Zero Cut, Whiffle or Induction Cut

Boy with a nearly shaved head or buzz cut
Photo: Bonita R. Cheshier/Shutterstock
Q: My son’s football team has decided to shave their heads as a sign of school spirit, but my son has always been vain about his hair and wants to know how short it’s going to be before he agrees to do it.
 
His team captain said that they were going to give them a “zero” cut. What does that mean? My son is a freshman, and I can opt him out of the haircut if I choose.
 
A: The “zero” refers to a clipper haircut without a length guard in place. It’s typically about 1/16th of an inch in length. It’s called a “Zero” because the clipper guards start at “1” and work their way up in length. Since the “1” is the lowest number in guards, the cut without a guard is referred to as a 0.
 
This cut is also simply called a buzz cut, an induction cut, and in some places around the world, a whiffle. This is a pretty dramatic cut, but since the hair grows an average of half-an-inch a month, he should be back to the length of many average men and boy’s cuts within six months.
 
I don’t know if this is something that will make a difference to him, or if this is going to ensure that you opt him out of the cut. At least, you can be assured that if he goes through with it, it will grow back.
 
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See also:
 
Men's hairstyles
 
Clipper cutting techniques
 
The length of the guard on clippers