Data report · Updated October 2026
Long vs short hair on men: 51% of Americans prefer short, but longer cuts are rising
What people prefer, how few men wear truly long hair, and what barbers and search data say about the move to longer styles.
51% of US adults say short hair generally looks better on men, 27% prefer medium length and 5% prefer long hair, in a YouGov poll of 2,030 adults[1]. Truly long hair is rare: a count of 24,300 theme park visitors found only about 0.18% of men with hair at shoulder length or longer[2].
51%
of US adults say short hair looks better on men[1]
5%
say long hair looks better on men[1]
0.18%
of men observed with shoulder-length or longer hair (Florida, 2001)[2]
28%
of US men think they could pull off growing their hair out (2025)[3]
82%
of UK barbers said clients were embracing longer styles (Winter 2023/24)[4]
By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- In a February 2016 YouGov poll of 2,030 US adults, 51% said short hair generally looks better on men, 27% said medium length, 5% said long hair and 17% were not sure[1].
- Researchers counting 24,300 people at Florida theme parks in 2001 found 22 men with hair at shoulder length or longer, about 0.18% of men[2].
- Long layers were the favorite men's hairstyle of 8% of US adults in January 2025, rising to 20% in Vermont, while the fade (14%) and buzz cut (12%) led nationally[5].
- 28% of US men say they could pull off letting their hair grow out and 13% a long middle part, compared with 22% for a fully shaved head, in a 2025 poll of 2,000 men[3].
- The share of UK barbers saying clients were embracing longer styles rose from 55% in spring 2023 to 82% in Winter 2023/24[6][4].
- Pinterest searches for "soft wolf cut men" rose 1,154% and "shaggy haircut men" 79% in its 2026 report[7], and Fresha reported a 173% rise for the flow haircut[8].
- Short styles are not fading: Fresha also recorded a 175% rise in buzzcut searches[8].
Download the infographic
The headline numbers from this report as one tall image (1000 x 1500 PNG), sized for Pinterest, slides and posts. Free to reuse with credit.
Do people prefer long or short hair on men?
Short hair wins clearly in the only national US poll that asked the question directly. On February 10, 2016, YouGov asked 2,030 US adults whether short or long hair generally looks better on men. 51% said short hair, 27% said medium length, 5% said long hair and 17% were not sure[1].
Put another way, short hair was preferred ten to one over long hair (51% ÷ 5% = 10.2, menhaircuts.net calculation). Medium length, which covers most textured crops, flow cuts and longer tops, was a solid second. The poll is now a decade old, and the newer survey and search data below suggest opinion has moved toward medium and longer cuts since then.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Short hair | 51% |
| Medium length | 27% |
| Long hair | 5% |
| Not sure | 17% |
What percentage of men have long hair?
Very few, if long means shoulder length or more. The best measured figure comes from researchers C. Robbins and M. G. Robbins, who ran ten observation counts at central Florida theme parks between January and May 2001[2]. Of 24,300 people counted, 13.20% had hair at shoulder length or longer, but only 22 of those were men, about 0.18% of the men counted[2].
Of the 77 people with waist-length hair or longer, only three were men[2]. The authors noted that buns and other tied-up styles made shorter lengths harder to judge but did not affect the longest categories[2].
That study is 25 years old and from one state, and men's styles have changed since. No newer public study counts long-haired men directly, so this remains the only measured baseline. Our long hairstyles for men guide covers what long can look like on different hair types.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| People counted (males and females) | 24,300 |
| All people with shoulder-length hair or longer | 13.20% |
| All people with hair to the bottom of the shoulder blades or longer | 2.43% |
| All people with waist-length hair or longer | 77 people (0.32%) |
| Men with shoulder-length hair or longer | 22 men (about 0.18% of men) |
| Men with waist-length hair or longer | 3 |
How many men choose long hairstyles today?
Recent surveys ask about favorite or possible styles rather than actual length. In a January 2025 survey of 7,100 US adults for Hims, long layers were the fourth most popular men's hairstyle at 8%, behind the fade (14%), the buzz cut (12%) and the classic boy cut (10.5%)[5]. Long layers were the top style in Vermont, at 20%, and in South Dakota, at 14%[5].
A 2024/2025 survey of 3,638 users of hair clinic Medihair across seven countries put long hair at 4% and medium-length wavy hair at 8%, while the slick back (19%), crew cut (17%) and buzz cut (14%) led[9]. That sample is self-selected and international.
In a July 2025 Talker Research poll of 2,000 US men, 28% said they could pull off letting their hair grow out, the most common answer, and 13% said a long middle part[3]. At the short end, 22% said a fully shaved or bald look and 7% a bleached buzzcut[3].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Letting it grow out | 28% |
| Fully shaved or bald | 22% |
| Middle part, long hair | 13% |
| Mullet | 8% |
| Bleached buzzcut | 7% |
Are men growing their hair longer?
Barbers say yes. Modern Barber, a UK trade magazine, asked barbers each season of 2023 whether clients were embracing longer styles or keeping it short. The "longer" share went from 55% in spring to 58% in summer, 63% in autumn and 82% in Winter 2023/24[6][10][11][4].
Search data agrees. Pinterest's first men's trend report, covering February 2024 to February 2025, showed searches for "grow hair faster" up 150%[12]. Its 2026 report shows longer, layered cuts rising: "soft wolf cut men" up 1,154%, "modern wolf cut men" up 553%, "modern mullet men" up 223% and "shaggy haircut men" up 79%[7]. Fresha's October 2026 data showed the flow haircut up 173% and the textured shag up 164%[8].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Spring 2023 | 55% |
| Summer 2023 | 58% |
| Autumn 2023 | 63% |
| Winter 23/24 | 82% |
Is short hair still more popular than long hair?
Yes. The two most popular men's hairstyles in the 2025 Hims survey, the fade and the buzz cut, are both short, and together they took 26% of answers against 8% for long layers[5]. They were the top style in 39 of 50 states between them (23 for the fade and 16 for the buzz cut)[5].
Short cuts are still gaining in search too. Fresha reported a 175% rise in buzzcut searches in 2026, more than the flow haircut's 173%[8]. The direction of travel is toward longer tops on short sides, more than toward fully long hair.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Buzzcut (short) | 175% |
| Flow haircut (long) | 173% |
| Textured shag (medium to long) | 164% |
| Induction cut (short) | 83% |
| Caesar cut (short) | 83% |
How long does it take a man to grow long hair?
Scalp hair in its growth phase grows about 1 cm every 28 days[13]. At that pace, 10 cm of new length takes about 280 days, or roughly nine months (10 × 28 days, menhaircuts.net calculation), and a full year adds about 13 cm (365 ÷ 28, menhaircuts.net calculation). Growth varies between people and is not the same in every season.
Upkeep differs too. Booksy recommends a cut every 2 to 4 weeks for a fade or short style and every 4 to 6 weeks for longer styles[14]. Over a year that is 13 to 26 visits for short hair against roughly 9 to 13 for longer hair (52 weeks divided by the interval, menhaircuts.net calculation). Booksy lists a buzz cut at $20 to $40 and a men's haircut at $30 to $65[14]. Our guide on how to grow your hair out covers the in-between stages.
| Style length | Recommended interval | Cuts per year (menhaircuts.net calculation) |
|---|---|---|
| Fade or short style | Every 2–4 weeks | 13–26 |
| Longer style | Every 4–6 weeks | About 9–13 |
Which long hairstyles for men are most popular?
Layered and textured cuts lead the long-hair searches. Pinterest's 2026 report puts wolf cut variations at the top (soft, modern and curly), along with the loose wavy perm, the modern mullet and shaggy cuts[7]. The flow haircut is the strongest long style on Fresha[8].
For truly long hair, Google's 2015 hair report classed the man bun as a newer men's "rising star", alongside the man bun undercut[15]. Among long-style survey answers, long layers led the 2025 Hims ranking at 8%[5]. See our guides to the wolf cut and the flow cut.
Frequently asked questions
Do most people prefer short hair on men?
What percentage of men have long hair?
Are long hairstyles for men becoming more popular?
What is the most popular long hairstyle for men?
How long does it take to grow out a man's hair?
Is short or long hair cheaper to maintain?
Methodology and limitations
This report was compiled October 1 to 15, 2026. Preference data comes from YouGov's daily question of February 10, 2016 (2,030 US adults), the Hims and Culture Co-op survey (7,100 US adults, January 2025), Talker Research for Sport Clips (2,000 US men, July 2025) and Medihair's user survey. Measured hair length comes from Robbins and Robbins (Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2003), read from the PubMed abstract. Trend data comes from Modern Barber's 2023 barber polls, Pinterest's 2025 and 2026 men's trend reports, Fresha's October 2026 ranking, and Google's 2015 hair report. Growth time and cuts per year are menhaircuts.net calculations from BioNumbers and Booksy figures, shown in the text.
Limitations
The YouGov preference poll is from 2016 and no newer national poll on the same question was found. The only measured count of long-haired men is from Florida theme parks in 2001 and defines long as shoulder length or more, so it says nothing about medium-length cuts. Recent surveys measure favorite or possible styles, not the length men actually wear. Pinterest and Fresha publish growth rates without volumes, and Fresha's region is not stated. Modern Barber's polls are informal UK Instagram polls. Short, medium and long labels in some charts are editorial. Studies on how hair length changes perceptions of men (attractiveness, trust) were found only as summaries without verifiable figures and are not included.
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
- What do you think generally looks better on men, short hair or long hair?, YouGov (2016). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Scalp hair length. I. Hair length in Florida theme parks: an approximation of hair length in the United States of America (Robbins C, Robbins MG). J Cosmet Sci 2003;54(1):53-62, Journal of Cosmetic Science (PubMed 12644859) (2003). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- How men can overcome their haircut anxiety, Talker Research (for Sport Clips) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Modern Barber Trend Report: Winter 23/24, Modern Barber (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- This is the most popular men's hairstyle in every state, Stacker (data: Hims, Culture Co-op) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Modern Barber Trend Report: Spring 2023, Modern Barber (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- 2026 Men's Trend Report, Pinterest Newsroom (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- K-Pop Comma to Classic Buzzcuts: What Are Men Asking Barbers For in 2026?, BarberEVO (data: Fresha) (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Statistics: 8 Most Popular Male Hairstyles, Medihair (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Modern Barber Trend Report: Summer 2023, Modern Barber (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Modern Barber Trend Report: Autumn 2023, Modern Barber (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Pinterest launches first men's trend report revealing new demographics, PPC Land (data: Pinterest) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Rate of hair growth during anagen phase (head), BioNumbers, Harvard Medical School (2012). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Haircut Near Me, Booksy (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Beauty Trends 2015: Hair Care Edition (U.S.), Google (Think with Google) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
Cite, embed and download
This report, its charts and its infographic are free to reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Credit menhaircuts.net with a link to this page.
Cite this report (APA)
Hamilton, J. (2026, October 15). Long vs Short Hair on Men: 2026 Statistics. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/long-vs-short-hair-statistics/
Link to this report
<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/long-vs-short-hair-statistics/">Long vs Short Hair on Men: 2026 Statistics</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)Share the headline number
51%: of US adults say short hair looks better on men (YouGov, via menhaircuts.net/stats/long-vs-short-hair-statistics/)
Download the charts and infographic
- What looks better on men? US adults, February 2016 (PNG)
- Styles US men think they could pull off, long vs short, 2025 (PNG)
- UK barbers saying clients are embracing longer styles, 2023 (PNG)
- Rise in Fresha searches: long vs short men's cuts, 2026 (PNG)
- Infographic: Long vs Short Hair on Men (PNG, 1000 x 1500)
Related data
- #2 and #3the mullet's and undercut's rank among most-searched haircuts since 2004Men's Haircut Trends Over Time
- 14%picked the fade as their favorite men's hairstyle (US, January 2025)Most Popular Men's Haircuts 2026
- 4.1Mviews worldwide for the top five man bun how-to videos on YouTube (2013 to 2015)Man Bun Statistics 2026
- 1.0–1.3 cmTypical scalp hair growth per monthHair Growth Statistics 2026
Related guides
Make us a Preferred Source on Google
See our latest articles first in your Google Search & AI Overviews.