Buzz Cuts With Goatees: A Complete And Essential Guide

The buzz cut and goatee combination certainly doesn’t pull any punches. It couples subtle and understated masculinity with a neat and tidy stylishness. I’m about to tell you everything you need to know. 

Each of the two components of the style carries its own benefits. A common feature they share is that they’re both relatively easy to maintain and to DIY. 

But there are different variations of both the buzz cut and the goatee. I’ll be discussing this in more detail in the first section. It’s important to understand how this adds a huge amount of versatility and choice into the style combination. 

The term “buzz cut with a goatee” can refer to many different subtle variations combined. 

In this article, you’ll see some pictures for some inspiration. I’ll also be talking you through some of the lingo, as the terminology can be confusing. You’re about to learn everything you need to know. 

What Exactly Is A Buzz Cut And Goatee?

With any style combination, it’s best practice to explain the components individually before discussing them as a whole. 

A “buzz cut” is an umbrella term. It refers to a wide range of styles that all share the common feature of being short and dependent on the use of a clipper. But that doesn’t necessarily mean all of the hair is short. 

There are three main types of buzz cut to know about. An “Induction Cut” is where all of the hair is trimmed short and to an equal length. A “Burr Cut” refers to a buzz cut where the top is very slightly longer than the sides. 

A “Crew Cut” is the longest, and consists of long hair on top with the sides buzzed short. In a traditional Crew Cut, the hair graduates from the back to the front into a pompadour. 

So from the side, you’ll see a slight slope leading downward from back to front. 

The Crew Cut has its own variations. For example, the “Ivy League” is a particularly long Crew Cut. A “Butch Cut” is a Crew Cut where the hair on top is trimmed to an equal length, as opposed to graduating into a pomp at the front. 

Now let’s talk about goatees. 

A “goatee” is a term used to refer to any facial hairstyle consisting of hair on the chin but not on the cheeks. This is the only criterion that definitely needs to be met for it to receive a label of “goatee”. 

A traditional goatee consisted simply of hair on the chin and nowhere else. But this definition is somewhat dated. In the 1940s, for instance, yes – this was a goatee. 

But since the 90s, a goatee has commonly consisted of a mustache as well. Currently, most people do picture a “Full Goatee” when they hear the term “goatee”. This consists of a connected mustache and chin beard encircling the mouth. 

In combination, a buzz cut and goatee often works very, very well. Both styles usually look tidy and sleek. Plus, it isn’t hard to keep them that way. 

6 Great Buzz Cuts With Goatees

I’ve written quite a few articles on goatees already, so feel free to check them out if you want more specific details. 

Here’s a rundown of 6 awesome buzz cuts with goatees you can consider choosing and trimming for yourself. 

There’s a focus on Induction Cuts here to make them more DIY-friendly. But any of these goatees would go well with a Burr Cut or a Crew Cut as well. 

1. Induction Cut With A Full Goatee

A Full Goatee consists of a connected mustache and chin beard encircling the mouth. It’s arguably the most popular form of goatee in the world at the moment. 

A disadvantage of trimming a short buzz cut is that the shape of your head will always be on full display. You don’t have the benefit of being able to adjust for a particularly round face, for instance, by styling your hair to account for the shape. But a goatee can help. 

A goatee, such as a full goatee, can add prominence to the chin. Growing the goatee longer would act to elongate the chin and face if you wished to do this. 

It’s also a great style for men who have patchy cheek hair. The cheeks are a notoriously patchy and sporadic area of growth. They can become a huge source of frustration for aspiring beardsmen. 

Growing a goatee may be the simplest solution, completely removing the need for any cheek hair whatsoever. 

However, there are many men that struggle to connect the chin beard and mustache of their goatee. This is also a source of a lot of frustration. The best solution, however, would be to simply leave the goatee disconnected. 

Disconnected goatee styles can still look very impressive while swiftly dealing with the problem at hand. 

Ultimately, a Full Goatee beautifully frames the lower portion of the face while the scalp is buzzed short. It’s a timeless classic and one that complements a buzz cut in many different ways. 

Definitely one to strongly consider. 

2. Buzz Cut With A Goatee And Chinstrap

The goatee with chinstrap consists of a straightforward Full Goatee with one crucial adjustment; the bottom edges extend up along the entire jawline on either side. 

It’s a simple strip of hair that extends from the chin, along the jaw, and to the ears on either side. The strip can vary in thickness but usually doesn’t exceed an inch in width. 

Although a simple amendment, it can have quite a profound effect. The main benefit of doing this is that it’s a great way to define and contour the jawline. 

It’s no secret that the chinstrap alone doesn’t have the best of reputations. On its own, a chinstrap can look a little immature. But when coupled with a goatee it can look very sophisticated indeed. 

This goatee variant works great with any form a buzz cut – another great way to frame the bottom of the face. 

3. Buzz Cut With An Anchor Goatee

The anchor goatee is an interesting one. As the name would suggest, it’s characterized by its distinctive shape. The chin hair is skilfully sculpted into the shape of an anchor. 

This is done by allowing a strip of hair to connect the soul patch to the chin beard. The bottom edges of the chin beard then extend a little way along the jawline on either side. 

This is what produces that interesting anchor shape. 

There may or may not be a mustache to go with it. This is entirely down to personal preference, as it works well either way. 

It’s a unique style to try out if you were curious. Making a goatee stand out can be difficult, simply because of how common they are. Sculpting the goatee into a slightly more interesting shape may be a good way to turn some heads. 

An anchor goatee is interesting, but not so attention-grabbing so as to be showy or ostentatious. 

4. Buzz Cut With A Pencil Goatee

A “pencil goatee” is a thin goatee style where the borders are pencil-thin. It’s higher maintenance than your regular Full Goatee style because the edges do need to be trimmed thin and tight. 

It’s a modern variant of the goatee and is very popular among the young, urban, and trendy. 

The soul patch may or may not be removed with this style. The goatee without soul patch look is a slick adjustment, making the style look more box-shaped overall. 

Referring to the picture above, yes, glasses do go very well with buzz cuts and goatees. It adds a nice little touch of sophistication to the look. 

5. Buzz Cut With Goatee And Handlebar

As the name suggests, this consists of a goatee (usually a Full goatee) with the mustache edges curled into a handlebar. 

The Handlebar Mustache is exceptionally popular. It refers to the way in which the mustache resembles the handlebar of a motorcycle when the edges are curled neatly upward. 

Surprisingly, this style of mustache works very well when coupled with a goatee. 

Once again, it does slightly increase the maintenance requirement. You’ll have to grow the mustache long enough to curl it upward. But this also means you’ll have to trim and groom it accordingly. 

A decent pair of mustache scissors would be a good idea for keeping it in shape. Some mustache wax will also most likely be necessary, as handlebars are notoriously difficult to keep in place throughout the course of a day. 

But when you pull it off, the look does definitely stand out. It turns heads and grabs attention. Choosing this style is a great way to add a unique edge when combining a goatee and a buzz cut. 

6. Buzz Cut And A Stubble Goatee

It’s important to define “stubble” before we move on. “Stubble” refers to the length and not a specific style. To be more specific, it refers to facial hair that is less than 5mm long. 

Although the definition may vary depending on where you read it, this is generally a very good rule-of-thumb to follow. 

A stubble goatee refers to a goatee style where the goatee hair is less than 5mm long. 

Stubble is fantastic because of how easy it is to trim and maintain. Despite this, a common problem with stubble goatees is that it’s quite easy to let it grow untidy. 

Ungroomed stubble can quickly look accidental as opposed to intentional, which is why it’s crucially important to pay it the attention it deserves. 

It works particularly well with very short buzz cuts where the length of the hair on the scalp is similar to that of the goatee. This adds balance and a sense of uniformity. 

When done correctly, it often looks fantastic.  

The Buzz Cut Fade With A Goatee

There you have it. A quick rundown of some phenomenal styles. I wanted to finish off with a quick note on fades. 

A faded buzz cut refers to one in which the sides, back, or both gradually increase in length from bottom to top. The fade can be low (ending just above the sideburn), high (at the level of the temples) or mid (in between the above two). 

It’s yet another way to add a bit of uniqueness to a buzz cut style. It does add a layer of complexity and flair, but will most likely require some professional assistance. 

Be sure to let your barber know exactly where you want the fade to end to avoid confusion and frustration on both sides. 

Over the past few years, fades have become extremely popular in pretty far-reaching demographics and circles. It’s definitely trendy at the moment. How long this trend will last is anyone’s guess. 

But right now, it may be a great variation to add to your buzz cut with a goatee to boot. 

Conclusion

This style combination is brilliant because of how simple and easy it is to maintain. But never mistake its simplicity for being bland. When done correctly, it’s exactly the opposite. 

Hopefully, you found that useful. It would be impossible for me to know what starting point you’re reading this from. You may already have a buzz cut, and you’re thinking of growing a goatee to match it. 

Alternatively, you may already have a goatee, and you’re thinking of trimming a buzz cut to go with it. 

Either way, if you’ve found some inspiration from this article, or at least learned some stuff you didn’t know before, it would have achieved its objective. 

Whatever you do, have fun with it and experiment regularly. This may well be the style combination for you. 

Thanks for sticking around until the end.