A trip to the pub on a Saturday evening is a good place to observe men’s hair in 2026. There you will find short back and sides, you’ll find taper fades and you’ll increasingly find mullets out in the wild. Expect that mix to only increase. According to social media, men are adopting new hairstyles every second week, with variations of the mullet seen along with styles like so-called “boy bangs”, waves like those on Michael B Jordan, more extreme cuts like the school-boy favourite “broccoli” (curls on the top of the head) or the return of the cornrow for textured hair. If, once upon a time, hair was ring-fenced from fashion’s trend turnover, in 2026, it’s becoming just as crucial to your look as what you wear.

Nick Carvell, a former editor at British GQ, thinks there is a direct link between styles seen online and what men are asking for when they’re in the barber’s chair. “It really trickles down, whether subconsciously or not,” he says. “Seeing these sorts of haircuts, not only when you watch TV or a football match, but also on social media, means we are surrounded by more trends than ever before.”

Carvell himself has experimented with such a haircut, he says. Earlier this year he got a shaggy cut, as seen on Emily In Paris actor Lucas Bravo, and “hasn’t looked back”.

Rachael Gibson, who runs @thehairhistorian account on Instagram, says hair microtrends need to be seen in wider context. “None of us is immune to the lure of a FYP full of intriguing new looks,” she says. “It’s no wonder young men are increasingly open to the appeal of a cool new hairstyle that might just hold the answer to their woes.”

“Hair is no longer just grooming, it’s part of the outfit,” says Silas Baiden, a stylist at Ama Hair Salon in North London. “We’re seeing more clients come in asking for intricate, detailed styles that complement what they’re wearing, almost like an accessory.”

As Carvell notes, these haircuts often have a celebrity connection. Baiden namechecks Central Cee as a frequent reference for his clients’ cornrow looks. There’s Timothée Chalamet and Jacob Elordi for the modern mullets – complete with sideburns in Elordi’s case. Paul Mescal or Barry Keoghan for boy bangs and a wispy Caesar. Moedabarber, who posts his haircuts to Instagram, says a taper fade is the most popular, inspired by Jude Bellingham. There’s also Harry Styles for, well, almost everything – he currently seems to have a spiky quiff, sideburns and a mullet.

In textured hair, along with the taper fade, Baiden highlights stitch braids (to the scalp) and two-strand twists (jaw-length twirls of hair) as very popular. “We tend to see two distinct types of clients,” he says. “Those who come in regularly and want their hair to look consistently sharp often go for stitch braids. They’re high-impact, visually striking and really command attention.”

Of all the viral haircuts that have been on the rise, there’s one that has actually been adopted by the masses – the mullet. “I feel like I’ve been talking about the mullet for a decade at this point, but it’s really gone beyond screens and into the real world now,” Gibson says.

Stevie-Leah Loscombe, a stylist at Blue Tit in Brixton, agrees. “Modern mullets are really popular right now, but in softer, more wearable versions,” she says.

While the mullet’s first heyday was the 1980s, when the style was worn by football managers and pop stars, it’s far from a fad now. In fact, the current churn of cuts is not new.

“While the lifecycle of trends has invariably sped up with the advent of social media, men’s hairstyle trends have been as fleeting as women’s at many points in history, with the same silly names and short lifespans you’d expect,” Gibson says. She points to the 18th-century Macaronis, who wore wigs that formed what were basically beehives on their heads.

And it’s not just the mullets. Blue Tit reports that 1980s rock hair is coming back, too. Loscombe thinks the rest of 2026 only comes with more tonsorial experimentation for men. “More intricate braiding on men is set to grow, especially after Ryan Coogler’s standout look at the Oscars,” she says. “We’ll likely see more detailed, expressive braid styles becoming mainstream, with a bigger focus on individuality and creative styling.”

Gibson wants the mullet to go the distance. “Its absolute weirdness is what makes me love it and I really hope it stays at least a little bit on the edges of society for a while longer, so it will always feel as cool as it has historically.”

For a more subtle shift, Baiden says the taper fade with texture on top – à la Damson Idris – is becoming more popular. “There’s a clear shift towards embracing natural texture,” he says.

As the recipient of a viral haircut, Carvell has some sage advice: show your barber a video of the style you’re after. But even before that, do your due diligence on the person who is holding the scissors. “You might need to change your stylist depending on the style you want as what you want might not be in their skill set,” he says.

Ultimately, however, Carvell suggests not overthinking it. “My attitude when it comes to my hair is that it always grows out and it might not always be there, so I should give everything a go while I can.”