Man bun statistics: a Google "rising star" in 2015, and 7 in 10 men wanted it gone by 2017

Key findings

1. Google's 2015 US hair report classed the man bun as a "rising star" and a national trend, with man bun searches focused on how-to questions^[1].
2. The top five man bun how-to videos on YouTube had 4.1 million views, against 10.3 million for the comb over, whose top how-to videos had been online longer^[1].
3. In 2015, Google said men's hair queries overtook women's hair queries for the first time^[6].
4. A 2015 West Coast Shaving survey found about 35% of US women disliked the man bun and about 27% hated it; 58% said they would never date a man wearing one^[4].
5. Seven in ten men in the Dove Men+Care 2017 Men's Hair Census wished the man bun would disappear^[2].
6. In a 2021 Google Trends analysis, the man bun was the most-searched men's style in one state, West Virginia^[3].
7. The American Academy of Dermatology lists tightly pulled buns and ponytails among styles that can cause traction alopecia, which can become permanent^[7].

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When did the man bun become popular?

The best dated evidence comes from Google's own data. Its 2015 US hair care report, built on search volume from January 2013 to August 2015, placed the man bun and the man bun undercut in its "rising stars" group, defined as sudden growth within recent months^[1]. The report described the man bun as a newer trend than the comb over and said man bun searches were a national trend rather than concentrated in a few cities^[1].

The same year, Google said men's hair queries overtook women's hair queries for the first time^[6]. Complex, reporting on the Google study in October 2015, said searches for "man buns" skyrocketed that year and that "how to grow a man bun" and "how to tie a man bun" were the most common questions^[8].

Google tied the look to celebrities too. Jared Leto was early, the report said, but Harry Styles was "owning the look", and Leonardo DiCaprio was also among the names searched with the style^[1].

How many people watched man bun tutorials?

Men wanted instructions. Google counted 4.1 million views worldwide for the top five man bun how-to videos on YouTube between January 2013 and August 2015^[1]. The comb over, whose top how-to videos had been available for longer, had 10.3 million views for its top five how-to videos^[1].

Products followed the trend. The top man bun videos featured six types of product against three for the comb over, including light cream, sponge wax, sea spray, styling powder, beeswax paste and heat-protection spray^[1]. Our man bun guide covers how long your hair needs to be and how to tie one without pulling.

Do women like man buns?

The polls disagree, and both came from companies with a stake in the answer. A 2015 survey by the grooming retailer West Coast Shaving found about 35% of American women disliked the man bun and about 27% flat out hated it^[4]. Adding those, 62% had a negative view (menhaircuts.net calculation: 35% + 27%). In the same survey, 58% said they would never date a man with a man bun, and 74% said their partner would look less attractive with one^[4].

About two months earlier, the dating site WhatsYourPrice.com reported the opposite. In its study of more than 67,400 people, 76% of women said they preferred man buns, though only 37% of women over 35 reacted positively and 82% of 18 to 24 year olds liked the style^[9]. Neither poll published a full method, so treat both as snapshots of a moment rather than settled opinion.

Do men want the man bun to go away?

By 2017, many men had had enough. The Dove Men+Care 2017 Men's Hair Census, which surveyed men across all 50 states, found that seven in ten wished the man bun would disappear^[2].

The same census shows how much men care about their hair overall: eight in ten see it as a reflection of their personal style, 90% fix it in the mirror at least once a day, and more than 60% style it every day^[2]. One in five admitted being jealous of a friend's hair^[2].

Is the man bun still popular?

It has settled into a niche. In Shane Co.'s 2021 Google Trends map of the most-searched men's style in each state, the man bun led only West Virginia^[3]. Half-up, half-down, a related long-hair look, led two states: Arkansas and Louisiana^[3].

Survey data on long hair gives a rough upper bound for interest. In the 2025 Hims survey of 7,100 Americans, 8% named long layers as their favorite men's style, fourth nationally^[5]. Long layers won Vermont at 20% and South Dakota at 14%^[10]. Not everyone with long hair wears a bun, so these figures describe the pool of potential bun wearers, not bun wearers themselves. If you are starting from short hair, see how to grow your hair out.

• Rows 1 and 2: Shane Co.^[3]. Row 3: Hims via Stacker^[5]. Rows 4 and 5: Hims state file^[10].

Can a man bun cause hair loss?

It can if it is tied tightly and worn often. The American Academy of Dermatology lists tightly pulled buns, ponytails and up-dos among the hairstyles that can cause traction alopecia, alongside tight braids, cornrows, locs, extensions and weaves^[7]. The AAD says traction alopecia can become permanent the longer it goes untreated, and that once the skin turns shiny and bald, the hair cannot grow back^[7].

Military personnel and anyone required to pull their hair back for work face higher risk, according to the AAD^[7]. No published study gives the share of man bun wearers who develop traction alopecia, so the safest reading is simple: keep the bun loose, move its position, and give your hairline days off. Our thinning and balding guide covers other causes of hair loss.

How many people search for buns worldwide?

Buns of all kinds draw large search numbers. In Protectivity's analysis of Google search volume for more than 170 hairstyles as of October 2020, the bun ranked second worldwide with 85,890 average monthly searches, behind the bob at 222,580^[11]. The bun was the top hairstyle in India and Sri Lanka^[11].

Those figures cover all buns, mostly women's, so they do not measure the man bun alone. On Instagram, a 2021 count found 1,300,000 posts tagged messy bun and 410,000 tagged space buns, again mostly women's styles^[12].

Frequently asked questions

Methodology and limitations

Sources were opened and read on October 15, 2026. Google data comes from the Think with Google Beauty Trends 2015 Hair Care Edition PDF, with supporting coverage from HuffPost (AFP/Relaxnews) and Complex. Opinion polls come from West Coast Shaving and WhatsYourPrice.com (both via Complex, 2015) and the Dove Men+Care 2017 census (via Premium Beauty News). State data comes from Shane Co.'s 2021 Google Trends map and the 2025 Hims survey (Stacker article and Hims data file). Health guidance is from the American Academy of Dermatology page last updated November 6, 2024. Global search and Instagram counts are from studies reported by Hairdressers Journal. The 62% negative share is a menhaircuts.net sum of two published shares.

Limitations

Most man bun data is from 2015 to 2017, when the trend peaked, and no recent survey measures how many men wear one. The two 2015 women's polls point in opposite directions and were run by companies with a commercial interest; sample sizes and methods were not fully published. The Dove census sample size was not reported in the coverage. Google search measures interest, not adoption, and the 2015 report gives no index value for the man bun. Long-layers survey shares and global bun searches are proxies that include people who do not wear a man bun.

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. Beauty Trends 2015: Hair Care Edition (U.S.), Think with Google (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
2. Haircare is a serious business for men, study finds, Premium Beauty News (Dove Men+Care 2017 Men's Hair Census) (2017). Accessed October 15, 2026.
3. The Most Popular Hairstyle in Every State, Shane Co. (The Loupe) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
4. New survey reveals that women hate man buns, Complex (West Coast Shaving survey) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
5. This is the most popular men's hairstyle in every state, Hims via Stacker (republished by KTVZ) (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
6. Top Google Beauty Searches This Year Include Man Buns, Braids And Bold Colours, HuffPost Canada (AFP/Relaxnews) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
7. Hairstyles that pull can lead to hair loss, American Academy of Dermatology (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
8. New Google study shows dudes are searching "man buns" more than ever, Complex (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
9. Women actually dig man buns, according to a new study, Complex (WhatsYourPrice.com study) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
10. Hair styles by state (data file), Hims (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
11. Revealed: the world's most popular hairstyle, Hairdressers Journal International (Protectivity data) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
12. Instagram reveals the world's most popular hairstyles, Hairdressers Journal International (Tajmeeli data) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.

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