PRINCE William’s hair has been a topic of conversation among royal observers since his childhood.
From his bowl cut days, to losing his hair, here is everything you need to know.
What is Prince William's haircut?
Prince William is thought to have forked out £180 for a No1 buzz cut in 2018.
The No1 is the shortest you can go without opting for a fully shaved head - but it's not usually as pricey.
A buzz cut is a hairstyle created with clippers - which is often given to military recruits in countries like Australia, China, Russia, and the US.
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The Prince of Wales has continued to shave his head, but with a less severe look.
He no longer sports the buzz cut but keeps the sides short.
Unfortunately for the heir to the throne, he has had serious hair loss on the top of his head, which he keeps neatly shaved.
How do the numbers on men's haircuts work?
The numbers refer to the size of the clips which attach to electric hair trimmers.
Most clippers come with a set of eight guard sizes, meaning you can easily pick the length of hair which will be trimmed.
Sounds simple enough - so which number do YOU need?
Here's how the numbers work...
- Number 0: The shortest haircut possible, a shaved head (sometimes used for a "bald fade" down the side).
- Number 1: Used for buzz cuts, leaves 1/8 of an inch of hair on your head. Be warned, your scalp will show in places.
- Number 2: A short hairstyle which doesn't expose your scalp, leaves 1/4 of an inch of hair. Men's Hairstyles Now recommend a no2 for balding or thinning blokes.
- Number 3: A common choice for men who want a low-maintenance cut, leaves 3/8 of an inch.
- Number 4: The middle length available, we're now moving into brush or crew cut territory.
- Number 5: Leaves 5/8 of an inch of hair, which is enough to be styled and brushed.
- Number 6: Long enough to do tapered (i.e. shorter) sides, leaves 6/8 of an inch on top.
- Number 7: Looking for a trim that just buzzes on the top without the need for scissors? The no7's your man.
- Number 8: The longest clipper size available, leaving a full inch of hair. Use it to trim the top, and style the sides with the lower guard numbers.
When it comes to clippers, it's best to chop longer hair with scissors first.
When did Prince William change his hair and what did it look like before?
At the age of seven, the young Prince sported a pudding bowl look before moving on to the more elegant side parting and swept fringe.
For most of his childhood, his hair was thick and generally swept straight.
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But in the early noughties, it looked slightly curlier and more untamed.
For his first ever press conferences at the start of the new century, he donned a lighter blond hairdo before he ventured off on his gap year.
While at university from 2001 until graduating in 2005, the Prince had a full head of hair.
He wore his blond locks short at the sides with a tousled look on top.
Prince William joined the armed services in 2006, wearing his hair short on top and at the sides, but there were already signs of hair loss.
One of the most notable signs was spotted during a football match at the 2006 World Cup, where he was photographed from above, showing his thinning hair.
Since then, his hairline has continued to recede on the top of his head.
At his wedding to Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011, his hair was styled as a short back and sides, but showed sides of receding at the front.
In 2016, Wills opted for a more trim look, at the sides and short on top as his hair thinned.
Then in 2018 he sported his No1 cut, before opting for a less severe shave since then.
The Prince has previously poked fun at his receding hairline, telling hairstylist Taz Kabria: "I don't have much hair, I can't give you much business," during a visit to a hairdresser's salon.
His brother Prince Harry would also tease him about losing his hair.
While chatting to a Second World War veteran in Barbados in 2010, Harry remarked that William "was already bald aged 12".
But it's not all bad news for the Prince, as in 2021 he was named the world's sexiest bald man.
Who cuts the Royal Family's hair?
Award-winning celebrity hair stylist Joey Wheeler cuts the Royal Family's hair.
He is the senior stylist at Richard Ward, where he has been working for over a decade.
His long list of famous clients has included Declan Donnelly, Lewis Hamilton, and Michael Caine – to name but a few.
Along with styling the hair of well-known faces, he has also worked for the likes of Vogue magazine on fashion shoots.
