7 Buzz Cut Styles to Know Before You Shave Your Head

A buzz cut is much more than a tennis-ball once-over with the clippers. The "buzz cut" is an entire class of hairstyles—with all kinds of modifications. Each type of buzz cut looks different on each kind of hair, and on each shape of head, so it’s rare that any two guys will look alike with the same buzz. The question is, what type of buzz cut should you get? Before you head to the barber for dome mowing, consider some of the most classic types of buzz cut styles—some are straightforward, others more creative. One thing to note is that there is also a lot of gray area between styles. Sometimes it’s up for debate which kind of style it is, so we’d recommend bringing a precise photo of what you want to your barber, and asking his or her professional opinion on whether you can pull it off with your specific hair density and growth patterns. Below is a good array of options to get your wheels turning.

By Adam Hurly

July 30, 2019

frank ocean at the met gala with a buzz cut

Josiah Kamau/Getty Images
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Induction Buzz Cut
As seen on Zayn Malik
This is the shortest, most uniform kind of buzz cut, made famous by the military. They shave their recruits’ heads all the way down upon induction into their service, hence the name. You can do the same by taking the guard off your clipper, or shaving on a 0.5 or even a 1. (Though that’s teetering into the next style of note.)
The Induction cut is a nice way to reset your “canvas” after your dyed hair grows out, or if you are eager to shear away an unmanageable longer style. Pair it with a fresh, skin-close shave, or contrast it with a weeks-old beard. (Note that Malik’s whiskers are slightly shorter than the hairs up top, giving just enough subtle contrast so that he doesn’t look like a tennis ball.)
Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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Burr Buzz Cut
As seen on Angus Cloud
The Burr cut takes things slightly further than the induction. You can still administer it yourself, and should leave the guard on a 1 or 2 setting. You’ll get a uniform mowing, and it’ll be short enough that it feels prickly like sandpaper. So, yes, your friends will still be rubbing your head for good luck.
This is a good one if you don’t have aggressively thinning hair, whereas the induction cut does a better job of clearing the canvas and pulling attention away from patchy hair (by pulling attention to your uniform lack of hair). With the Burr, thinning and recession will be accentuated, so proceed with caution. You can see on Cloud that his one slight patch, probably a scar, is visible up top. (It looks cool, but serves as a good example of how this style puts everything on display—including his awesome lined-up hairline.) What’s great, though, is you can always keep trimming shorter, if you realize you’d rather end with an Induction. So maybe it’s best to start with the Burr, and graduate down accordingly.

Theo Wargo/Getty Images
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Butch Buzz Cut
As seen on Ryan Jamaal Swain
Now we’re in the 3-4 guard territory, which will give you about ¼ inch of hair above the melon. Guys with textured hair like Swain will note the fullness this style grants, since the hair is just long enough to move a little. You might even note that it’s worth dusting over with some styling fiber or putty, just as a flourish—the same way a light once-over can keep your short beard hairs in check.
Swain’s freshly shaved face and 5 o’clock mustache really complete this look, too, since they contrast nicely with his full coverage up top.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
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Fade Buzz Cut
As seen on Frank Ocean
The next styles are less strict on length, and more on style and execution. That is to say, you can have a faded butch cut, or a super short crew cut that teeters into butch or Burr territory.
With the faded buzz, the key components are that the sides start short—sometimes a zero guard, or shaved bald with a razor. Then it fades upward, gradually or abruptly, towards the crown, which usually sports a uniform length. This is one you need to touch up every 2 weeks, though, since that bare skin down below grows out fast. But when it’s fresh, it looks oh so goooood: Good enough for Ocean to rock at the Met Ball, even.

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
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Crew Cut
As seen on Conor McGregor
Here’s where the lines blur even more: Many fade cuts are also crew cuts. A crew cut has blending on the sides, but there is typically a little extra fringe up top. This allows you to style or add some product and texture. Maybe your barber will scissor cut it (which was definitely the case with McGregor’s loinger crew cut style here), or perhaps the barber will buzz it on a higher guard, if you prefer something shorter but still styleable. This cut, and the following one, are two of the most universal + always flattering styles you can get. And go figure, they have a lot in common.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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High and Tight Buzz Cut
As seen on Maluma
The high and tight is also a fade style, and is often considered a type of crew cut. What distinguishes it, though, is all in the name: The sides are kept short all the way up the sides of the head, and the blending is clean around the dome. As such, the fading is high, and it’s tight. See?
Maluma’s got the quintessential look here, though he could also grow out the fringe a little if he wanted to modify it into a more proper crew cut.

David M. Benett/Getty Images
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Ivy League “Buzz” Cut
As seen on Taron Egerton
There are air quotes around “buzz” here, because the Ivy League cut is mostly done with scissors. However, the lower sides are short enough that your barber will need to buzz them, but the fading is rarely skin tight. It’s all kept low on the sides, with a high guard, because the scissor blending starts just around the temples. It’s also an ever-reliable cut, especially for guys whose hair grows a bit boxier around the upper sides—sometimes it’s hard for a high and tight to flatter that kind of growth, but the Ivy League does the trick.

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Induction Buzz Cut

Burr Buzz Cut

Butch Buzz Cut

Fade Buzz Cut

Crew Cut

High and Tight Buzz Cut

Ivy League “Buzz” Cut

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