How to get Justin Bieber’s haircuts

Joe Mills shares how to create Bieber’s haircuts for GQ

GQ Magazine asked the advice of our founder and barber extraordinaire, Joe Mills, in this article guiding you through the best haircuts that pop sensation Justin Bieber has had throughout the years, from the sleek buzz cuts to the subtle quiffs…

The Soft Scissor Crop

“This soft scissored crop works really well on hair with a slight wave. Ask for the back and sides to be scissored down short but faded.

"The top needs to have a couple f inches of length but has to be textured to get this look. You don't want it to square cut in shape as it won't grow out well.

“On clean damp hair blast dry off your face with your hair dryer using your fingers to style and add a small amount of Balmain Styling Powder to create texture and hold.”

The Quiff

“Scissored short around the back and sides with around three to 3.5 inches left on top this quiff-styled look needs a hair dryer and a vent brush to style,” Mills says.

“On clean damp hair spray four to five pumps of Kevin Murphy Anti Gravity Spray onto the hair and then blow dry the top forwards. When it’s nearly dry, use the brush and angle the airflow from your hair dryer up and off your face to create the Quiff. Once dry use a light blast of hair spray to hold, I would recommend Kevin Murphy Session Spray.”

Short, Back And Sides

"You need to ask for the back and sides to be close-cut and the sides clipped down to around a grade one and then blended into 2.5 to three inches on top.

"Ask for the top to be textured with scissors to allow you to style this more easily. On clean damp hair apply 4 to 5 pumps of Barber Barber Six Inches texture foam.

“Then using a hairdryer and vent brush style your hair up and back from your face and then the crown you need to blow dry forwards. Once dry use Barber Barber Sea Salt Styling Paste to create the slight Quiff and textured top.”

The Sweep Back

"With an almost Nineties throwback, this style needs length all around! The back and sides need around two to three inches and the top should be four to five inches long.

"Ask for your hair to be layered through and texture added. Ideally, you don't want any straight edges around the hair line and it needs to be soft.

“On clean damp hair add 5 pumps of Murdock sea salt spray and blast dry your hair with a hair dryer to create some volume. Then use your fingers to push the front up and back with the hair dryer. Once dry you need a thumbnail amount of Woolf Kings X pomade to style. Rub it into your hands and then apply through the hair and then style.”

The Pre-Lightened Push-Back

“For this swept-back pre-lightened swept back look you will need around four inches of length on top and the back and sides lightly scissored down to the hairline,” explains Mills. "You don't want your hair to be short at the sides as you need to be able to sweep it back.

"To style this on clean damp hair apply a small tangerine-sized amount of Kevin Murphy Body Builder Mousse. Using a hair dryer (I recommend the Dyson) and a vent brush blow dry your hair back from your face and push the front up to create a slight quiff. Make sure you dry the sides back and when it's completely dry it will fall into its natural side part.

“Then apply a thumbnail amount of Kevin Murphy Freehold paste through your hair and style with the vent brush and your fingers.”

The Buzzcut

“You will need to have your hair pre-lightened for this strong look,” says Mills. “Ask your stylist or barber for a short scissored crop – you don't want this clipped as you need to keep it a little softer and with texture.

“To maintain this you should use a blonde shampoo to keep the colour clean and I recommend using Oway Silver Steel Shampoo. After Shampooing towel dry and then apply a small amount of Barber Barber Tough Enough Clay to create the texture.”

The Choppy One

“Ask your Barber or stylist to clipper cut the back and sides of your hair to about a grade 3 and then blend it into the hair on top,” Mills says. "On the top, you need around two to three inches of hair and ask them to chop into it to create some texture.

“On clean damp hair apply four to five pumps of Oliver Woods Formentera Salt spray and then blow dry your hair down towards your face. There's no need for a brush use your fingers to style and shape your hair. Then finish with a small amount of Oliver Woods Black Seed Wax to style.”

Read the full GQ article ‘How to get each of Justin Bieber's haircuts’’ and see the pictures.