When it comes to hairstyles, face shape is important to consider. Not doing so could lead you to choosing the wrong style or simply wearing the right style in the wrong way. Here’s everything you need to know about buzz cuts and round faces.
Let’s get to it.
Does A Buzz Cut Look Good On A Round Face?
Buzz cuts can look good on round faces as long as the correct buzz cut variation is chosen. In general, longer buzz cut styles work better as they have less of a risk of exaggerating the roundness of the face.
In general, there’s no reason why this style shouldn’t be chosen by people with round faces.
It’s just important to choose the right buzz cut style and consider ways in which the roundness of the face isn’t exaggerated too much by the very short hair.
It all comes down to the fact that buzz cuts are short and when you’ve got short hair, you haven’t got much opportunity to add height at the top of the head.
When someone has a round face with longer hair, they can use that hair to add length and height. For example, they could style a little quiff, a faux hawk, or even a pompadour.
Anything that elongates the face from the top and reduces the roundness of the face.
Buzz cuts don’t give you this benefit.
The hair is simply too short to really add any sort of real height. As a result, people with round faces often find that their face looks rounder once they’ve trimmed one.
This isn’t that big of a deal and probably won’t matter to many of them. But if you’re finding that this is a problem, read on to find out what you can do about it.
3 Tips For Styling Buzz Cuts With A Round Face
Use these tips to choose the right buzz cut and to style it in the right way.
Leave Some Length Up Top
If you’ve got a round face, consider choosing a buzz cut variation such as a crew cut, butch cut, high and tight, or even an Ivy League haircut.
When most people think of buzz cuts, they think of induction-style buzz cuts. This is where all of the hair is trimmed down to the same, very short length in all directions and dimensions.
While this can still look good with round faces, they have the biggest risk of exaggerating the roundness of the face.
One reason is that they’re simply too short – you can’t add any height up top.
Another reason is that with all of the hair (top, back, and sides) trimmed down to the same length, it’ll grow out with a sort of fuzzball appearance.
The term “buzz cut” is actually an umbrella term that includes many different short hairstyles that are dependent on the use of a clipper.
While the induction cut is one of them, it also includes styles where the top is left longer than the short sides.
I’ll be showing you some pictures later on, but let’s briefly talk through them first.
These longer buzz cut variations include crew cuts – a style where the top is left longer than the buzzed sides, graduating in length as you go from the front to the back.
It also includes high and tights where the sides are buzzed and brought up very high, with a strip of longer hair across the top of the head.
Butch cuts are similar to crew cuts, but the longer hair on top is cut more evenly. It doesn’t reduce in length as you go from front to back as a crew cut would.
Unlike the induction cut, these are all buzz cut variations where you’ve got some length to work with up top.
When you’ve got some length at the top, you’re able to use it to add balance to the roundness of the face.
The more length you’ve got up top with your buzz cut variation, the more you can do with it. It’s just important to recognize that even a bit of length at the top can be beneficial to people with round faces.
Taper The Sides
We’ve talked about leaving the top long and the sides short and which buzz cut variations allow you to do this.
Tapering or fading the short sides is also often a good idea for round faces.
This is where the sides gradually increase in length from the bottom to the top.
While tapers and low fades can be quite subtle, mid fades and high fades start to transition higher up the sides and can be pretty bold.
Buzz cuts work great with faded sides.
The reason this works well for round faces is that it can actually have a slimming and narrowing effect on the face. It can also add some definition to the jawline.
Create Blocks
What I mean by creating “blocks” within the face is to add some boundaries, lines, and layers.
As I’ve mentioned, the main risk with buzz cuts is that it exaggerates the roundness of the face.
By adding some lines and boundaries over the face from a front-on view, you’re adding structure to the face and actually reducing the round appearance overall.
One way of doing this is by using glasses. Now, this won’t be for everyone. In fact, many people don’t even wear glasses.
But if you do, you can use it to your advantage. Simply wearing glasses can add some lines and boundaries over the face, breaking it up into sections and preventing it from looking too round.
Use the type of glasses you wear to your advantage as well. For example, glasses with angular frames can add balance to the roundness of the face.
Another way of adding some lines and boundaries to the face is by growing some facial hair. Even heavy stubble can be enough to add some structure.
I’ll be talking more about buzz cuts with beards for round faces later on.
Now, let’s go through some examples and photos.
5 Buzz Cut Styles For Round Faces
Use these as a source of inspiration. Notice how I’ve chosen a few where the top is visibly longer than the short, including buzz cut variations such as the crew cut.
This helps to compensate for the roundness of the face.
Long Induction Buzz Cut
While most induction style buzz cuts are generally best avoided by people with round faces, if you’re going to go for one – choose a long one.
A long buzz cut is one that is a number 5 or higher.
This one appears to be a #5 buzz cut. As you can see, it’s trimmed down to the same length all over.
However, because you’ve still got a bit of length up top, you’ve got something to work with.
Although it isn’t as good of an option as a longer buzz cut variation such as a crew cut would be, it’s still better than going for super short buzz cuts like the number 2 or number 3, for instance.
Notice how the goatee also adds some great structure to the lower half of the face.
Crew Cut
Here’s a good example of a crew cut with tapered sides.
As you can see, it’s simple, subtle, and leads to a very balanced appearance overall.
The top is left longer than the sides – this gives you some opportunity for adding some length up top to compensate for roundness.
Even just a short quiff would work well.
A short beard is also a great way to add some definition to the jawline.
Inch Long Buzz Cut
Here’s an example of just how long buzz cuts can get.
This is approximately a #8 length, equating to around an inch of hair. It still has the benefit of being very easy to maintain, while still giving you some length to work with.
As you can see, it’s still short, but not so short that it exaggerates the shape of the face too much.
There’s still plenty you can do with it.
High And Tight With Glasses
Some may call this an undercut due to the sharp transition from the sides to the top. But it’s more similar to a high and tight because the top isn’t quite long enough to be called an undercut.
It’s a good example of how great it can look when the sides are clipped down very short and brought up very high.
It has a narrowing effect on the face.
The overall style is still short like a buzz cut, but the contrast in length between the sides and top makes the top appear to have some height – even though it has very little.
The angular frames of the glasses are also a great way to add some lines, boundaries, and definition to the face.
Buzz Cut Fade
A buzz cut with a fade can work well, simply because tapering the length of the sides can have a slimming effect on the face.
Fades are a great way to make a simple style just a little more eye-catching and attention-grabbing.
They should be done by a good barber. They’re relatively high maintenance, especially skin fades.
You’ll need to get them redone pretty often if you want them looking clean-cut at all times.
But overall, the benefits of fades for round faces shouldn’t be underestimated.
The Buzz Cut With A Beard For Round Faces
Buzz cuts often look better on round faces with beards. The reason for this is that the beard is able to elongate the face and prevent the buzz cut from exaggerating the roundness of the face too much.
The way it works is simple, yet effective.
Buzz cuts are short – sometimes they’re so short that you can’t add any height up top. No quiffs, no pomps – just flatness at the top.
Buzz cut variations such as crew cuts prevent this, but let’s just say you’ve got a short induction cut.
Growing a beard can add length from the bottom end of the face to compensate for you not being able to add length at the top due to the buzz cut.
For people with round faces, this can be a huge benefit.
Facial hair can be used to add structure to the lower portion of the face, elongating it and defining the jawline.
If you’ve ever been tempted to grow facial hair, this may be a good reason to do it. If you find that your face simply looks a little too round after trimming your buzz cut, strongly consider growing a beard as it may make all the difference.
You can add as much length as you want. For example, a long and pointed goatee could completely counteract the roundness of the face.
It really depends on how far you want to go with it.
But remember, it doesn’t need to be anything that bold. Even just a bit of stubble can do some good by adding lines and boundaries to the face.
This gives it structure and definition, something that’s beneficial on round faces.
Conclusion
There you have it. Hopefully, everything you wanted to know about buzz cuts and round faces.
As you can see, it can be done and done very well indeed. It’s just important to choose the right length and the right style.
Enjoy.
Ready Sleek founder. Obsessed with casual style and the minimalist approach to building a highly functional wardrobe. Also a fan of classic, vintage hairstyles.
