There was a time when military haircuts were considered to be reserved for military personnel. But over the years, these military haircuts or war-themed haircuts have become a mainstream trend as they are used to shape a signature style and make the wearer look even more appealing.
Different Military Haircut Types
Here is a list of the different types of army and military haircuts one can sport. While most of these haircuts revolve around the same few concepts of short hair, fades, and shaved sides, the main difference lies in the minor changes of hair length and how they are mixed and matched with shaved sides or fades.
How To Give A Military Haircut
In the 20th century, there were a few predominant military cuts that really stole the show. Moreover, they all shared the same set of features – they were low-maintenance hairstyles. Also, they looked quite dashing too.
For a civilian military-inspired haircut, discuss the top length and taper you want with your barber. Service members should follow their branch’s current grooming rules and command instructions.
The induction cut, as the name suggests, originated from the haircut soldiers and other military officials get when they are inducted into boot camp. This haircut is a clipped haircut where there is no guard on the hair clipper. The haircut almost looks like it has been shaved, and more like stubble.
The burr cut is slightly longer in length when compared to the induction cut. It is done using a clipper with a 1 or 2-number guard. The hair is left extremely short.
The butch cut is longer than the burr cut. It is done using a guard number of 3 or 4 on the clipper.
The regulation cut is relatively longer. With almost 2 inches of hair length on the top, the hair on the sides and the back are trimmed shorter using a pair of scissors and given the finishing touches with a hair clipper. The fade is usually done to skin level, which essentially means that the end lines of the hair blend seamlessly into the skin.
A military fade haircut, as the name suggests, means that the hair length has a gradual decrease until the point that the hair blends in with the skin. The fade most typically occurs towards the sides and at the back of the head.
There are three types of fades – regular, high, and low. The regular fade is where the side and back of the head hair fade to the natural hairline.
The high fade is where the hair fade ends a few inches above the natural hairline, and the low fade is where the hair fade ends above the regular fade but below the high fade, somewhere in between the two.
The high and tight haircut is where the hair is short all around, but just slightly longer than an inch and a half on the top.
Where Did The Military Haircut Originate From?
The uber-cool military hairstyle was initially popular in the 1940s and 1950s in the American military. The military has always been known as an organization that requires the strictest grooming standards.
Hair was obviously one of the most important aspects of male grooming. It all began with the fade haircut. Now, this hairdo was adopted by famous personalities such as Big Daddy Kane and Eric B., who popularized the military cut.
Nevertheless, most attribute this look to the Americans.
How Short Is The Military Haircut?
There is no single starting or finished hair length for every military haircut. For a civilian military-inspired look, show your barber the cut you want and agree on the length and finish.
Depending on the type of military hairstyle you desire, the guard of the clipper should be set. It is set on a number between 0 and 5. Zero (0) for the induction cut, gradually moving towards 5 for the regulation cut.
Military Haircut Vs. Undercut
Two haircuts, military, and undercut can often be confused with each other. Both of them are extremely closely related, making them almost substitutes for each other. However, the difference lies in minute details. For example, for a military cut, it is best to use a clipper between the range of 1 and 3. However, for an undercut, a clipper of number 3 is ideal.
For an undercut variation, ask your barber how much length to leave on top for the finish you want.
In a military cut, the sides and back do not necessarily need to be buzzed, but an undercut is incomplete without the sides and back being buzzed to one uniform short length.
Short, Simple, and Striking Military Haircuts For Men
Here are military-inspired haircut ideas to discuss with your barber. Individual styles may not meet every service’s grooming rules.
Furthermore, these military haircuts share the same traits as they offer a low-maintenance hairstyle that doesn’t block one’s vision on the field, and does not allow hair to get trapped in the helmet or shirt’s collar.
#1: Buzz Cut
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The buzz cut is the most popular type of military haircut. It’s low maintenance, super short, and one length all over, no styling needed!
#2: Ivy League
An Ivy League haircut is noted by the smoothed hair combed to one side. You can add in a side part and go for a gradual fade with a line design to edge it up.
#3: Caesar Cut
iStock.com/FXQuadro
For a Caesar haircut, while the hair is still really short, hair on top is just a tiny bit longer than the sides. The back has an undercut so you’ll always be trim and fresh.
#4: Marine Haircut
For the marine haircut, it’s similar to a buzz cut in that the hair is very short. The front is pointed to accent your hairline and there is minimal facial hair.
#5: Spiky Cut
Do you like the short look but want a bit of texture? Ask your stylist to go with a gradual fade on sides, but leave the top a couple inches long so you can easily spike it up with product.
#6: High and Tight Military Haircut
For oval and sometimes even round faces, a high and tight military haircut can be very flattering. Its short sides and subtly longer top help to narrow the face.
#7: Piecey Cut
Another kind of twist on the military haircut is maintaining short sides but keeping a long top. Use mousse or gel to shape piecey locks with your fingers for sexy texture.
#8: Short Coiled Crop
If your natural hair texture is curly, you’ll love how a military haircut can bring out the best of your texture. This style is low maintenance and looks great with a very short beard.
#9: Short Wavy Crop with Clipped Sides
For men whose hair is thin in body, a military haircut with a cropped top is just the thing to thicken it up. The contrast of short sides and wavy top make it look fuller.
#10: Sleek Side Part with Tapered Sides
Just because you have a military haircut, that doesn’t mean you can’t look dapper! Smooth the hair up top into a sleek side part for a style you can rock at work.
#11: Airy Brush-Up with Short Sides
Military haircuts for men over 50 can be just as dashing as those for younger guys. Fluff your hair up a little on top to hide a thinning hairline, but don’t let your tresses get too long.
The sides of your hair should be much shorter and kept close to your head.
#12: Textured Side Sweep with a Temple Fade
Thick hair can look disorderly and that’s unacceptable in the military. Get a haircut with some texture in it so you appear neater.
A fade will help you control your hair on the sides so it doesn’t become hard to maintain.
#13: Uniform Dark Buzz Cut
If your hairline has significantly receded, then you should wear your hair short so you won’t draw much attention to it.
A uniform cut with one of the shortest blade lengths is appropriate and suits a lot of men with thinner hair.
#14: Tousled Afro with a Line Up
Just because you’re in the army, it doesn’t mean you can’t pay homage to common black hair trends. A straight hairline and gradual fade will help keep your hair neat.
You can let the hair on top grow a little longer. Most of your curls should be tight and softly styled. Pluck out a few longer curls right on top of your head using a picking comb.
#15: Dark and Oily
It can be hard to pick out texture in military haircuts for men who prefer to keep their hair very short. Styling your locks with an oily gel can help make them look more stylish.
All hair from the crown should be brushed forward apart from the sides and back.
#16: Forward-Brushed Curls
Men with curls can still keep their hair military-appropriate. Use a curl cream to keep the curls tame and frizz-free, and cut the sides short to reduce volume.
#17: Short Brush-Back with Full Sides
If your hairline is receding but you still have thick hair, then make the most of it. Sweep back your hair so you look like you have a masculine widow’s peak.
#18: Fade with a Hard Part
You can still be stylish while serving your country. A hard part and fade help you keep up with trends. The rest of your hair should sweep neatly to one side of your head.
#19: Layers with a Fade
Fades are very common in these haircuts, but it can be hard to be unique. Get very short layers with blunt ends to make it look like your hair texture has grooves or stripes.
#20: Military Haircut with Waved Front
This type of military haircut is popular for its slight wave uptick at the beginning of the hairline. Just use your fingers to brush the hair up with product.
#21: Rounded Buzz Cut with a Skin Fade
Finding yourself with a receding hairline? A military haircut made for those hairline types will have you confidently embracing older age.
#22: Textured Crew Cut
A compact textured top sweeps slightly across the front above short tapered sides. The tidy outline offers a clean military-inspired option; choose the amount of top length with your barber to suit the shape you want.
#23: Close Stubble Buzz Cut
For round and oval faces, try a buzz cut that leaves barely any hair there. If you’re a guy on the run, you’ll love the no-fuss look.
#24: Long Comb Over with a High Fade
The way to brag about your thick hair is by framing it with short faded sides. Go for a blow-out or leave it to its own natural texture.
#25: Regulation Haircut
This haircut is commonly associated with the haircut of higher-ranking army men. This haircut allows up to about two inches of middle area hair. The side and back hair is tapered using a pair of scissors and then a hair clipper.
#26: Low Fade
This low fade haircut makes the hair invisible from the sides and back lower than a high fade and higher than a regular fade. A low fade usually ends up about one inch above the natural hairline.
#27: Front Sweep
A short front sweep is a neat army-inspired hairstyle. Modern versions trim the back and sides shorter while leaving enough length on top to comb it to one side. It is a low-maintenance option for people looking for a clean, distinctive look.
#28: High Fade
This high fade haircut is used by most of the military men as it is very easy to maintain. In this haircut, the hair length is gradually reduced from sides and back. It completely disappears from the temples and about 2 inches before the natural hairline.
#29: Burr Cut
This cut is one step above the classic induction military cut in terms of length. The hair is trimmed up to 1/8 of an inch or so with a guard of number one or two. All of the head hair is trimmed with the same guard number.
#30: Blonde Fade
You would be quite familiar with this military haircut. It’s a blend of a low fade haircut and the regulation military haircut. The middle area hair is not more than two inches in length, and the side and back hair are faded.
#31: Military Undercut
Just like the previous military cuts, this haircut also has the length of top hair comparatively longer than the side and back hair.
#32: Conventional Haircut
As the name explains, the conventional haircut is a regular military haircut that has been used by most of the military men. The side and back hair length is not more than half inches and the top area hair are in between one and two inches in length.
#33: Short Flat Top with a High Skin Fade
This haircut has the hair trimmed very short from the sides and back of the head whereas the middle area hair remains one inch in length. Undoubtedly, this haircut is one of the most thrilling military haircuts.
#34: Slicked Up Fade
This haircut is a blend of high fade haircut and the pompadour. The front/top area hair are tapered up to 4 inches whereas the side and back hair gradually reduces and completely disappear 3 inches before the natural hairline.
#35: Hard-Part Comb-Over with a High Skin Fade
This style pairs a combed-over top and a defined part with a high skin fade. This haircut involves high fade cut that makes the hair completely invisible two inches over the natural hairline.
#36: Butch Cut
This haircut is also a modification in the induction haircut. The hair length is a bit more than the hair length in the induction cut. This haircut involves all the hair clipped with any of the higher guard numbers of hair clippers.
#37: Flat Top
Tall bristles form a sharply squared, level top for a distinctive silhouette. Ask the barber to maintain the flat upper line and defined corners when shaping this style.
#38: Blunt-Fringe Crop with a High Fade
This army haircut is again similar to the crew cut, but this time the hair at the top are given more length. This creates a bigger tuft at the top that can be either gelled on the side or flattened.
The sides and the back are then trimmed in a gradient for the final finish. The cut can be tricky to create, so consider visiting your barber.
#39: Armed Fade Hairstyle
This military haircut gives a neat look and it’s very easy to maintain this style. The hair from the sides and back is trimmed very short whereas the length of top area hair is no longer than 0.5 inches.
#40: Short Crop
This short crop keeps the hair closely trimmed with a little texture on top. Similar to short low fade haircut, this haircut also involves very short hair from all over the head with the faded temples.
#41: Slicked-Back Pompadour with a Fade
The dark top is combed up and back into a raised pompadour, with visible comb lines through the glossy surface. Closely faded sides create a sharp contrast. Use a suitable styling product if you want to recreate the controlled finish.
#42: Square Cut
The highlight of this haircut is the square forehead line that gives a very neat and clean look. The facial hair is used to shape this line. The sides and back are faded, and the top hair is kept short.
#43: Low Fade Undercut
This haircut is a mixture of undercut and low fade. The middle area hair is about 5 to 6 inches in length, and this hair is slicked back using hair products. The side and back is faded up to the natural hairline.
#44: Pomade Cut
This haircut is a modification in the modern pompadour hairstyle. The hair on the top of the head is longer than the side and back hair. The front hair is slicked back using a hair product.
#45: Induction Cut
This is one of the standard cuts for recruits. Where it can be too drastic for some, it can really make others’ features pop! It looks great with square and oval face cuts and involves trimming down your hair to a bare stubble.
It’s great for those who want a no-maintenance cut, as it doesn’t require any maintenance!
#46: Mohawk Cut
This short combination can make your haircut more appealing as it distinguishes the top hair from the sides and back. The middle area hair is not more than one inch in length, while the sides and back are faded.
#47: Classic Side Part with Tapered Sides
A crisp side part and smooth lifted front give this haircut a sleek, neatly arranged finish. Brush the longer top to one side and keep the sides gradually tapered. Ask your barber to adjust the top length and taper to the shape you want.
#48: Slicked-Back Cut
Just like the pompadour haircut and the undercut, this haircut also has longer front hair. This hair is set back using a hair product. The sides and back are tapered up to 0.5 inch.
#49: Blonde Even Top
As the picture demonstrates, this haircut is a diversified form of the flat top. However, the length of the front hair is a bit shorter than the original flat top, and the sides are shaved and made invisible three inches over the natural hairline.
#50: Textured Crop with a High Fade
The sides are closely tapered, while the top is left slightly longer and textured.
#51: Short Buzz Cut with a Fade
This haircut is a moderate form of bald and fade cut and has been used by the majority of military men. All the hair of the head is trimmed too short from the top and sides as well.
#52: Spiky Fade
The spiky fade haircut makes you have about one-inch long hair on your crown area and shorter than that on your sides and back. The middle hair is styled up using hair product.
#53: Brush-Up with a Gradual Fade
If you have a slender or rectangular face shape, a military haircut with a gradual fade will be very flattering. Leave the hair up top short but long enough to brush up slightly for some height. The shortness of the rest of the cut will pull the look together.
#54: Hard Part and Bald Fade
No one can say a slicked back military cut with a bald fade and hard part is void of style. This style is ideal for men who want a sharp cut that is also professional, perhaps for the office.
#55: Short Cut with a Rounded Front
Not only is this very short military haircut easy to maintain on your own at home, the rounded shape at the front is not as hard as other military haircuts, which makes it perfect for men with a slender or rectangular face shape looking for a softer style.
#56: Short Coils with a High Fade
If you’re a man of color with natural black hair with some curl to it, don’t think you have to buzz it off for a military style. Leave about an inch or less at the top so we see that natural curl, and add a high fade or gradual taper to the sides for definition.
#57: Rounded Afro with a Temple Fade
Another no-fail haircut for men with natural black hair includes this rounded afro style. The faded sides bring in a military vibe, and cut up the overall shape.
#58: High Flat Top
For men who wish to keep the length of their hair, the high and flat top is a great style to choose. The style has a 2-3 inches high cut top that is flattened for an even look. The sides are shaved for a smooth, refined finish. The cut is popular with senior members of the military and can really up your style game.
#59: High Spiky Cut
Another amazing army haircut is the high and spiky cut, perfect for those who want a modern look. The cut allows the hair at the very front of the head to grow into natural spikes. The back and the sides are trimmed, which focuses all the attention on the spiky top. It’s a great way to make a statement and looks really trendy and proper at the same time.
#60: Crew Cut with a Side Brush
If you are troubled by the type of hair you have and are looking for a cool cut, this can become your personal favorite. The style looks perfect on men with oval and round faces, but it also suits every other face shape.
The cut leaves just enough hair at the top that you can easily comb it to one side, and the sides are shaved clean. A small gradient look is created at the top to even out the cut and create a side brush that gives you the perfect finish. The crew cut has a slightly uneven front edge, keeping a little texture above the forehead while the temples remain closely trimmed.
Hope you have enjoyed our collection of military haircuts. We would recommend you try at least one of these army haircuts as they will bring a change in your look, but the condition is that you pick the right style for you. Don’t forget to share your experience with us!
