The Bleached Buzz Cut is Hot for 2023 — Here’s How to Get the Look at Home

The bleached buzz cut is a compact style that makes a large statement. Sure, the cut is as cropped and uniform as hair can get, but when it’s paired with icy, platinum blonde color, nothing about the look feels basic. It’s daring, edgy and rebellious, which explains why the look has become a top choice for many celebrities and musicians.

In 2023, some of the biggest hair trends stem from this idea about big beauty in small packages and the short strands of a bleached buzz cut offer just that. Ahead, learn all about this short, edgy style including how to bleach hair at home, the best at-home hair color that’ll get the job done and the purple shampoo we recommend for keeping your color bright and ashy.

Can You Bleach a Buzz Cut?

Yes, you can bleach a buzz cut just like you would bleach any other short hairstyle. If you’re wondering should you dye your hair before or after the buzz cut, go with the latter. Cutting your hair before bleaching means you’ll need less bleach and it will work faster. 

How Long Does a Bleached Buzz Cut Last?

How long your bleached buzz cut lasts really depends on how fast your hair grows and what you consider noticeable outgrowth. If you have dark hair, outgrowth can become noticeable in as little as a week after, whereas lighter hair may be able to go two to three weeks before the outgrowth becomes noticeable. 

So while you’ll need to cut and bleach your hair very often to maintain the look, the good news is that you won’t have to spend time in the morning styling your buzz cut because it’s truly a wash-and-go style. When you’re sporting a bleached buzz cut, it’s important to get on a schedule for maintenance with your stylist so you’re not overbleaching your hair. Remember that just because your hair is short doesn’t mean it’s not susceptible to damage and those cropped strands can still break off if you overdo it with the bleach. 

The upside, however, is that your routine appointments with your stylist or barber to maintain your cropped cut will counteract the damage of constant bleach sessions. This edgy style is hands down the best way to sport a platinum blonde color without having to worry about bleach damage. 

How to Get a Bleached Buzz Cut at Home

The first step to this daring look is the buzz cut, and for that, we recommend booking an appointment with your barber or stylist to avoid starting the new year off with a DIY haircut gone wrong.

Once you have the cropped ‘do, then, comes the second step, which is bleaching. For this, you can book a double appointment at your salon or you can DIY the icy hue with the help of an at-home bleach kit, like the L'Oréal Paris Féria Platinum Bounce Bond Care Lightening System. This kit can lighten hair up to eight levels at home, (ideal for light to dark brown hair) while the purple pigments help to banish brassy tones.

If you’re going the DIY route, remember to read through the instructions included in the box before you start mixing the bleach and applying it to your strands. We recommend wearing old clothes that you won’t care about getting bleach on and applying petroleum to the skin surrounding your scalp to protect it from the bleach.

3 Tips for Maintaining a Bleached Buzz Cut

Aside from the routine haircuts and bleach sessions required to maintain the look, a platinum buzz cut makes for easy upkeep when it comes to your morning routine. With that said, here are a few tips to help you maintain your bleached cut. 

1. Embrace Purple Shampoo and Conditioner 

Bleached hair and brassy tones are an inevitable duo. But, with the right purple shampoo, all it takes is a quick wash to banish them. The L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo contains purple dyes to banish orange and yellow tones in blonde, bleached and silver hair. Follow it up with the L’Oréal Paris Everpure EverPure Sulfate-Free Toning Purple Conditioner — even your short strands can benefit from conditioner to keep your head of hair feeling soft and moisturized. Use the duo once a week or every few washes as needed.

Once you’ve maintained the ashiness of your bleached cut, if you still want to experiment with color, try the L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Temporary 1-Day Hair Color Spray. This semi-permanent dye provides vibrant and temporary color that will give your strands a makeover until your next shampoo. In shades like blue, hot pink and red, use it to craft a design on your cropped strands or go blue and simple with an all over navy blue hair color. 

2. Add a Toning or Glossing Treatment to Your Routine

To keep your bleached buzz cut looking extra cool and ashy, tone brassy color with an at-home toning treatment, like the L'Oréal Paris Féria Power Toner, Long Lasting Anti Brass Toner. This at-home kit eliminates brass and enhances cool tones in hair in as little as five minutes. Or, try an in-shower glossing treatment, like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss in Silver White. In just a few minutes, this gloss corrects brassy, faded color and leaves your strands feeling soft and shiny, like you just stepped foot out of the salon. 

 

Another way to maintain your bleached hue is with a glossing shampoo and conditioner, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Shampoo, pH Balanced and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Conditioner, pH Balanced. This system is infused with argan oil to help cleanse hair without stripping color, leaving it silky, shiny and smooth.

It also includes an in-shower glossing treatment, the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing In Shower Acidic Glaze, which helps to keep colored hair shiny and vibrant. First, cleanse your scalp and hair with the shampoo, then spray the in-shower glaze on wet hair and let it sit for one to three minutes, (do not rinse) and follow up with the conditioner.

3. Moisturize Daily

Bleached hair can get dry very quickly, especially when you bleach it as frequently as you would with a bleached buzz cut. To combat this, moisturize daily with a hydrating serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Hyaluron + Plump Moisture Plump Serum, Paraben-Free, to plump your strands with hyaluronic acid. Then, follow up with hair oil, like the L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Sheer Oil, to lock in the moisture.

Next: 10 Hair Color Trends That Will Be on Repeat in 2023

Photography: Chaunte Vaughn, Senior Art Director: Melissa San Vicente-Landestoy, Associate Creative Producer: Becca Solovay, Makeup Artist: Jonet Williamson, Hair Stylist: Akihisa Yamaguchi, Wardrobe Stylist: Adriana Perez-Bell, Digital Tech: Paul Yem, Model: Chelsea Vaughn