Unlock Your Hair's Charm: What Hairstyles Make Women Swoon and Heads Turn

SugarDaddy.com surveyed 8,000 women ages 19 to 30 living in the United States, asking them what hairstyles they find most attractive on men. The brand ran the survey online from June 3 to June 18, 2025. Women answered questions about hairstyle preferences, factors that influence attraction, and what feels outdated.

The findings give a direct look at what women notice first, what turns them off, and which details matter most. This report shares the results, breaks down behavioral trends, and uses data tables plus commentary to help brands, stylists, and readers understand what works.

Survey Methodology

• Survey dates: June 3–18, 2025

• Respondent count: 8,000 women

• Age range: 19–30

• Region: United States

• Distribution: Online via SugarDaddy.com user base

• Survey type: Anonymous, single session, forced-choice, and open-ended

Respondents could only answer once, and each completion included a short attention check.

Key Survey Questions

1. What hairstyle do you find most attractive on men?
2. Which men's hairstyle feels most outdated or unattractive?
3. What is the most important factor in liking a man's hairstyle?
4. Which style do you wish more men would try?
5. Which of these well-known male celebrity hairstyles do you like most?
6. Do you care if a man uses hair products?
7. Do you prefer men to change their hairstyle often or keep one look?
8. What immediately turns you off?

Top Preferred Hairstyles: Ranked

Women were asked to select one primary hairstyle they prefer on men.

"Which hairstyle do you find most attractive on men?"

Hairstyle	% (out of 8,000)	# of Women
Clean Fade	24.7%	1,976
Medium-Length Textured	22.9%	1,832
Short Back & Sides	19.5%	1,560
Curly/Loose Natural	13.8%	1,104
Long/Shoulder Length	10.6%	848
Buzz Cut	5.4%	432
Man Bun/Top Knot	1.7%	136
Spiked	0.8%	64
Mullets	0.6%	48

A fade is most popular, nearly one in four. The textured look, with messy medium-length hair, is a close second. Edges cleaned up, but keeping volume is a big draw.

Women's Open-Ended Comments (On Preferred Styles)

• "A clean skin fade with some texture on top looks most natural and put together."

• "Medium-length with volume means the guy cares but doesn't look obsessed."

• "Short sides, a little messy on top, looks good with all face shapes."

Most Unattractive Hairstyles (and Why)

"Which do you find least attractive or outdated?"

Mullets are labeled as the most unattractive by about a third. Heavy product-spiked hair and bowl cuts follow close behind.

Factors Women Say Matter Most

Women had to pick the single factor that most influences whether they like a man's hairstyle.

"What is most important to you in a man's hairstyle?"

Factor	% (out of 8,000)	# of Women
Cleanliness	35.8%	2,864
Hair Health	26.2%	2,096
Fits Face Shape	17.4%	1,392
Effort Looks Natural	11.3%	904
Trendy	6.2%	496
Uniqueness	3.1%	248

Clean, well-kept hair ranked highest. Over a quarter value hair that looks healthy. Trends and uniqueness ranked low.

Open-Ended Comments (On Key Factors)

• "Clean hair is always top; oily or dirty ruins everything."

• "I'm not into wild trends. If it suits his face, it works."

• "You can tell when a man puts a little effort. No product overdose."

Wish List: Styles Women Want To See More

Women picked styles they wish more men would try.

"Which style do you wish more men had confidence to try?"

Style	% (out of 8,000)	# of Women
Medium Curls	26.7%	2,136
Natural Afro	17.8%	1,424
Shoulder-Length Waves	15.3%	1,224
Short Caesar/Fringe	14.5%	1,160
Grown-Out Buzz Fade	13.2%	1.056
Slicked Side-Part	7.9%	632
Textured Crop	4.6%	368

Medium-length curls and natural afro hair see a strong push. This is less about trend and more about seeing authentic texture.

Celebrities Driving Trends

Women were shown hairstyle photos and asked to pick their favorite among:

• Timothée Chalamet (floppy textured)

• Michael B. Jordan (clean fade)

• Jason Momoa (long, wavy)

• Zayn Malik (short sides, thick top)

• Brad Pitt (slicked back, undercut)

• Harry Styles (messy, grown-out curls)

• Jacob Elordi (blunt fringe, clean sides)

Favorite celebrity hairstyle for men

Women lean toward Jordan's clean fade and Chalamet's casual, unforced waves. Long hair gets support, but only from a minority.

How Much Do Hair Products Matter?

Participants responded to: "Do you care if a man uses hair products?"

"Do you care if a man uses hair products?"

Most women do not notice or care unless the hair looks unnatural. Those who do care say "over-styled" and "product overload" are off-putting.

Do Women Prefer Men to Change Styles or Commit To One?

Women were asked: "Do you wish men would switch up their style often or keep one look?"

Men's Hairstyle Consistency

Most women like some newness once in a while, but very few want men to change their hair constantly. A little variety, but nothing extreme.

Turn-Offs: What Kills Attraction Fast

Women picked the single biggest deal-breaker.

Hairstyle deal breakers

Cleanliness comes up again as the main priority. Over-styling is nearly as disliked as visible dandruff.

Age Subgroup Breakdown

Splitting the respondents into brackets (19–22, 23–26, 27–30), the rankings shifted slightly:

• Women 19–22 picked "medium textured" or "sloppy-casual" above other styles

• Women 27–30 were more likely to pick classic "short back and sides" and say hair should not cover the neck or ears

In both younger and older brackets, obvious product use ranked low.

Regional Insights

• Women in the South: Short back and sides appeared more in the top two picks.

• Women in the Northeast and Midwest: Medium curls and shoulder-length waves came up more.

• Women in the West: Natural, longer cuts scored higher.

What Does "Well-Groomed" Mean to Women?

When women were asked for three words that define a well-groomed man, top answers included:

• Clean

• Healthy

• Simple

Not one respondent used trend-related adjectives in this segment.

SugarDaddy.com Behavioral Notes

By cross-matching survey answers with user profile data, we saw:

• Profile photos with a clean fade and visible effort led to 37 percent more message replies

• Profiles with heavy-gelled hair averaged 14 percent fewer inbound messages

• Grown-out hair that looked "authentically cared for" (as judged by staff) produced 22 percent more favorites/bookmarks, especially from women aged 23–29

Styling Habits: Self-Reported by Women

Women answered: "How much do you notice a guy's hairstyle when choosing to message or meet him?"

Most women say the man's hairstyle is something they notice right away.

Misconceptions

Women wrote in responses to the statement, "What's a hairstyle men think works but that you secretly don't like?"

Frequent answers:

• "Too much gel makes it seem like he's trying too hard."

• "The middle-part curtain hair, unless it's messy, slick looks stiff."

• "Man buns, unless his hair is super thick."

• "Skin fades that look like a razor burned the scalp."

Summary Table: Women's Absolute Yes and No Styles

"Yes" vs "No" Styles

Key Takeaways

• Most women prefer clean, simple cuts, nothing forced or overdone.

• Texture is attractive when it feels effortless.

• Heavy product, greasy hair, and forced trends lose out.

• Many wish men would try medium-length styles, waves, curls, and natural texture.

• Clean fades and classic sides never fall out of favor, as long as hair looks healthy.

• Region and age make minor shifts, but basics are the same: neatness, hair health, and no obvious product.

Recommendations for Men

If you want to look more attractive to women ages 19 to 30, based on this survey:

• Get regular cuts. Stick to what suits your face, not what's trending.

• Avoid heavy gels or styles that feel "set." Go for a touchable texture.

• Prioritize hair health and cleanliness.

• If you are comfortable, try letting your curls or waves grow for a relaxed look.

• Skip extreme trends unless you feel confident and can maintain them well.

Sources

• Proprietary data, SugarDaddy.com User Survey (June 2025, USA, n=8,000 women, ages 19–30)

• All raw numbers and tables are original and unpublished before this article