Buzzcut Boom: Clipper Guards, Matte Paste and the Winter's Busiest Cut

The buzzcut is winter's biggest men's trend, with Erling Haaland, Ed Sheeran, Colin Farrell and Heated Rivalry actor Connor Storlie all going short — and industry pros say the demand is landing squarely in salon chairs this season.

The short back and sides is the trendiest style of the winter, driven by a pristine, polished finish with edgy undertones. But stylists warn the cut is not simply a matter of shaving the client's head. Head shape, colour, growth pattern and the client's commitment to the style all shape the consultation.

Which guard should you use?

Craig Mason, RUSH Academy Director, said the clipper guard choice starts with a hair diagnosis.

"Make sure that you look at your client's hair colour, density and texture in order to determine the clipper length to use on the top," Mason said.

His rule of thumb:

• Lighter-coloured, low-density or smooth-textured hair: a number four to number eight guard
• Dark, dense or coarse hair: a number one to number three guard

Mason also recommends an inspiration photo at consultation. "While you may not be able to fully achieve their desired finish, you can customise a buzz cut to suit," he said. That framing matters commercially: a bespoke cut protects the service's value even when the client's reference is unrealistic.

What does an even cut demand?

The even-all-over finish depends on tooling that suits both the stylist's method and the client's needs.

Simon Shaw, President of the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, outlined the main variants. "There are different styles of buzz cut, whether your client is looking for the most popular buzz cut style created using a 1 with your clipper guard, or by taking the guard off and shaving even shorter to a 0.5 or a faded buzz cut. What's important is to create a look that's bespoke to your client," Shaw said.

His kit essential is the Wahl Bald & Buzz Cut DIY Hair Clipper. His technique is tactile before it is technical: "I always tend to analyse the client's head before going ahead with the cut, feeling around their scalp to look out for any bumps before cutting to ensure I work round these areas more gently."

The scalp check is both a service-quality step and a risk-management one. Irregularities caught at consultation prevent uneven finishes and rebooking complaints.

How should clients maintain it?

Clients love the buzzcut for its minimal styling, but the cut still needs maintenance — a point salons can convert into retail and repeat bookings.

"Matte paste is the perfect styling product to avoid any unwanted frizz with a buzz cut," said Bailey Snowden, Owner of Snowden Hair. "As the paste has a flexible hold, it binds to the shorter hairs to lock everything into place, keeping the styling looking fresh all day long."

The takeaway: a matte paste recommendation at the chair turns a low-styling cut into a retail attachment, and the cut's fast grow-out builds a four-to-six-week rebooking cycle.

The imagery trend was shot under creative direction from Dean Gleeson, with hair by Project Men and Media 2025 from the Fellowship for British Hairdressing, photography by Paul Simmons, styling by Stephanie Day and make-up by Lily Winfield. Watch how the faded buzzcut variant performs on clients requesting the Haaland look as the season progresses.