The 2017 Men's Hair Census

Dove Men+Care Release
The 2017 Men’s Hair Census

This summer, Dove Men+Care Hair spoke to a diverse group of real men from all 50 U.S. states to gain insights into their hair habits and preferences and better understand how a man’s hair reflects his personal identity and cultural interests.

Did you know 8 out of 10 men believe good hair makes them feel confident? Or that 7 in 10 men wish the man bun would go away? According to the 2017 Men’s Hair Census by Dove Men+Care Hair, men have a defined relationship with their hair, how they groom, and what impact this has overall on your day-to-day livelihood. More importantly, men have a talking point they can use to raise their own concerns! The majority of men today say the look of their hair is not only important on a regular day to day basis, but that it is also a reflection of their personal style and helps them feel more confident.

To shed light on the 2017 Men’s Hair Census, Dove Men+Care Hair partnered with W. Kamau Bell, critically acclaimed comedian and author, who has traveled the nation to dive deep into cultural topics that are rarely addressed. Bell is now applying his critical eye and light-hearted tone to explore a topic men shy away from talking about – their hair. The new Census findings captured insightful data that gives us a glimpse into how real guys feel, and think, about their hair – and will help to better explain why a guy’s hair is so linked to his personal identity. The data covers every question you’ve ever had about men’s hair, from which season guys’ think their hair looks best, to the specific foods they associate with great hair.

“We know from our Census data that real men across the country are almost unanimously united in how much importance they place on hair,” said Piyush Jain, V.P. of Hair Care for Dove Men+Care at Unilever U.S. “Dove Men+Care understands that men have a variety of needs based on their unique hair concerns, and maintaining hair strength is at the center. The Dove Men+Care shampoos and 2-in-1s are designed specifically to address all of his hair concerns such as thinning, cleansing and scalp issues, while also making hair stronger.”  

Using an online App to create an interactive infographic, Dove Men+Care “mapped” out three core areas men “care” about, and shared the results for the world to see. While a it’s lot of fun to use, the App also highlights some core areas where men are struggling with grooming, like the fact that a whopping 44% of men feel negatively about their hair.

The 2017 Hair Consensus shines light on how:

• 1 in 4 men believe avocado toast has a positive impact on the appearance of their hair
• 9 in 10 men look in the mirror to fix their hair at least once a day
• 1 out of 10 men would give up sex for a month in order to have stronger, healthier hair

The results also indicate that 1 in 3 men wish they had hair like their friend, or that poor hair can make them feel insecure, unattractive or sad. If you’ve felt this way about your appearance, it’s important to know you are not alone! This is exactly why Male Standard was created: to give you a platform where you can openly ask questions and address these kinds of problems. So, thank you Dove Men+Care for raising awareness of these important feedback. Now we want to have the ball over to you: what skin care, hair care, or other grooming questions or concerns do you have and what do you wish you could improve upon. We want to help!

This article first appeared on Male Standard