How to get each of Justin Bieber’s haircuts
Words by: Zac Maoui
Here we guide you through the best haircuts that pop sensation Justin Bieber has had throughout the years, from the sleek buzz cuts to the subtle quiffs.
Justin Bieber’s hair is a thing of intrigue. While his transformation from bubblegum heartthrob to chart-busting superstar (via a well-documented dark period involving lashings of “sizzurp”) has been one of the most-reported redemption stories of our time, this hasn’t just been reflected in his music- it’s also been seen in his grooming game.
Save David Beckham, few men can claim to have had as many hairstyles as he has in such a short space of time. From his early, long-haired lady golfer look, to the buzzcut he sometimes goes back to, the musician proves that when it comes to finding your groove there are always going to be bumps in the road.
And while you might not be opting for some of his more controversial styles anytime soon, there have been plenty of Bieber haircuts that we can get on board with. And so we asked our go-to expert barber Joe Mills, founder of Woolf Kings X, to give us the low-down on how you can get some of Bieber’s best haircuts to date.
Learn Bieber’s lessons the easy way by flicking through the man’s grooming evolution below:
The Soft Scissor Crop
“This soft scissored crop works really well on hair with a slight wave. Ask for the back and sides to be scissored down short but faded. “
“The top needs to have a couple of inches of length but has to be textured to get this look. You don’t want it to square cut in shape as it won’t grow out well.”
“On clean damp hair blast dry off your face with your hair dryer using your fingers to style and add a small amount of Balmain Styling Powder to create texture and hold.”
The Quiff
“Scissored short around the back and sides with around 3 - 3.5 inches left on top this quiff-styled look needs a hairdryer and a vent brush to style,” Mills says.
“On clean damp hair spray four to five pumps of Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity Spray on to the hair and then blow dry the top forwards and when its nearly dry using the brush and angle the air flow from your hair dryer up and off your face to create the Quiff. One dry use a light blast of hair spray to hold, I would recommend Kevin Murphy Session Spray.”
Short, Back And Sides
“You need to ask for the back and sides to be close-cut and the sides clipped down to around a grade one and then blended into 2.5 to three inches on top.”
“Ask for the top to be textured with scissors to allow you to style this more easily. On clean damp hair apply 4 to 5 pumps of Barber Barber six Inches texture foam.”
“Then using a hairdryer and vent brush style your hair up and back from your face and then the crown you need to blow dry forwards. Once dry use Barber Barber Sea Salt Styling Paste to create the slight Quiff and textured top.”
The Sweep Back
“With an almost Nineties throw back this style needs length all around! The back and sides need around two to three inches and the top should be four to five inches long.”
“Ask for your hair to be layered through and texture added. Ideally you don’t want any straight edges around the hair line and it needs to be soft.”
“On clean damp hair add 5 pumps of Murdock sea salt spray and blast dry your hair with a hair dryer to create some volume. Then use your fingers to push the front up and back with the hair dyer. Once dry you need a thumbnail amount of Woolf Kings X pomade to style. Rub it into your hands and then apply through the hair and then style.”
The Pre-Lightened Push-Back
“For this swept back pre-lightened look you will need around four inches of length on top and the back and sides lightly scissored down to the hairline,” explains Mills. “You don’t want your hair to be short at the sides as you need to be able to sweep it back.”
“To style this on clean damp hair apply a small tangerine-sized amount of Kevin Murphy Body Builder Mousse. Using a hair dryer (I recommend the Dyson) and a vent brush blow dry you hair back from your face and push the front up to create a slight quiff. Make sure you dry the sides back and when it’s completely dry it will fall into its natural side part.”
“Then apply a thumbnail amount of Kevin Murphy Freehold paste through your hair and style with the vent brush and your fingers.”
The Buzzcut
“You will need to have your hair pre-lightened for this strong look,” says Mills. “As your stylist or barber for a short scissored crop - you don’t want this clipped as you need to keep it a little softer and with texture.”
“To maintain this you should use a blonde shampoo to keep the colour clean and I recommend using Away Silver Steel Shampoo. After Shampooing towel dry and then apply a small amount of Barber Barber Tough Enough Clay to create the texture.”
The choppy One
“Ask your Barber or stylist to clipper cut the back and sides of your hair to about a grade 3 and then blend it into the hair on to,” Mills says. “On top, you need around two to three inches of hair and ask them to chop into it to create some texture. “
“On clean damp hair apply four to five pumps of Oliver Woods Formentera Salt spray and the blow dry your hair down towards your face. There’s no need for a brush use your fingers to styles and shape your hair. Then finish with a small amount of Oliver Woods Black Seed Wax to style.”