I was fifteen when I first stumbled upon the trendy man bun. My close guy friend made the heinous decision to grow out his hair and attempt this fashion faux pas. When he debuted his hair, the reactions were divided to say the least. I personally could not understand why anyone could be drawn to a hairstyle that so closely resembled the bristles of a tiny paintbrush. Unfortunately, the man bun has only grown over the past few years, and it is time for this trend to end.

Many celebrities have had their fair share of attempts at this particular hairstyle. A well- known example of this is Jared Leto. He has had long, Jesus-like locks that he occasionally put in a bun, but he has decided to chop off his lob due to recent scientific discoveries. Man buns create copious amounts of tension on a man’s scalp which can lead to traction alopecia. When all the hair is gathered into one place and pulled upwards to create the coveted “bun” look, the follicles experience tightening as they are uprooted by the pressure of the elastic band. This can cause the ripping of the hair follicles which can lead to several side effects. Traction alopecia has the tendency to cause receding hairlines, permanent hair loss, and balding.

One must also take drastic, unhygienic measures in order to begin the journey to the man bun. Hair growth is stimulated by the natural oils in the scalp. Beauty experts such as Patrick Melville recommend shampooing the scalp only twice a week. Daily washing can be detrimental to those who are attempting to grow out their hair. Shampooing and conditioning strips the scalp of sebum, which moisturizes and waterproofs the follicles of the hair. Those who have successfully achieved the man bun have had to go through multiple days of not washing their hair and preserving their natural oils. The act of not washing one’s hair results to a greasy, unkempt appearance.

Man buns have very specific requirements; one is that the male must have voluminous hair that can create a thick and structured bun. However, most lack this defining quality, and their weak attempts at achieving a Johnny Depp-esque look bring about undesirable results. Their tiny nubs of a man bun are disproportionate to the size of their heads which cause the face and skull to appear much larger than they are. Man buns also create an unruly appearance which is not well received by employers or those in the professional work field. This might work in the acting or modeling agency, but most people have their sights set on a nine to five job in which these buns are not welcomed. Therefore, the many risks that come with achieving this look are not important enough to potentially endanger future job opportunities or one’s physical appearance.

Man buns are well on their way to becoming this generation’s version of a “mullet.” This fashion statement is an ephemeral concept at best. It has no potential to get “better with time” and should be placed in the past along with 80’s hair, butterfly clips, and jelly sandals.