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When it comes to celebrity hairstyles, there are few A-listers with such follicle gravitas as Justin Bieber. For years, the Canadian pop star has been a Pinterest board icon, serving as the hair inspiration for many well-dressed, stylish young men. As a qualified barber who worked in shops across the country in the mid-2010s, hardly a day went by without a client whipping their phone out and showing me a picture of Justin Bieber’s hair when I invariably asked, ‘What are we looking to do?’. From his early ‘Quiff’ days to the bleached blond shaggy look, the ever-changing hairstyle of Justin Bieber has always been an interesting topic of fodder for barbers, and in 2025, the Grammy Award-winner has done it again.
Justin Bieber was spotted in New York City this week sporting a different, albeit familiar, look. The 30-year-old musician, who has regularly been seen with a matte of unkempt curls, has streamlined his aesthetic and opted for a razor-sharp buzz cut. Dressed in an oversized yellow hoodie and tan trousers, Bieber cut a more refined figure than we’re used to seeing—and it’s a look that should be embraced.
As Bieber demonstrates, the change of seasons and the return of the working year make January the ideal time to test out a new look. If you have been thinking about cutting off your locks or making a more drastic stylistic decision, my professional recommendation would be to do it earlier in the year. Not only is summer in full swing, presenting a great time to go a little bit shorter with your hairstyle, but it also gives you a bit more licence to make bold decisions.
More often than not, the change in style is more than just a physical transformation. By switching things up, you set the intention for the year, shedding the weight of 2024 and kicking in the new year fresh and revitalised. There is no better way to do that than with a fresh buzz cut. The short and sweet style requires very little maintenance, allowing you to reset priorities and focus on what matters the most—whether that is work, play or otherwise. Simply put, the beauty of a buzz cut is its versatility.
While Justin Bieber’s hairstyle is characterised by its high blend point, the fade range is entirely up to your preference. As master barber and American Crew ambassador Lino D’Adderio tells me, keeping the blend point lower can actually complement the natural flow of the hair, helping to elongate the fade and provide more coverage.
“You can still take it higher up into the back of the shape, which is where the fade comes in,” D’Adderio says. “We call this ‘stretching out a fade’, which essentially means you don’t have to take the Zero blade very high anymore. You can drop in a zero in the lower third of the head shape and then you are able to build and blend a fade into the shape.”
For Bieber, the new look isn’t the first time he’s embraced the shaved head. In 2017, the musician famously adopted a platinum buzz cut, which he briefly revisited in 2021. This time around, Bieber has gone shorter than ever, taking the clipper length on top to around a clipper guard #2 or #3. This, coupled with his lighter hair colour, gives the look a tight shape that accentuates the skin section on the sides.
Earlier this month, Bieber debuted the cut in a carousel of photos shared via Instagram. Teasing new music, the artist posted photos from the studio, along with pictures of his wife Hailey Bieber and their son Jack.
