vs 21% of women (2022)[2]

  • 166%

    Rise in US hair clipper sales, week ending April 4, 2020[3]

  • 55%

    Men who cut their own hair in lockdown and said they don't do a good job[4]

By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)

Key findings

  1. In a March 2024 YouGov poll of 4,521 US adults, 24% of men said they always have their hair cut at home, by themselves or someone they live with, and 12% said usually; 32% said never[1].
  2. Attest's 2022 survey of 2,000 US consumers found that 45% of men cut their hair at home, compared with 21% of women and 33% of all Americans[2].
  3. Home haircutting has not fallen back to pre-pandemic levels: the share of men who always cut at home was 21% before COVID-19, 27% during it and 24% in 2024, according to the same YouGov survey[5][6][1].
  4. Young adults are the most likely to cut at home at least sometimes: only 20% of 18 to 29 year olds said they never do, compared with 57% of those 65 and older[1].
  5. Nielsen data showed US hair clipper sales up 166% year over year in the week ending April 4, 2020[3].
  6. Of the men who cut their own hair during lockdowns, 55% said they don't do a good job of it, in a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 men for Sport Clips[4].
  7. In a 2016 survey of 1,000 US men for Wahl, 39% of millennials said they know how to cut their own hair, compared with 28% of baby boomers[7].
Infographic: DIY haircut statistics: about 1 in 3 American men usually cut their hair at home

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What percentage of men cut their own hair?

It depends on how the question is asked, but every recent US survey puts the number for men well above the number for women. In March 2024, YouGov asked 4,521 US adults how often they currently have their hair cut at home, either by themselves or by someone they live with. Among men, 24% said always, 12% usually, 14% sometimes and 10% rarely. Only 32% said never[1]. That makes 36% of men who always or usually get a home haircut (24% + 12%, menhaircuts.net calculation).

Women answered very differently: 13% always, 8% usually and 41% never[1]. A separate 2022 survey by the research firm Attest, which asked 2,000 US consumers about their beauty and grooming habits, found that 45% of men cut their hair at home, against 21% of women and 33% of Americans overall[2].

Note that the YouGov question counts a haircut from a partner or roommate as a home haircut, so not every one of these men is holding the clippers himself.

How often US men currently have their hair cut at home (2024)How often US men currently have their hair cut at home (2024). Always: 24%; Usually: 12%; Sometimes: 14%; Rarely: 10%; Never: 32%; Don't get a haircut anywhere: 4%; Not sure: 4%.Always24%Usually12%Sometimes14%Rarely10%Never32%Don't get a haircut anywhere4%Not sure4%
How often US men currently have their hair cut at home (2024). Source: YouGov, Currently, how often do you have your hair cut at home, either by yourself or by someone you live with? (2024)[1]. US men. Includes cuts by themselves or someone they live with. YouGov, March 7, 2024. Download chart (PNG)
Show the numbers
How often US men currently have their hair cut at home (2024)
CategoryValue
Always24%
Usually12%
Sometimes14%
Rarely10%
Never32%
Don't get a haircut anywhere4%
Not sure4%

Did the pandemic make DIY haircuts more common?

Yes, and part of the change stuck. YouGov's March 2024 survey asked the same people about three periods. The share of men who said they always had their hair cut at home was 21% before the pandemic, 27% during it and 24% at the time of the survey[5][6][1]. Among men who said never, the share went from 31% before the pandemic to 26% during it and 32% now.

Polling during the first lockdowns shows how quickly the habit spread. In YouGov's April 1, 2020 poll, 15% of Americans said they had their hair cut at home; by late May, 28% did, including 38% of men and 18% of women[8].

A OnePoll survey of 2,000 men for Sport Clips, published in May 2021, found that 75% went without professional hair care during lockdowns. One in four cut their own hair, 27% had a friend or family member do it, and 23% just let it grow[4].

The table combines the three questions in that YouGov survey: men and women always cutting at home before, during and after the pandemic[5][6].

US men who always get their hair cut at homeUS men who always get their hair cut at home. Before the pandemic: 21%; During the pandemic: 27%; March 2024: 24%.Before the pandemicDuring the pandemicMarch 202421%27%24%
US men who always get their hair cut at home. Source: YouGov, Currently, how often do you have your hair cut at home, either by yourself or by someone you live with? (2024)[1]. All three answers were collected in the same YouGov survey on March 7, 2024, so the first two rely on memory. Download chart (PNG)
Show the numbers
US men who always get their hair cut at home
CategoryValue
Before the pandemic21%
During the pandemic27%
March 202424%
Share of US adults who always had their hair cut at home, by period (asked in March 2024)[1]
PeriodMenWomenAll adults
Before the COVID-19 pandemic21%12%17%
During the pandemic27%15%21%
Now (March 2024)24%13%18%

Who is most likely to cut their hair at home?

Age is the clearest dividing line. In the 2024 YouGov data for all adults, only 20% of 18 to 29 year olds said they never have their hair cut at home, compared with 27% of 30 to 44 year olds, 42% of 45 to 64 year olds and 57% of those 65 and older[1]. Younger adults are more likely to say sometimes or rarely, while older adults who cut at home tend to do it all the time.

There are also differences by race. Among Black adults, 18% said they never have their hair cut at home, compared with 43% of white adults and 28% of Hispanic adults[1]. These breakdowns cover men and women together, because YouGov does not publish age or race splits for men alone.

The skill gap between generations predates the pandemic. A 2016 survey of 1,000 US men, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation for Wahl, found that 39% of millennials knew how to cut their own hair, compared with 28% of baby boomers. Of the millennials who cut their own hair, 63% taught themselves, and 7 in 10 had done it in the past month[7].

US adults who never have their hair cut at home, by age (2024)US adults who never have their hair cut at home, by age (2024). 18–29: 20%; 30–44: 27%; 45–64: 42%; 65+: 57%.18–2930–4445–6465+20%27%42%57%
US adults who never have their hair cut at home, by age (2024). Source: YouGov, Currently, how often do you have your hair cut at home, either by yourself or by someone you live with? (2024)[1]. Men and women combined. Lower bars mean more home haircutting. Download chart (PNG)
Show the numbers
US adults who never have their hair cut at home, by age (2024)
CategoryValue
18–2920%
30–4427%
45–6442%
65+57%

Do DIY haircuts turn out well?

By their own account, many men are not happy with the result. In the 2021 Sport Clips survey, 55% of men who cut their own hair during the pandemic said they don't do a good job of it[4]. The same survey found that about half of respondents had been back to a barber since the pandemic began, and 85% of those visits were rated a positive experience[4].

Some men learn the basics from their barber first. In a 2025 Talker Research poll of 2,000 US men for Sport Clips, 31% said a stylist or barber had taught them what different clipper lengths mean, and 31% had been taught how to style and maintain their haircut at home[9]. Both numbers come from surveys paid for by a haircut chain, which has a reason to stress the value of professional cuts.

How much did clipper sales and searches rise?

Sales data from spring 2020 shows the shift in real purchases. Nielsen reported that hair clipper sales rose 166% in the week ending April 4, 2020, compared with the same week a year earlier, while hair coloring products rose 23%[3].

Search data told the same story. Google's list of top trending beauty searches for 2020, as reported by Scripps, was led by "How to cut men's hair at home"[10]. Looking at worldwide data from March 13 to April 13, 2020, the agency Mavens of London found Google searches for hair clippers up 181% compared with February and searches for "buzz cut" up 91%, according to Kantar[11].

In the UK, Cosmetify tracked Google searches after the lockdown that began on March 23, 2020, as reported by CEW UK in late April. "How to cut men's hair" rose 623.5%, the largest increase of any beauty search, followed by "how to cut your own hair" at 412.2%[12].

Rise in UK Google searches after lockdown began (2020)Rise in UK Google searches after lockdown began (2020). How to cut men's hair: 623.5%; How to cut your own hair: 412.2%; How to fade hair: 285.2%; How to shave your head: 277.8%; How to trim a beard: 178.3%; How to cut a mullet: 124.7%.How to cut men's hair623.5%How to cut your own hair412.2%How to fade hair285.2%How to shave your head277.8%How to trim a beard178.3%How to cut a mullet124.7%
Rise in UK Google searches after lockdown began (2020). Source: CEW UK, Top Google beauty searches during lockdown (Cosmetify data) (2020)[12]. Cosmetify data on the rise in Google searches since the March 23, 2020 lockdown, as reported by CEW UK on April 24, 2020. Download chart (PNG)
Show the numbers
Rise in UK Google searches after lockdown began (2020)
CategoryValue
How to cut men's hair623.5%
How to cut your own hair412.2%
How to fade hair285.2%
How to shave your head277.8%
How to trim a beard178.3%
How to cut a mullet124.7%

How many men in the UK cut their own hair?

UK numbers are similar or higher. A survey of 1,000 UK adults by the supplier Capital Hair and Beauty, published in April 2021 as lockdown rules eased, found that 58% of men had given themselves a DIY haircut during lockdown, compared with 36% of women[13].

Kantar's April 2020 lockdown survey found that a quarter of UK men were asking partners, housemates or family members to cut their hair, and 42% planned to wait for barbers and hairdressers to reopen[14]. Across eight countries, Kantar found that 19% of respondents would ask someone they live with to cut their hair, and that Americans were the least patient: only 44% of US respondents said they would wait for their own hairdresser[11].

How much can a DIY haircut save?

Cost is a big part of the appeal. SQUIRE's 2026 report put the average US barbershop haircut at $43, from $35 in the Midwest to $45 in the West[15]. The average man gets about 10 haircuts a year, according to the 2025 Sport Clips poll[9]. A man who replaced all of those with home cuts would avoid about $430 a year in barbershop prices before tips ($43 × 10, menhaircuts.net calculation), minus whatever he spends on clippers and guards.

That figure is an upper bound. Most men in the surveys above mix home cuts with professional ones, and the YouGov data shows only about a quarter of men always cut at home[1].

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of men cut their own hair?

In a 2024 YouGov poll, 24% of US men always and 12% usually have their hair cut at home, by themselves or someone they live with[1]. A 2022 Attest survey put the share of men cutting at home at 45%[2].

Are more men cutting their hair at home since the pandemic?

Yes. Men who always cut at home went from 21% before the pandemic to 27% during it, and stood at 24% in March 2024[5][6][1].

How much did hair clipper sales go up during COVID?

Nielsen reported a 166% year-over-year rise in US hair clipper sales in the week ending April 4, 2020[3].

Do most men do a good job cutting their own hair?

Not by their own judgment: 55% of men who cut their own hair during lockdowns said they don't do a good job, in a 2021 survey for Sport Clips[4].

Which age group cuts their hair at home the most?

Adults under 30. Only 20% of 18 to 29 year olds said they never have their hair cut at home in 2024, compared with 57% of people 65 and older[1].

How much money does cutting your own hair save?

Up to about $430 a year in barbershop prices, based on a $43 average cut[15] and 10 cuts a year[9] (menhaircuts.net calculation), before the cost of clippers.

Methodology and limitations

We used published polls and sales data and opened every source to confirm each figure. The main US data comes from three questions in a YouGov survey of 4,521 US adults on March 7, 2024, about home haircuts before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender, age and race splits were read from the breakdown tabs on YouGov's published results pages. Other figures come from YouGov's 2020 lockdown polling, Attest's 2022 US Beauty and Grooming Report (via BeautyMatter), a 2016 Opinion Research Corporation survey for Wahl, a 2021 OnePoll survey for Sport Clips (via StudyFinds), Nielsen sales data (via WTOP), Kantar, Cosmetify (via CEW UK), Capital Hair and Beauty (via Modern Barber) and SQUIRE (via American Salon). Calculations labeled "menhaircuts.net calculation" use only cited inputs.

Limitations

Survey wording varies a lot. YouGov counts cuts by anyone in the household, while Attest and others ask about cutting your own hair, so the numbers are not directly comparable. YouGov's pre-pandemic and pandemic figures were collected in 2024 and rely on memory. Several sources are polls commissioned by companies that sell clippers, haircuts or salon supplies. Search increases are percentage changes in interest, not counts of people. YouGov's age and race splits include women.

Every figure on this page links to its source. Numbers are reported as published; any menhaircuts.net calculation is labelled and shows its inputs. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it.

Sources

  1. Currently, how often do you have your hair cut at home, either by yourself or by someone you live with?, YouGov (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  2. Just the numbers: US beauty and grooming 2022 (Attest report), BeautyMatter (2022). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  3. Walmart CEO says we're in the 'hair color' phase of panic buying (citing Nielsen data), WTOP News (CNN wire, citing Nielsen data) (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  4. Return of the mullet? 1 in 5 men want to bring back the hairdo, StudyFinds (reporting a OnePoll survey for Sport Clips) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  5. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, how often did you have your hair cut at home?, YouGov (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  6. During the COVID-19 pandemic, how often did you have your hair cut at home?, YouGov (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  7. Which skills may be going by the wayside for men?, Wahl Clipper Corporation (2016). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  8. Many Americans are cutting their hair at home during the pandemic, YouGov (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  9. How men can overcome their haircut anxiety, Talker Research (commissioned by Sport Clips) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  10. 2020's most-Googled beauty trend will hardly surprise you, Scripps (Denver7) (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  11. How is COVID-19 affecting our hair?, Kantar (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  12. Top Google beauty searches during lockdown (Cosmetify data), CEW UK (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  13. People more likely to book into barbers rather than the pub in April, Modern Barber (reporting a Capital Hair and Beauty survey) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  14. Changing male grooming habits in the UK, Kantar (2020). Accessed October 15, 2026.
  15. The Top 3 Takeaways from SQUIRE's New Barbershop Data, American Salon (reporting SQUIRE's 2026 report) (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.

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Hamilton, J. (2026, October 15). DIY Haircut Statistics 2026: Men Cutting Hair at Home. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/diy-haircut-statistics/

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<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/diy-haircut-statistics/">DIY Haircut Statistics 2026: Men Cutting Hair at Home</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)

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36%: US men who always or usually get their hair cut at home (2024) (YouGov, via menhaircuts.net/stats/diy-haircut-statistics/)

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