by One of the most practical and easy to maintain hairstyles for men, the buzz cut has been around for well over 100 years. With a wide range of different lengths and iterations still proving popular among soldiers and stylish guys alike, let’s take a look at some of the most prominent options.
Top 4 Types of Buzz Cut Hairstyles
Induction Cut
Easily the most drastic of the lot, the induction cut is on the extreme end of short buzz cut styles. Often known as the military buzz cut/fade or simply a ‘zero’, the induction cut was historically given to new recruits in the armed forces as a means of curtailing lice outbreaks and creating unity among the troops.
The shortest of men’s buzzed hairstyles you can get without taking a razor to the scalp, the induction cut leaves you with little more than a sprinkling of scalp stubble. It goes without saying, there’s little in terms of variety from one take on the cut to the next – but we’ve included some dapper gents rocking the style below regardless.
Crew Cut
One of the longers takes on a buzz haircut, the crew cut is defined by its shorter sides leading up to a marginally longer top. Taking its name from the crew teams at US ivy league colleges such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton; the style was often sported by competitive rowers to avoid hair becoming an obstacle during races.
As with most buzz cuts, there are not many differences from one man’s crew cut to the next due to the general uniformity of the style. While your barber may make certain tweaks during cutting according to your head shape, hair type, and hairline; when it comes to styling, there’s not a whole lot that can be done to distinguish one crew cut from the next.
That being said, hair products can be used to either spike or slick the top to the side depending on your preference. Take a look at some smart gents sporting crew cut hairstyles below for a little more inspiration.
Flat Top
Similar in silhouette to the crew cut, a flat top or buzz cut fohawk features short sides leading up to a longer top. Once again, coming from military origins, the flat top reached peak popularity in the US by the 1950s as post-war military idolization was sweeping the nation.
Typically styled with a wax or pomade to create a spiked or ‘flat’ top, the cut usually takes a slightly sharper, boxier form than the aforementioned crew cut. In terms of the spectrum of buzz cut lengths, flat tops typically can be classified as a long buzz cut style in stark contrast to most of the other styles under the buzzed umbrella.
Burr Cut
Last, but not least, comes the burr cut. Whether it deserves it’s own title to differentiate from the induction cut is questionable, as it’s technically the same thing. Regardless, it’s differentiated by a marginally longer number 1 or 2 clipper length used as opposed to no grading guard at all with the induction cut.
Much like the induction cut, this buzz cut for guys features the same length clippers used all across the head due to its military background. Incredibly low maintenance, you’ll need little more than the occasional run through with a hair clippers to keep the style maintained – about as effortless as it gets.
4 Popular Men’s Buzz Cut Styles
- Induction Cut: The shortest buzzcut achievable without using a razor.
- Crew Cut: Marginally longer top with shorter buzzed back and sides.
- Flat Top: Defined by buzzed sides leading up to a longer, upwards styled top.
- Burr Cut: Buzzcut achieved from grade 1 or two clipper guards.
On That Note
That’s your lot. With the selection of stylish buzz cuts above, you should be more than inspired to take the leap and shave it all off. Whether you opt to keep things tidy with a clean-shaven face or mix in your buzz cut with a beard, it’s a style that’ll leave you with next to nothing in terms of upkeep. Anything for an easy life… eh?
Feature image from Pinterest
