What would I look like with a buzz cut? Try it free (we tested 4 people)
Add one selfie, pick a cut from a #1 to a bleached buzz, and see your own face with it. We tested six cuts on four people.
To see what you would look like with a buzz cut, add one selfie to our free buzz cut filter, pick a cut, from a #1 to a bleached buzz, and get four photos of your own face with it in a few minutes. We ran all six cuts on four people, fixed what the test found, and show the misses too.
A note before the comparison: we make one of these tools, and it is the only one we tested ourselves. For the others, every claim below comes from their own pages, linked where it appears and checked the day this guide went live.
Four portraits of adults: a woman with long straight hair, a woman with coily hair, a man with wavy hair and stubble, and a man with short straight hair. Each got all six cuts: 24 runs of 111 to 291 seconds, four pictures each, 96 returned, then 48 more in two retests. Every picture kept the face, the skin tone and the hair's own texture, and the stubble stayed. Two faults in the first run: the bleached buzz came back white or silver on both men in 8 of 8, and on one of them far longer than a buzz in 4 of 4; after we changed its words, 16 of 16 were platinum blonde and short. The #1 came back about as long as the #3 on both men in 8 of 8, and two rewrites of its words shortened it only a little. One retest added glasses to the man with wavy hair once; that wording was dropped.
Short buzz
Original photoWhat would I look like with a buzz cut?
Should I get a buzz cut?
One more check is worth a minute: a buzz shows the whole scalp, any scar or bump included, and the hairline exactly as it is. Try two lengths on the same selfie, a short buzz and a crew cut, and keep the one where you still recognise yourself.
What guard number is a buzz cut?
| Guard | Hair left | In our filter |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | 1/8 in (3 mm) | Short buzz |
| #2 | 1/4 in (6 mm) | Bleached buzz, and the top of both fades |
| #3 | 3/8 in (10 mm) | Medium buzz |
| #4 | 1/2 in (13 mm) | Not offered |
Lengths from luxe.digital's guard table; the last column is what our prompts ask for, quoted below.
One honest limit: on both men in our test, with dense dark hair, the Short buzz came out about as long as the Medium, with no scalp showing. On the two women it read as the shortest cut. If your hair is thick and dark, expect a real #1 to look shorter than the picture.
What is the difference between a low fade and a skin fade?
What does a bleached buzz cut look like?
Which prompt gives a realistic buzz cut?
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a #1 buzz cut, the hair clipped very close to the scalp all over, an even 3 mm (1/8 inch), much shorter than the hair in the photo even when that hair is already short. The skin of the scalp shows through everywhere, so the hair reads as a soft shadow on the head rather than a haircut, the natural hairline and the shape of the head clearly visible.
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a #3 buzz cut, the hair clipped all over to an even 10 mm, a soft dense short pile, the scalp not showing, a rounded natural hairline.
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a buzz cut with a low fade, about 6 mm on top, the sides and back fading smoothly down to skin just above the ears and at the nape, a crisp line-up at the hairline.
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a buzz cut with a high skin fade, about 6 mm on top, the sides and back blended down to bare skin from the temples, sharp clean edges.
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a classic crew cut, about 2 cm on top and slightly longer at the front, tapered short on the sides and back with clippers, neat and tidy.
Change only the hairstyle of the person in this photo to the one described below. Keep the person exactly the same: face shape, eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, skin tone and skin texture, expression, age, makeup, facial hair and glasses; do not add glasses or any accessory that is not in the photo. Keep the clothes, the background, the light, the pose and the framing exactly as they are: do not move the camera, zoom or crop, and keep the head where it is in the frame. Keep the natural hair colour unless the style below names another. Keep the hair's own texture exactly as it is in the photo, whatever the style below says: hair that is straight in the photo stays straight, wavy stays wavy, curly stays curly and coily stays coily; only the length and shape change. The new hair must look real and cut by a good barber or stylist: a natural hairline, real hair texture and strands, soft shadows where the hair meets the forehead, ears and neck, lit by the same light as the photo. Photorealistic, like the original photo, no retouching or smoothing of the skin. No text, no watermark, no logos. If the photo shows a child or a teenager, more than one face, or a well-known public figure, do not create an image. New hairstyle: a #2 buzz cut, an even 6 mm (1/4 inch) all over, so short that the shape of the head shows, bleached to a bright platinum blonde with a soft creamy, pale golden tone and a faint shadow of darker roots at the scalp. It must read clearly as dyed blonde, never as white, silver or grey hair. The eyebrows keep their natural colour.
Which buzz cut filters are free?
| Service | Works on | Free | Cuts | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N33 | Browser, one selfie | Free to start, a little energy per try | Six cuts, four photos a run | The photo is deleted when the run ends |
| YouCam | Online editor and apps | Called free online | Names four classic buzz styles | Comparing four styles side by side is for premium users |
| Pixelbin | Browser and apps | Up to three times a month | No count given | Its page also says sign up for ten free credits |
| AirBrush | Browser and apps | Free trial | Fade, line-up and induction cut named | Download button offers a 7-day free trial |
| TikTok, Snapchat | Live camera | Not stated | Not stated | Live camera only, not an uploaded photo |
Our row is from our own test; the others are as each service describes itself, linked here. The TikTok and Snapchat row is from YouCam's guide.
How do you get a realistic buzz cut picture?
To try it, open our buzz cut filter and start from one of its example photos. For a longer cut, see our test of the best AI hairstyle changer, and for a new colour on the hair you have, the best AI hair color changer.
Questions and answers
Is there a free buzz cut filter?
Yes. Ours is free to start with no subscription, YouCam calls its online filter free, and Pixelbin gives a few free tries a month.
Will the buzz cut picture still look like me?
It should. In our test every picture kept the face, the skin tone and the hair's own texture; only the length, and for the bleached cut the colour, change.
Does a buzz cut filter work for women?
Yes. Two of the four people in our test were women, one with long straight hair and one with coily hair, and the cuts kept their faces in every picture.
How long does a buzz cut take to grow back?
Hair grows about half an inch a month, and a uniform buzz needs a trim every two to four weeks to stay neat, says luxe.digital.
What happens to the photo I upload?
On ours, it is used only for the run and deleted when the run ends; the pictures stay in your Generations until you delete them.
Arthur Down is a journalist with more than 12 years of experience writing about technology, personal finance, health and everyday consumer topics. He studied Journalism and Media Studies at the University of Sheffield, started as a reporter at a regional newspaper and has worked freelance since 2014. At N33 he writes and edits the blog's practical guides to AI tools.
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