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The closely shaved, low maintenance hairstyle known as the buzz cut is growing in popularity as more and more men wake up to its practicality and convenience. Easier to keep clean, no styling required and it can even be kept short at home with clippers to save money on trips to the barber. Plus, it looks pretty bad ass, as various famous buzz cuts show.
Buzz cuts can hide a great number of hair-related ‘sins’ too, such as receding hairlines, thinning hair and male pattern baldness. It can also help correct bad decisions at the hair stylist by shaving it all off to start again. After all, your hair will always grow back to be restyled in a way you choose – unless you come to prefer your buzz cut look.
When it comes to seeing inspiration for your new look from celebrity buzz cuts and actors with shaved heads or celebrities with hair transplants there are plenty of choice out there. From Idris Elba’s classic military look to Brad Pitt’s dabbling with a slightly longer burr length, perhaps it’s time to get online and see which celebrities with shaved heads you like the look of to help you achieve a similar style at home.
For many, movie star Idris Elba is the final word in understated elegance, combined with an action-packed vibe. He embraces the less-is-more style of hair grooming, with his simple, buzz cut hairstyle and carefully clipped goatee really showing off his salt-and-pepper colouring. Idris rings the changes with subtle changes to his hair and beard length to keep us guessing, proving that even very short hair gives the wearer plenty of options to enjoy a changer of style very once in a while.
Every action hero needs a short, sharp hairstyle to match his tough guy persona and bad ass skills. British actor, Jason Statham has embraced his receding hairline and balding, which started in his 20s, and shaved his hair close to the scalp, taking back control and looking cool as a cucumber. His five-o’clock stubble around the jawline adds to the vibe and helps the shaved head style look even stronger and ready for some action. A buzz cut like Jason’s can last a week or so without needing a trim to keep it closely cropped, so keep your clippers handy.
Canadian musician and rapper, Drake is known for his iconic buzz cut with low fades up the sides and a line up at the hairline. It gives him a sleek, well-groomed look that keeps him relevant and at the cutting edge of fashion, while allowing him a convenient, easy to maintain style to suit his busy schedule. To achieve your own version of the Drake shaved head, make sure that the lines are clean and the cut regularly trimmed. Add a simple beard to create the full effect.
Brad Pitt is one of the most versatile in this list of shaved head celebrities, as he has sported a number of different lengths and styles over his long acting career. His classic good looks and strong features make his face highly versatile when it comes to choosing how he wears his hair. During his Fight Club buzz cut phase, Brad cropped his hair down to a grade one or two all over for a simple, masculine style that screams no-nonsense testosterone.
Ryan Reynolds is another of those iconic shaved hair celebrities who can wear their locks at almost any length and look good doing so. His buzz cut is softened with slightly longer length on top, making his version of the practical style a little more elegant and suitable for the board room as much as it is for the beach. Team it with skin fades down the sides and a smart, cropped beard for ultimate masculinity and self-confidence. A great look for summer in particular.
Another Canadian who knows how to rock the buzz cut is singer, Justin Timberlake. He manages to get away with a military style cut that doesn’t make him look like he should be out on manoeuvres the whole time. He sticks to a severe military style, tempered with short fades down the sides of his face trick to add interest, with a slightly longer length on top to add some contrast. Mini clipper around the hairline removes any stray hairs or wisps to keep the soldier-sharp vibe going all over his head.
Famous singer and ‘Jonas Brother’ Nick has regularly sported a shorter, more cropped look that shows off his features and gives a practical, yet strong style for the busy musician. A particularly striking look saw him sport a close cropped grade one shaved head with some landscaping along the hairline to add interest and give a nod to the street style vibe.
Try and think of as celebrity who is cooler than The Rock and you will spend a long time deep in thought. Dwane Johnson is another great example of a balding man who has embraced his hair loss and turned it into an action man movie hero vibe with a buzz cut style that sometimes allows a little bit more length and sometimes presents as a full, grade one shave. The final word in macho versatility that comes straight from a film set.
Another household name in the action movie genre, Hollywood actor Bruce Willis could also be considered the ‘Daddy’ of the buzz cut. So much so that he recently gave his daughter, Tallulah, the same cut during the recent COVID-19 lockdown. In fact buzz cuts seem to run in the family, as his ex-wife Demi Moore also shaved off her tresses to appear in GI Jane in 1997 with an authentic, military style close-cropped cut.
Finally, if you have been inspired by the buzz cut celebrities above, here’s what you need to know to sort a similar style out for yourself at home. You will need a set of good quality clippers with adjustable blades or combs, or both to achieve different hair lengths. Start slowly, taking shorter lengths off at first and then working your way down gradually until you reach a length you are happy with. Work against the grain of the hair, moving in straight, single motions for better accuracy.
Start with an all-over length style before attempting anything with two or more lengths, such as a crew cut, by yourself. If in doubt, look for instruction videos online to help, or ask your barber for advice. Shampoo, rinse and dry your new buzz cut to get rid of any loose hairs and to make sure the finished effect is what you were looking for.
After you have done the whole head, go back over for any spots you may have missed with the clippers or a pair of sharp, hairdressing scissors. Watch the areas behind the ears and the nape of the neck, as these spots are easily overlooked. Ask someone to check the back of your head, or use a mirror to make sure you are happy and that the hair has been removed evenly.
