How to Give Yourself a Haircut With Clippers

Skip the barber and do it yourself.

If you get the same haircut every time you go to the barber, have you ever thought about saving the monthly expense and doing it yourself? Most DIY haircut methods involve using scissors, which can be messy and inaccurate. Using clippers will allow you to give yourself the same haircut time and time again.

Things You'll Need

• Industry standard hair clippers
• Assorted clipper combs (#3, #4, #8, #10, #12)

Instructions

1. Find a place with a mirror, good lighting and a floor surface that's easy to clean up. Your bathroom is most likely your best bet. You may want to lay trash bags on the floor to catch some of the hair you're about to cut.

2. With a #12 comb on your clippers, cut all the hair on the top, side and back of your head. Guide the clippers thoroughly and slowly by resting the comb against your head and moving the clippers up and down -- almost like you're mowing a lawn.

3. All your hair is now one uniform length (1 ½ inches), so it's time to trim, crop and angle the haircut. You'll avoid a circular, poofy haircut look by cutting the sides and back of your hair shorter than the top.

   Use a #8 (1 inch) comb to cut the hair on the sides and back of your head. Unless you have two mirrors set up, you likely can't see the back of your head. Cut very slowly, and feel where the comb is going with your free hand. You just want to make sure you're leaving the hair on top of your head alone when you're using the shorter comb.

4. Now that the hair on the sides and back of your head is 1 inch, and the hair on top of your head is 1 ½ inches, it's time to blend or "fade" the two lengths. This can be achieved by using a #10 (1 ¼ inch) comb guard. This time cut slightly above the line where the 1-inch hair meets the 1 ½-inch hair. This will blur the line where the two lengths meet and give your haircut a natural and clean look.

Tips & Warnings

• Consider using an even shorter comb (#3 or #4) for the sides and back of your head for an even cleaner look.

• Don't forget to fold your ear back and cut the hair behind it.

• Move the clippers slowly; if you feel the clippers tugging on your hair instead of cutting, stop immediately. Your clippers are either too dull or your hair is too long. Cut off some length with scissors, and try again, using extreme caution.

• Start off with the longest length, and slowly work your way to shorter cuts. Once you find the lengths you like, just remember what size combs you used and return to that formula in the future.

• Avoid cheaper, no-name brand clippers -- these are often made with lower quality materials and struggle to cut through thicker hair

References

• CareFair.com: How to Use Hair Clippers