Men’s Grooming Statistics by Hair Type, Skin Tone and Culture

This page collects the measured numbers behind men's grooming across ethnicities and cultures: shaving and razor bumps, hair loss, hair structure, skin, sun protection and beard conditions. It is meant to be quoted, so every figure sits in a plain sentence that names the group studied and links to the study it came from.

The figures were pulled from peer-reviewed papers, regional journals and government sources, then checked against the saved text of each source. A statistic describes the people who were studied and not everyone who shares their background, so read each group label as a description of that sample. Where studies disagree, or where a finding comes from a regional or early report, the page says so.

By the numbers

• Pseudofolliculitis barbae (razor bumps) is seen almost exclusively in Black men aged 14 to 25, with a prevalence between 45% and 83%.^[1]
• In a US Air Force survey, 64.18% of airmen holding shaving waivers were Black, although Black members were only 12.85% of the cohort.^[2]
• Melanin gives black skin a natural SPF of 13.4 compared with 3.4 for white skin.^[1]
• Among Caucasians, androgenetic alopecia affects about 80% of men and nearly 50% of women by age 70.^[3]
• In Chinese men over 12 months, improvement was seen in 80.5% on finasteride, 59% on 5% minoxidil and 94.1% on both.^[4]
• 43.1% of sun-sensitive US Hispanic adults reported a sunburn in the past year.^[5]
• A nationally sampled Saudi adult survey found 72% reported a history of acne, usually starting between ages 16 and 20.^[6]
• In melanomas, carrying an MC1R red-hair R allele was associated with an estimated 42% higher count of sun-linked C>T mutations.^[7]
• 37% of young men had premature greying versus 17.7% of young women in Uttarakhand.^[8]
• The Census Bureau counted 46.9 million people as Black or African American alone or in combination with another group in the 2020 Census.^[9]

Razor bumps and shaving

Razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae) cluster in men with tightly curled beard hair, and most of the hard numbers come from men of African descent. Several of the figures below come from one cross-sectional cohort in Dakar, so they show associations rather than proof of cause.

• Carriers of a keratin gene variant (A12T) have a six-fold greater chance of developing razor bumps, and about 76% of regular shavers who carry it develop pseudofolliculitis barbae.^[1]
• Among 655 police students of African descent with curly hair in Dakar who had to shave weekly, 254 had razor bumps (pseudofolliculitis barbae), a prevalence of 38.8%.^[10]
• Among Dakar police students with razor bumps, 90.1% had complications: post-inflammatory dark marks in 87% and keloid scars in 3.1%.^[10]
• Shaving against the grain carried an odds ratio of 6.3 for razor bumps, one of the strongest modifiable risk factors found in the Dakar cohort.^[10]
• Using clippers was protective against razor bumps (odds ratio 0.5) in the Dakar cohort.^[10]
• Razors with movable (pivoting) heads were protective against razor bumps (odds ratio 0.2), whereas fixed-head razors were a risk factor, in the Dakar cohort.^[10]

Hair loss across ethnicities

Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) varies by population, by age and by how studies define it. Compare rates only when the definition and age range match.

• In Korea, around 50% of men and 25% of women are affected by androgenetic alopecia by age 70, lower than in Caucasians.^[3]
• In Korean men, 14.1% had androgenetic alopecia of Norwood III or worse, lower than reported in Caucasians.^[11]
• In a community survey of men in Bishan, Singapore, 63% had androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness).^[12]
• In the same Singapore survey, 87% of Indian men had androgenetic alopecia against 61% of Chinese men.^[12]
• In Chinese men, androgenetic alopecia prevalence was 21.3% overall, rising from 2.8% at 18-29 years to 41.4% at 70 and over.^[13]
• Review: baldness develops about 10 years later in Japanese men than in Europeans, with 1.4-times lower prevalence in each decade.^[14]
• Progressive androgenetic alopecia approaches 50% of Caucasian men and women beyond the age of 40, whereas prevalence is lower and severity less in African-American men.^[15]
• Alopecia areata prevalence in US patients was 1.26 times higher in Hispanic/Latino patients than in White patients (2.47 for Asian, 1.35 for Black).^[16]

Hair structure and growth

Strand thickness, growth speed, curl and colour differ between hair types, and genetics explains much of that variation.

• Review table: growth rate was 411 micrometres a day in Asian hair, 280 in African and 367 in Caucasian hair.^[14]
• The share of scalp hairs in the resting (telogen) phase averaged 18% in African volunteers versus 14% in Caucasians.^[17]
• In three large twin samples of mainly European ancestry, hair curliness had a broad-sense heritability of 85 to 95%, meaning genetics explain most of the variation.^[18]
• In a lab study of relaxed, very curly African hair, break stress at 80% relative humidity was 35.3% lower than at 20%, so relaxed hair is more fragile in humid conditions.^[19]
• In Australian twin families, 67.1% of red-haired people had two strong MC1R red-hair alleles (R/R) and 10.8% fell in the R/r group (one strong, one weak allele).^[20]

Skin: pigmentation, acne and barrier

Deeper skin tones carry more risk of lasting dark marks and raised scars after irritation, while acne and barrier problems affect every group.

• Post-inflammatory pigment changes, for example after severe acne, affect more than 80% of people with skin types IV-VI.^[21]
• The reported prevalence of keloids in people with dark skin is 16%, which is 5 to 15 times that in skin types I-II.^[21]
• Estimated heritability of keloids was 6% in European, 21% in East Asian and 34% in African ancestry analyses, so genetics explains the most keloid risk in people of African ancestry.^[22]
• In post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation studies in skin of color, partial improvement was seen in 85% of people using topical retinoids and 66% with laser.^[23]
• Meta-analysis of Chinese studies: acne prevalence was 39.7% in males and 35.7% in females.^[24]
• Filaggrin loss-of-function mutations, a major atopic dermatitis risk factor, are most common in white skin (about 32%), followed by East Asian and African skin (about 15%).^[21]
• Review: Asian skin has TEWL and ceramide levels similar to Caucasian skin but the weakest barrier under mechanical challenge.^[25]

Sun protection and skin cancer

Melanin offers real but partial protection. Sunscreen habits and the kinds of skin cancer seen differ by group.

• Dark skin transmits 7.4% of UVB compared with 29.4% in lightly pigmented skin, yet black skin still needs photoprotection.^[1]
• In a survey of African American/Black patients, 20.5% used sunscreen versus 43.5% of white people.^[26]
• Among sun-sensitive US Hispanic adults, 47.1% never or rarely used sunscreen, 16.8% rarely sought shade and 60.3% rarely wore sun-protective clothing.^[5]
• Acral lentiginous melanoma made up 0.8% of melanomas in non-Hispanic white persons and 19.1% in Hispanic Black, American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander persons.^[27]
• 41.8% of Black patients with melanoma presented with stage III or IV disease.^[28]

Beard growth and beard conditions

Beards bring their own conditions, from patchy hair loss to infection risks tied to grooming tools.

• Of all alopecia areata cases, the beard accounts for roughly 28%, making it the second most common site after the scalp.^[29]
• In a multicentre review of men whose alopecia areata first appeared only in the beard, 45.5% went on to develop scalp alopecia during follow-up, and over 80% of those cases appeared within about the first year.^[30]
• A French photo-trichogram study found over 85% of cheek and upper-lip hairs were in the growing (anagen) phase in Caucasian and North African men, a significantly higher share than in African and Chinese men.^[31]
• A letter by Italian dermatologists reports 84 cases of fungal (dermatophyte) skin infections in adolescents and young adults, all linked to recent barbershop haircuts or beard grooming with electric clippers and foil shavers.^[32]
• Among the 84 Italian cases, 71% were first treated with antibiotics or steroids because the fungus was misdiagnosed as bacterial folliculitis or razor bumps, and about 35% developed tinea incognito.^[32]
• A Cairo study found hepatitis B DNA on 6.6% of used razor blades sampled, supporting barbershop razors as a possible infection route.^[33]

Treatments with the strongest evidence

Topical and oral minoxidil, finasteride and a handful of topical actives have the most trial data behind them. Many trials enroll few men from the groups covered on this page, so check the population before assuming a result carries over.

• In a retrospective review of Korean men on oral finasteride for at least five years, 85.7% showed improvement.^[34]
• In a 24-week phase III trial, topical finasteride spray added 20.2 hairs in the target area versus 6.7 with placebo, similar to oral finasteride.^[35]
• In a large cohort on low-dose oral minoxidil, the most common side effect was excess hair growth (hypertrichosis) at 15.1%, rarely causing withdrawal.^[36]
• Adding microneedling to topical minoxidil raised total hair count versus minoxidil alone in all eight pooled studies (standardised mean difference 1.76).^[37]
• In a double-blind melasma trial, good-to-excellent improvement occurred in 44% on niacinamide versus 55% on hydroquinone, with side effects in 18% versus 29%.^[38]
• In a randomized trial of 207 patients, tretinoin 0.025% gel reduced acne lesion counts by 63% at 12 weeks compared with baseline.^[39]

The grooming market: who is in it

Spending estimates come from commercial research firms and appear in the preliminary section below. Government population counts give the base that those estimates are drawn from.

• The Census Bureau counted 24 million people as Asian alone or in combination with another group in the 2020 Census (all Asian subgroups, not only East Asian).^[9]
• The Census Bureau reports 22.1 million people gave African American alone as their detailed group and 24.6 million gave it alone or in any combination, the largest detailed Black group.^[40]
• Among Asian respondents, the Census Bureau lists Chinese (except Taiwanese) as the largest detailed group alone or in any combination at 5.2 million.^[40]
• The Census Bureau reports the Multiracial population was the youngest race group in 2020, with 32.5% under age 18.^[41]
• In the 2020 Census the largest multiracial combinations included White and Black or African American (3.1 million) and White and Asian (2.7 million).^[42]

Where the studies disagree

Do fewer blades mean fewer razor bumps?

Common advice favors fewer blades for men prone to razor bumps. One cohort of men of African descent found the opposite for single-blade razors, while a split-face comparison of other razor types found less redness with a safety razor than with a three-blade cartridge. The studies measured different outcomes in different groups.

• Using a single-blade razor was linked to higher odds of razor bumps (odds ratio 2.5) in the Dakar cohort.^[10]
• In a split-face test, 40.3% of skin shaved with a safety razor showed redness immediately versus 57.6% shaved with a three-blade cartridge razor.^[43]

Does a beard carry more bacteria?

A hospital study of bearded and clean-shaven men reaches a conclusion in its abstract that its own results section does not clearly support. Read the numbers, not only the headline.

• Meropenem resistance was found in 27.1% of facial isolates, and 77.8% of those came from bearded participants, a difference that was not statistically significant.^[44]
• The results section of the same study reported a higher proportion of heavy bacterial growth in nonbearded men (78.9% vs 50.8% on the lips sample), which conflicts with the abstract's conclusion, so beard status alone does not settle bacterial load.^[44]

Rosemary oil versus minoxidil

Rosemary oil gets compared with minoxidil in headlines, but the evidence is thin: a trial against coconut oil in healthy adults and a small mouse pilot, not a head-to-head human trial in men with pattern hair loss.

• In a randomised trial of healthy adults in India against coconut oil, hair growth rate rose from 0.22 to 0.34 mm/day (57.73%) with rosemary-lavender oil and from 0.23 to 0.33 mm/day (47.59%) with rosemary-castor oil. Healthy volunteers, not hair-loss patients; branded product.^[45]
• In a tiny mouse pilot, hair length was 12.88 mm with a rosemary plus castor oil blend, 12.68 mm with rosemary alone, 10.10 mm with castor oil alone and 13.06 mm with 2% minoxidil; castor alone did worst.^[46]

How dense is hair on African scalps?

Two sources report different average scalp hair density for people of African descent. The gap likely reflects different samples and measurement methods.

• Review table: scalp hair density was 175 hairs/cm2 in Asians, 161 in Africans and 226 in Caucasians.^[14]
• Scalp hair density averaged about 190 hairs per cm2 in African volunteers versus about 227 in Caucasians.^[17]

Regional and preliminary findings

These figures come from regional journals, convenience samples, commercial market reports or early studies. They describe the people sampled and are worth knowing, but should be read as preliminary until larger studies confirm them.

• Among Nigerian patients with acne keloidalis nuchae, 80.6% had a history of clean-shaven hair and 64.5% reported shaving of the hairline at the back of the head during haircuts; 48.4% blamed collar friction.^[47]
• In Ibadan, Nigeria, almost nine in ten men were shaved at a barber shop and about a third owned a personal clipper.^[48]
• In an online survey of Saudi adults with androgenetic alopecia (nearly three quarters women), 78.0% said they felt embarrassed by their hair loss.^[49]
• A population-based Indian study of 1005 participants found a 58% incidence of androgenetic alopecia in men aged 30 to 50.^[50]
• Low serum B12 was seen in 64.17% of Indian patients with premature greying versus 15% of controls.^[51]
• In Brazilian telephone surveys from 2007 to 2010, nearly half of adults used no form of sun protection (45.9% to 52.5%).^[52]
• In hair-loss patients referred to a Tehran laboratory, 66.15% had Demodex mites; mite density tracked hair-loss severity (an association in referred patients, not proof of cause).^[53]
• A review of West African studies found skin-bleaching product use ranging from 25% to 58.9% in women from sub-Saharan Africa.^[54]
• Persistence Market Research estimates the global men's grooming products market at US$63.4 Billion in 2025, reaching US$119.7 Billion in 2032 (CAGR 9.5 percent). Other firms' estimates differ widely.^[55]
• Straits Research estimates the global men's grooming products market at USD 74 billion in 2025, growing to USD 125.02 billion by 2034 (CAGR 6%). Other firms' estimates differ widely.^[56]
• NielsenIQ reports annual beauty plus skin sales to Black consumers of $7.42B in the US.^[57]

How we built this page

We searched PubMed, OpenAlex (including non-US journals and preprints) and public market and census sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, NielsenIQ and Mintel. Ingredients are named by their scientific names, so a plant oil is listed by its botanical name and compounds by their chemical names. Every figure on this page is tied to a quote that was checked against the saved text of its source before it was added.

Findings from regional journals, small samples, preprints and commercial reports are labelled as preliminary and kept in their own section. Where studies conflict we show both sides and do not pick a winner. The page is updated as new research is added, and each sentence links to its study in the references below.

Last reviewed October 31, 2026. Each figure links to its source study in the references below.

References

1. Dermatology in black skin. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia, 2024
2. Shaving Waivers in the United States Air Force and Their Impact on Promotions of Black/African-American Members. Military medicine, 2023
3. Updates in Treatment for Androgenetic Alopecia. Annals of dermatology, 2025
4. Combined treatment with oral finasteride and topical minoxidil in male androgenetic alopecia: a randomized and comparative study in Chinese patients. Dermatologic therapy, 2015
5. Sun protection and exposure behaviors among Hispanic adults in the United States: differences according to acculturation and among Hispanic subgroups. BMC public health, 2012
6. Impact of Lifestyle and Dietary Habits on the Prevalence of Acne Vulgaris: A Cross-Sectional Study From Saudi Arabia. Cureus, 2024
7. Germline MC1R status influences somatic mutation burden in melanoma. Nature Communications, 2016
8. A community based study to estimate prevalence and determine correlates of premature graying of hair among young adults in Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India. International Journal of Trichology, 2020
9. 2020 Census Statistics Highlight Local Population Changes and Nation's Racial and Ethnic Diversity. U.S. Census Bureau, 2021
10. [Pseudofolliculitis barbae in police students in Dakar: epidemiological and clinical aspects, and associated risk factors]. Medecine tropicale et sante internationale, 2024
11. The prevalence and types of androgenetic alopecia in Korean men and women. The British journal of dermatology, 2001
12. A community study of male androgenetic alopecia in Bishan, Singapore. Singapore medical journal, 2000
13. Prevalence of androgenetic alopecia in China: a community-based study in six cities. The British journal of dermatology, 2010
14. Asian Hair: A Review of Structures, Properties, and Distinctive Disorders. Clinical Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020
15. Current understanding of androgenetic alopecia. Part II: clinical aspects and treatment. European journal of dermatology : EJD, 2000
16. Overall and Racial and Ethnic Subgroup Prevalences of Alopecia Areata, Alopecia Totalis, and Alopecia Universalis. JAMA dermatology, 2023
17. African hair growth parameters. The British journal of dermatology, 2001
18. Estimating the Heritability of Hair Curliness in Twins of European Ancestry. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 2009
19. Penetration of different molecular weight hydrolysed keratins into hair fibres and their effects on the physical properties of textured hair. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2020
20. Interactive effects of MC1R and OCA2 on melanoma risk phenotypes. Human Molecular Genetics, 2003
21. Features of Skin of Color. Deutsches Arzteblatt international, 2026
22. Multi-ancestry meta-analysis of keloids uncovers novel susceptibility loci in diverse populations. Nature communications, 2025
23. Treatment of Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation in Skin of Colour: A Systematic Review. Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery, 2024
24. The prevalence of acne in Mainland China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 2017
25. Ethnic skin types: are there differences in skin structure and function?. International journal of cosmetic science, 2006
26. Understanding the perception of sunscreen utility in African Americans. Archives of dermatological research, 2024
27. Acral lentiginous melanoma incidence by sex, race, ethnicity, and stage in the United States, 2010-2019. Preventive medicine, 2023
28. Primary cutaneous melanoma in Black patients: An analysis of 2464 cases from the National Cancer Database 2004-2018. Pigment cell & melanoma research, 2023
29. Beard Alopecia: An Updated and Comprehensive Review of Etiologies, Presentation and Treatment. Journal of clinical medicine, 2023
30. Beard alopecia areata: a multicentre review of 55 patients. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV, 2017
31. Exploring some characteristics (density, anagen ratio, growth rate) of human body hairs. Variations with skin sites, gender and ethnics. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2018
32. Barber-related tinea infections: a hidden public health risk in the era of electric grooming. Dermatology Reports, 2026
33. Infections acquired in barbershops – A review. European journal of microbiology & immunology, 2024
34. Evaluation of long-term efficacy of finasteride in Korean men with androgenetic alopecia using the basic and specific classification system. The Journal of dermatology, 2019
35. Efficacy and safety of topical finasteride spray solution for male androgenetic alopecia: a phase III, randomized, controlled clinical trial. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV, 2022
36. Safety of low-dose oral minoxidil for hair loss: A multicenter study of 1404 patients. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2021
37. Efficacy and safety of combinational therapy using topical minoxidil and microneedling for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Archives of dermatological research, 2023
38. Mechanistic Basis and Clinical Evidence for the Applications of Nicotinamide (Niacinamide) to Control Skin Aging and Pigmentation. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2021
39. Management of Acne Vulgaris: A Review. JAMA, 2021
40. 2020 Census DHC-A race overview. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
41. 2020 Census Demographic Profile and DHC. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
42. Multiracial Heritage Week. U.S. Census Bureau, 2023
43. Multispectral near-infrared spectroscopy study evaluating the effect of razor design on shaving-induced erythema. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI), 2024
44. Facial microbial flora in bearded versus nonbearded men in the operating room setting: A single-center cross-sectional STROBE-compliant observational study. Medicine, 2022
45. Rosmagain™ as a Natural Therapeutic for Hair Regrowth and Scalp Health: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Three-Armed, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Cureus, 2025
46. An Exploratory Preclinical In Vivo Pilot Study Evaluating the Hair Growth-Promoting Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis and Ricinus communis Combination. BioMed research international, 2026
47. Prevalence and possible aetiological factors of acne keloidalis nuchae in South–South Nigeria. Port Harcourt Medical Journal, 2020
48. Shaving Habits in Nigerian Men. NIGERIAN JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, 2019
49. The psychosocial burden of androgenetic alopecia in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study. Journal of family medicine and primary care, 2023
50. Topical Finasteride: A Comprehensive Review of Androgenetic Alopecia Management for Men and Women. Cureus, 2023
51. Association of epidemiological and biochemical factors with premature graying of hair: A case–control study. International Journal of Trichology, 2018
52. Educational inequalities in sun protection practices among Brazilian adults. Scientific Reports, 2025
53. The Association between Demodex Infestation and Hair Loss Severity in a Referred Patient Population. Journal of arthropod-borne diseases, 2025
54. Use of Skin Bleaching Products in West Africa. Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, 2022
55. Men's Grooming Products Market Size to Reach US$119.7 Billion by 2032. Persistence Market Research via EIN Presswire, 2025
56. Men's Grooming Products Market Size, Share, Growth, Analysis, 2034. Straits Research, 2025
57. Attracting Black beauty consumers in 2022. NielsenIQ, 2022