How To Use Hair Clippers

At some point, your hair is going to grow too long. Even if you like a nice ponytail, you’ll still need to cut your hair. Otherwise, it is going to grow out of control and you’ll look unkempt. With that being said, you should know that you have several options at your disposal. First and foremost, you can visit a local barbershop. This is a good option if you have more money to spend. A visit to the barbershop can be expensive and this is why many consumers will be interested in learning how to use hair clippers and doing it at home alone.

Purchasing a pair of hair clippers will ensure that you’re able to deal with your hair from home. You can do it yourself. The only problem is that cutting hair with clippers can be very difficult. You’ll need to learn how to use clippers. Within this guide, you’re going to find tips for tricks for cutting your hair with a pair of clippers.

Tips For Using Hair Clippers

It is vital to be very careful when cutting your hair. Otherwise, you’re going to create problems for yourself. Your hand may slip and you might cut your hair too short. Or, you might gap your hair and you don’t want this to happen. You need to know how to cut hair with clippers so you can get the best results.

Below, you’re going to find tips for cutting your hair with a pair of clippers.

Use A Guide

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you’re using a guide. Using a hair clipper can help you cut your hair at a uniform length. To do that, you need to take advantage of the included snap-on guides. When you begin looking at the guides, you will find that they’re numbered. They normally range from 1 to 8. The smallest number is normally 1/8th of an inch while the highest number is closer to an inch.

You’ll need to choose a guide to match the hair length that you want. If you choose a number lower than four, there is a risk that you’re going to cut your hair too short. It is wise to experiment with several guides so you can find out what works best for you. Just remember that it is best to stay on the bigger side because you can always cut more off.

Wash & Dry Hair

If you’re trying to learn how to cut a man’s hair with clippers, you need to start by washing and drying your hair. Most hair clippers are very powerful so they’ll be able to slice through your hairs without any issues. To ensure that you can get a clean-cut, you need to wash and dry your hair. This is the best way to get rid of the debris and contaminants in your hair. Then, you’ll be able to cut the hair with ease.

Remember to wash your hair before rinsing it thoroughly. Once you’ve done that, you’ll want to dry your hair. It is pertinent to dry your hair thoroughly because it is very difficult to cut wet hair. In addition to this, cutting wet hair will greatly reduce the lifespan of your clippers.

Your Form

When you’re ready to begin cutting your hair, you need to focus on your form. If you don’t hold the clipper at the right angle, there is a risk that you’re going to cut your hair too short. You need to hold the clippers so that the blades are facing away from the palm of your hand. The guide should be parallel to your scalp. You’ll want to hold the clipper firmly while pressing down gently. You need to use enough pressure to ensure that the guide touches the scalp from start to finish.

However, you shouldn’t press too hard. You’ll want to move slowly and carefully as you move around your head. This will ensure that you’re going to get a uniform cut.

Work Slowly

When cutting your hair, you need to be very cautious. You cannot rush this process because that will lead to numerous problems. You need to move in slow and steady strokes. When it comes to learning how to use clippers to cut hair, you cannot rush. You need to move deliberately and carefully. Make sure that you go against the grain of hair growth. This will allow the clipper to catch as much hair as possible. Again, you should never rush. If you do, you’re going to cause the blades to catch your hair and pull it. This will be very painful. Take your time and let the blades slice through the hair.

Be Ready For A Mess

Cutting your hair is not going to be easy. In addition to this, you have to remember that you’re going to have to deal with a mess once everything is said and done. Once you’ve finished cutting your hair, your floor will be covered with hair. With that being said, you’ll need to clean up the mess. This can be difficult since you’ve worked so hard cutting your hair. Thankfully, you can simplify this problem by preparing thoroughly.

Before you begin cutting your hair, you should cut down a blanket or cloth. This will allow the hair to fall onto the blanket. Then, you can take the blanket outside and dust it off. You can also throw it into the laundry if you wish. Either way, preparing thoroughly will make things much easier in the long run.

Know The Clippers

When you begin searching for how to cut guys’ hair with clippers, you will find that your razor might be different than others. With this in mind, you need to find out how your clipper is going to work. There is a good chance that your clipper will have different settings than your friend’s. So, you cannot always rely on guides written to help you learn how to use an electric trimmer. Before you can do that, you need to learn more about your trimmer.

You have to understand your trimmer and its settings. Does it have multiple speeds? If it does, you need to figure out which one will work best for you. In addition to this, you need to know more about the guides. Which guide will work best for you? You may be using a pair of cordless clippers. If so, you need to know how long the battery is going to last.

You don’t want to stop midway through so you’ll need to get the job done quickly. Make sure that the battery is charged before starting.

Ask For Help

Finally, you should think about asking for helping. Cutting your hair can be a daunting task. If you try to do it without assistance, you are likely going to get yourself into big trouble. You don’t want to create problems for yourself and you shouldn’t have to. All you have to do is ask for help. You likely have a friend or family member who will help. Don’t hesitate to ask them for assistance. You might have a difficult time cutting the back of your head.

Ask for help and you can guarantee that you won’t mess something up. You can cut most of your hair but let a friend deal with the difficult parts. Either way, asking for help is wise.

Now, it is time to learn how to cut your hair with clippers. Is it going to be difficult? Yes, but you can do it. As long as you take your time and practice, you’ll figure it out. Below, you’re going to find the steps that you need to follow to cut your hair with a razor.

Step 1: Grab Your Razor & Guard

First and foremost, you’ll need to grab your trimmer and guards. If you haven’t used your trimmer before, it is a good idea to read the manual. You’ll want to learn as much as you can about the settings so you can get the perfect finish. In addition to this, you should check out the blade guards. If you want long hair, you should stick with a higher blade guard. A 7 or 8 will likely do the trick. If you want a smooth finish, you should choose a smaller number.

The guard slides over the blade and will remain attached from start to finish. If you want to cut a fade, you’ll need to switch from one guard to another during the shaving process.

Step 2: Wash & Dry

Before getting started, you’ll want to wash and dry your hair. This is very important because it is harder to cut wet or dirty hair. It is a good idea to wash your hair in the sink. Don’t take a shower because you’ll likely want to take a shower after you’ve shaved. This is the best way to remove all of the leftover hair from your skin.

You can also try covering your shoulders and clothes to catch the falling hair. Be ready to clean up a mess when you’ve finished because your floor will likely be covered with hair.

Step 3: Longest Blade Guard First

Now, you’ll want to begin cutting your hair. It is a good idea to start with the longest guard. Using this guard will allow you to deal with long growth first. If you need to remove a lot of hair, it is wise to use a guard for the longest length you prefer. Once you’ve attached the guard, you will be able to cut all over your head without stopping. Then, you can return to certain parts and cut the hair shorter.

Step 4: Go Against The Grain

When cutting your hair, it is pertinent to go against the hair’s growth. When you look at your hair, you will find that the hair on the sides and back tends to grow down. When dealing with these parts of your head, you’ll want to push the trimmer upward.

Step 5: Scoop

During the cutting process, you’ll want to scoop with the blade. Keep the blade guard close to the scalp until you reach the top of the head. Then, you can move the blade guard up in a scooping motion.

Final Step: Finish It

Once you’ve removed all of the unwanted hair, you can finish it up. To do this, you will need to remove the guard and cut the hair around the neck and ears. You’ll want to work carefully here because you can easily nick the skin or cut the hair too short.

[Video] How to Cut a Man’s Hair with Clippers

Learning Proper Clipper Maintenance

A haircut is only as good as the clippers that do the cutting. That is why it is imperative to always ensure that your clippers are in top running condition. Not only will this provide the best cuts possible, but it’ll ensure that you get the longest life possible from the clippers. And, considering the prices of clippers today, this is something that you are going to want. Unfortunately, clippers are mechanical devices.

And like all mechanical devices, parts wear out, things break down, and they will eventually need replacing. Simply put, maintaining and caring for your clippers will become a regular part of your grooming routine. This is if you want to get the most life and efficiency from the clippers. All this aside, before you learn to properly care for your new clippers, you’ll have to gather the right tools so that you can.

Gathering Your Tools

As you likely already know, there are tons of different brands, makes, and models of clippers. Why is this important? Because, clippers not only look different, but they work differently and require different tools for maintenance. Chances are, you’ll either need a Philips head screwdriver or a flat head to start with. This won’t, however, be the only thing that you’ll need. You’re also going to need a toothbrush or a wire brush along with oil for lubrication.

If you plan on sharpening your blades, which you will eventually have to do or replace them, you’ll likely also need a honing stone. These items can usually be picked up at outdoor stores or box stores that sell camping equipment. These items are more often than not utilized for sharpening knife blades, but they’ll sharpen your clipper blades just fine as well. That being said, you’ll want to avoid the cheaper models if you do plan on sharpening your own blades. The more expensive ones will not only ensure that you get more life from them, but they’ll ensure that you get the sharpest blades possible.

Here’s a quick recap of everything that you’re going to need:

Screwdrivers
Toothbrush
Rag
Blade cleaner
Oil or lubricant
Honing Stone (Optional for sharpening)
Rotary tool (Also optional)

Removing The Blades

You’ll always want to make sure that you are rinsing your clippers under a running faucet after each use if applicable. You do have to be careful with some models because water will ruin them, but with most of today’s models, you can simply put the head of the clippers under a running faucet to remove debris and loose hairs. However, there might come times when the buildup gets so backed up that you have to remove the head and clean underneath it. This is the same process as if you were going to replace or sharpen the blades.

Brushing Out The Hair

Once you have access to the face of the clippers, under the blades, you’ll simply take your toothbrush or wire brush and remove the built-up hair and debris. Brush like you are brushing your teeth while applying blade cleaner and lubricant. Now, take the rag and clean up around the area before reassembling.

Sharpening The Blades

If you want to sharpen the blades, you’ll simply take the removed blades and rub them against your honing stone. This will be a similar process to sharpening a knife. If you’ve ever sharpened a knife, you won’t have a problem sharpening your clipper blades. If you are new to the process, you can likely find plenty of videos online that will walk you through the process. Either way, this isn’t something that takes a mechanical guru. When done just simply reassemble and lubricate.

FAQs on How To Cut Hair With Clippers

How Do You Use Hair Clippers For Beginners?

Learning to use hair clippers can seem like a daunting task. However, it doesn’t have to be tough. You need to learn how to use your clippers by studying the settings and reading the manual. Once you’ve done that, you should begin experimenting. You can try using the clipper without turning it on first. Once you get the hang of it, you should use the longest guide and try it with the clipper turned on this time.

How Can I Fade My Hair At Home For Beginners?

To cut a fade, you’ll need to use a pair of scissors and a pair of clippers. you’ll need to use three, four, or more guards during this process. You should start at the top of the head and work your way to the bottom. Once you’ve cut a portion of the hair, you should switch to another guard. Cut more hair before moving down and switching to another guard. By the time you reach the bottom of the hair, you can likely finish it without a guard.

See Best Hair trimmer For Fading.

How Do You Do A Fade For Beginners?

Start by choosing several attachment guides of varying sizes. Choose a starting point for your new fade. Beginning at the bottom, close to your ears and neckline, moving the clipper upwards toward the fade line. Continue this process until you reach the desired length.

Now, the fun begins. The goal is the fade your hair until it is blended perfectly. To do this, you will switch from one guide attachment to another until you achieve a natural fade.

How Do You Cut Men’s Hair With Clippers For Beginners?

As a beginner, you need to become familiar with your hair clipper first. This is a fairly simple process that requires each component and feature to be broken down carefully. The second step is to identify the functionality of each component and feature. The third step is to learn the basics of cutting hair with an electric clipper. The fourth step is to choose a hairstyle suitable for your facial features and shape.

Starting with the longest comb, move upwards toward the top of the scalp. Repeat this step until all of your hair is the same length.

If the length is not satisfactory, choose an attachment guide that is slightly shorter in length. Repeat the steps above until your hair is all the same length. At this point, you will need to decide if you want to continue trimming your hair. There are risks involved in moving forward, especially for beginners. But, with the appropriate attachment comb, there will be no need to worry about cutting your hair too short.

Proceed with caution, utilizing your hairstyle option as a primary guide.

Tips For Using Hair Clippers