One in five men get haircut anxiety, according to a new poll.
The survey of 2,000 U.S. men found 21% feel “nervous” asking their stylist or barber for a new hairstyle. And another 23% have been afraid to ask for specific haircuts in the past, even when they really wanted it.
Seventeen percent have tried to get around it by asking their stylist for a more “watered down” version of what they really want.
A third (36%) said they’ve had success by showing their stylist a reference photo of what they want. A majority of them (88%) said their stylist nailed what they were trying to go for — getting the haircut perfectly matched to the reference photo.
Commissioned by Sport Clips Haircuts and conducted by Talker Research, half believe the key to a better cut is to learn more about their hair — and hairstyles in general — from their stylist.
According to them, stylists and barbers have helped them learn what styles fit their hair type (41%), what styles fit their face shape (40%), how often to come in for a haircut (37%), what different clipper lengths mean (31%) and even how to style and maintain their haircut at home (31%).
More than half (57%) have a specific person they’ll go to have their hair cut, and 74% believe having trust in their stylist or barber has a big impact on what haircut they end up getting.
In fact, a third (32%) of men with specific stylists said their bond is so tight, they consider their stylist to be “practically family.” An additional 16% consider them to be part of the close friend group, while 29% consider their stylist or barber to be a friend, but only during haircuts.
“I think men really can experiment and change things up with their hair,” said Stacia Kelley, artistic director at Sport Clips “It just takes a bit of trust and communication with your stylist. If you explain to them what you’re looking for and let them show you their expertise, you’ll likely walk away feeling refreshed and confident with a brand new ‘do.'”
The study found the average guy gets their hair cut 10 times per year and has had the same hair style for seven years.
Most (84%) said they feel confident with their current hairstyle, and 55% have never considered changing it as a result.
But that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t consider a new look. Men polled believe they can successfully pull off certain styles like letting their hair grow out (28%), going fully bald (22%), long hair with a middle part (13%), getting a hard side part (13%) and getting spiked hair (11%).
Meanwhile, 45% have considered changing their hairstyle — but not without having hesitations.
“Hairstyles are one of the primary ways men showcase who they are; really letting their personalities shine through,” continued Kelley. “Many men who are already used to the style that makes them feel confident and comfortable might not want to change things. Even if they are considering trying a new style, they often don’t because they don’t want to change what they believe has been working for them for so long.”
TOP 10 HAIRSTYLES MEN BELIEVE THEY COULD PULL OFF
Letting it grow out – 28%Fully shaved/bald – 22%Middle part, long hair – 13%Getting a hard side part – 13%Spiked hair – 11%Highlights – 11%Greased-back hair – 10%Mullet – 8%Mohawk – 8%A bleached buzzcut – 7%
Survey methodology:
Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American men; the survey was commissioned by Sport Clips and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between July 23 and July 28, 2025.
We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:
Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentiveProgrammatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in
Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.
Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.
Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.
Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:
Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speedersOpen ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant textBots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify botsDuplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once
It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.
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