Data report · Updated October 2026
Men's haircut trends over time: from the man bun in 2015 to the wolf cut in 2026
A year-by-year record of which men's styles rose in search, what barbers saw and how long men keep a look.
The mullet and the undercut are the two most-searched men's haircuts since Google Trends began in 2004, behind only the bob[1]. The fastest risers changed almost every year: the man bun in 2015[2], the wolf cut in 2021[3], the alpaca cut in 2024[4] and the soft wolf cut in 2026[5].
#2 and #3
the mullet's and undercut's rank among most-searched haircuts since 2004[1]
6%
how far searches for men's hair care outnumbered women's in 2015[6]
20%
of US men who picked the '80s mullet as the trend to bring back (2021)[7]
7 years
average time a US man keeps the same hairstyle (2025)[8]
By Jessica Hamilton, Editor · Published · Updated · Free to reuse with credit (CC BY 4.0)
Key findings
- Google says the five most-searched haircuts since Google Trends launched in 2004 are the bob, the mullet, the undercut, the pixie and box braids[1].
- In 2015 searches for men's hair care outnumbered searches for women's hair care by 6%, and Google called 2015 the biggest year yet for men's hairstyle searches[6].
- Google's 2015 US hair report classed the man bun, the man bun undercut, the Caesar haircut and the lower taper fade as rising stars, and the comb over, undercut and fade haircuts as sustained risers[2].
- "Wolf cut hair" was Google's top trending hairstyle search of 2021[3], and the alpaca haircut topped Google's trending haircut list in 2024[4].
- In a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 men, 20% picked the '80s mullet as the past trend they would bring back, ahead of '90s curtain bangs (15%) and the 2010s undercut (10%)[7].
- UK barbers saying clients were embracing longer styles rose from 55% in spring 2023 to 82% in Winter 2023/24[9][10].
- Despite the churn, the average US man has kept the same hairstyle for 7 years[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.
What are the most searched men's haircuts of all time?
Google has published one all-time ranking. Drawing on search data accumulated since Google Trends launched in 2004, it named the bob as the most-searched haircut, followed by the mullet, the undercut, the pixie and box braids[1]. Google specifically noted that the buzz cut did not make the top five[1].
That puts two men's cuts in the all-time top three. The mullet's place is notable because it is a 1980s look that keeps returning, which keeps people searching for it. Survey respondents tie the undercut to the 2010s[7], and it still drives interest under names such as the slick back undercut. Our guides to the modern mullet and the undercut show how both have changed.
| Rank | Haircut | Mainly worn by |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bob | Women |
| 2 | Mullet | Men |
| 3 | Undercut | Men |
| 4 | Pixie | Women |
| 5 | Box braids | Women and men |
Which men's haircuts were trending in 2015?
Google's 2015 Beauty Trends report for the US looked at monthly search volume from January 2013 to August 2015, removed seasonal effects, and sorted hair searches by growth, speed and acceleration[2]. For men's hair, it named the afro fade, afro taper, comb over, disconnected hair, fade haircuts, high and tight, mid fade haircut, slicked back undercut and undercut as sustained risers[2].
The man bun was the standout rising star, alongside the box haircut, Caesar haircut, hair sponge, lower taper fade, man bun undercut, mohawk fade and samurai hairstyle[2]. The top five how-to videos for the man bun on YouTube had 4.1 million views, against 10.3 million for the comb over, an older look with more time to build an audience[2].
A 2015 news report on the same Google data said searches for men's hair care outnumbered women's by 6%, that 82% of those searches in August 2015 were on mobile, and that 2015 was the biggest year ever for men's hairstyle searches[6].
| Trend type | Searches named by Google |
|---|---|
| Sustained risers | Afro fade, afro taper, comb over, disconnected hair, fade haircuts, high and tight, mid fade haircut, slicked back undercut, undercut |
| Seasonal risers | Flat top haircut, high top fade, pompadour fade, taper haircut |
| Rising stars | Box haircut, Caesar haircut, hair sponge, lower taper fade, man bun, man bun undercut, mohawk fade, samurai hairstyle |
How have trending haircuts changed from 2021 to 2025?
Google's year-end trending lists capture the cuts with the biggest jump in interest, not the most searches[11]. In 2021 "wolf cut hair" topped Google's trending hairstyle list, followed by skunk stripe hair, fluffy hair and Squid Game red hair[3]. The wolf cut, a layered cross between a shag and a mullet, was worn by men and women alike.
By 2024 the US haircut list was mostly men's cuts built on short sides and a full top: the alpaca haircut, the warrior haircut, the old money haircut, "low fade haircut men", the French crop and the textured crop[4]. The broccoli head haircut and the textured fringe rounded out the top ten[4].
In 2025 the "16 guard" haircut, a longer buzz cut named after the clipper guard size, appeared among Google's 2025 trending beauty searches, according to Cosmetics Business coverage that does not name the market[12]. That fits a wider move toward low-effort cuts with more length than a classic buzz.
| Year | Market | Top trending men's style | Other men's styles on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | US | Man bun (rising star) | Caesar haircut, lower taper fade, mohawk fade |
| 2021 | Not stated | Wolf cut hair (#1 hairstyle) | Fluffy hair (#3) |
| 2024 | US | Alpaca haircut (#1 haircut) | Warrior, old money, low fade, French crop, textured crop, broccoli head, textured fringe |
| 2025 | Not stated | 16 guard haircut (trending beauty search) | Not published in visible coverage |
Which past men's haircuts do people want to bring back?
In a 2021 OnePoll survey of 2,000 men for Sport Clips, the '80s mullet was the most wanted comeback at 20%, followed by '90s curtain bangs at 15% and the 2010s undercut at 10%[7]. The same survey found that 39% of men had tried highlights, two-thirds had tried a trend they later found embarrassing, and 55% wanted to change their look but were afraid to try something new[7].
Barbers saw the mullet comeback in their chairs. In Modern Barber's 2023 polls of UK barbers, the share still getting mullet requests was 87% in spring, 96% in summer, 77% in autumn and 89% in Winter 2023/24[9][13][14][10]. Pinterest searches for "modern mullet men" were still up 223% in its 2026 report[5].
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| '80s mullet | 20% |
| '90s curtain bangs | 15% |
| 2010s undercut | 10% |
Are men growing their hair longer than before?
Barber polls suggest so. Modern Barber asked UK barbers each season whether clients were embracing longer styles or keeping it short. The "longer" answer rose from 55% in spring 2023 to 58% in summer, 63% in autumn and 82% in Winter 2023/24[9][13][14][10].
Search data points the same way. Pinterest's 2026 report shows rises for "soft wolf cut men" (1,154%), "modern wolf cut men" (553%) and "shaggy haircut men" (79%)[5], and Fresha reported a 173% rise in searches for the flow haircut[15]. Our long vs short hair statistics report covers this shift in more depth.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Spring 2023 | 55% |
| Summer 2023 | 58% |
| Autumn 2023 | 63% |
| Winter 23/24 | 82% |
What are the newest men's haircut trends in 2026?
Two 2026 datasets agree on the direction: softer, more textured shapes and Korean-influenced cuts. Pinterest's 2026 Men's Trend Report lists "Korean two block haircut men" up 212%, "loose wavy perm men" up 228% and "curly wolf cut men" up 245%[5]. Fresha's October 2026 ranking put Korean comma hair first with a 400% rise, then the buzzcut (175%), the flow haircut (173%) and the textured shag (164%)[15].
Pinterest's first men's report, covering February 2024 to February 2025, showed a different emphasis: "grow hair faster" searches up 150% and "barbershop aesthetic" up 150%[16]. Read together, the 2025 and 2026 reports describe men first growing hair out and then searching for ways to shape the extra length.
Show the numbers
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Korean comma hair | 400% |
| Buzzcut | 175% |
| Flow haircut | 173% |
| Textured shag | 164% |
| Induction cut | 83% |
| Caesar cut | 83% |
| Korean two-block | 83% |
How long do men keep the same haircut?
Trend lists move fast, but most men do not. A Talker Research poll of 2,000 US men for Sport Clips in July 2025 found the average man had kept the same hairstyle for 7 years, and 55% had never considered changing it[8]. Another 45% had considered a change, though with hesitations[8].
Part of the hesitation is social. In the same poll, 21% felt nervous asking for a new style and 17% had asked for a watered-down version of what they wanted[8]. Men who brought a reference photo had better luck: 36% had done so, and 88% of them said the stylist got it right[8]. That gap between what trends online and what men actually book is worth keeping in mind when reading any trend list. Our guide on how to talk to your barber covers the reference photo approach.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most searched men's haircut of all time?
What was the biggest men's haircut trend of 2015?
What haircut trended most in 2021?
What haircut trended most in 2024?
Is the mullet coming back?
How often do men change hairstyles?
Methodology and limitations
This report was compiled October 1 to 15, 2026. It lines up published trend lists from Google (the 2015 Beauty Trends hair report, the 2021 and 2024 Year in Search lists and the all-time ranking in Google's 2023 quiz), Pinterest (2025 and 2026 men's trend reports) and Fresha (October 2026), with survey data from OnePoll (2021) and Talker Research (2025) and Modern Barber's 2023 barber polls. Where Google's own pages could not be loaded, the lists were checked against outlets that reproduced them in full (Fashion Trendsetter for 2024, Hypebae for 2021, Cosmetics Business for 2025). The "mainly worn by" column in the first table is an editorial label, not part of Google's data.
Limitations
Trend lists measure growth in interest, not how many men wear a style, and the method differs by platform and year. Google's 2021 list covers hairstyles in general and its 2024 list covers haircuts, so the two are not strictly comparable. The 2025 entry comes from paywalled coverage that does not state which country's list it reports, and Hypebae does not state the market for the 2021 list; the full US 2025 haircut list could not be verified and is left out. Pinterest and Fresha publish percent changes without base volumes. Modern Barber's polls are informal and UK-based. Survey figures come from online panels and reflect what respondents say, not what they do.
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
- Quiz: How well do you know the most-searched trends?, Google (The Keyword blog) (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Beauty Trends 2015: Hair Care Edition (U.S.), Google (Think with Google) (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- 'Squid Game' Red Tops Google's 2021 Hair Trends, Hypebae (data: Google Year in Search 2021) (2021). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Google Year in Search: Top Trending Data 2024, Fashion Trendsetter (reproducing Google Year in Search 2024) (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- 2026 Men's Trend Report, Pinterest Newsroom (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Thanks to the man bun, there are now more Google searches for men's hair care than women's, Yahoo Finance (2015). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Return of the mullet? 1 in 5 men want to bring back the hairdo disaster!, StudyFinds (data: OnePoll for Sport Clips) (2021). 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: Spring 2023, Modern Barber (2023). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Modern Barber Trend Report: Winter 23/24, Modern Barber (2024). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Year in Search: data methodology, Google Trends (2025). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Google's 2025 trending beauty search terms: Butter yellow, Thanos and mocha mousse, Cosmetics Business (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.
- K-Pop Comma to Classic Buzzcuts: What Are Men Asking Barbers For in 2026?, BarberEVO (data: Fresha) (2026). Accessed October 15, 2026.
- Pinterest launches first men's trend report revealing new demographics, PPC Land (data: Pinterest) (2025). 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). Men's Haircut Trends Over Time: 2015–2026 Data. menhaircuts.net. https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-trends-over-time/
Link to this report
<a href="https://menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-trends-over-time/">Men's Haircut Trends Over Time: 2015–2026 Data</a> (menhaircuts.net, CC BY 4.0)Share the headline number
#2 and #3: the mullet's and undercut's rank among most-searched haircuts since 2004 (Google (The Keyword blog), via menhaircuts.net/stats/mens-haircut-trends-over-time/)
Download the charts and infographic
Related data
- 14%picked the fade as their favorite men's hairstyle (US, January 2025)Most Popular Men's Haircuts 2026
- 14%of US adults name the fade as their favorite men's hairstyle (2025)Fade Haircut Statistics 2026
- 51%of US adults say short hair looks better on menLong vs Short Hair on Men
- #2most-searched haircut on Google since 2004, after the bobMullet Statistics 2026
Related guides
Make us a Preferred Source on Google
See our latest articles first in your Google Search & AI Overviews.