The rat tail hairstyle first appeared in the 1980s, often associated with manga and martial arts characters such as those portrayed by Chinese actor Jet Li. After an initial craze it rapidly fell out of popularity, though has recently begun to make a comeback.

Why did rat tails start?

It's highly likely that rat tails grew in popularity in the 1980's because of the prevalence of male pony tails, and they may have developed from there. ... It's also likely that those who were not able to grow a pony tail because of their jobs, opted for a rat tail because they were easier to hide.

What is the purpose of a rat's tail?

The main functions of a rat's tail are temperature regulation, balance and thwarting predators. The rat's tail is a perfect heat loss organ, and temperature control is especially important for rats because they lack the ability to sweat.